There’s no denying that nutrition, and how different foods affect your wellbeing, is a science. However, calling it “a science” can make you think that you’ll get black and white results every time, which isn’t the case. Sports dietician Heather Neal explains, ‘The problem with nutrition is that the science both makes sense and doesn’t make sense all at the same time. It’s not because of a lack of quality research; it’s because research can both prove and disprove a theory all in one go. Nutrition science can show that something is fact, then turn around and demonstrate the opposite. It’s not experts trying to persuade us that something’s true when it’s not or poorly designed research studies (although there are plenty of those). It’s because while nutrition is based in science, it can’t be put into a box with a checkmark next to it that says, “yes, this is absolutely fact.”’ How frustrating!
‘It’s why I both love and hate my job as a dietician,’ Neal points out. ‘I can’t tell clients that yes, this 100% will work, and this is absolutely wrong, or guarantee xyz results by doing precisely abc. See, nutrition is a science woven with art. What works for one person doesn’t work for another. What destroys one person’s body may help somebody else’s. What’s “true” one day may be wrong the next and then true again. It happens a lot, and it’s what makes people distrust nutrition.’ She adds, ‘Here’s one to wrap your head around: fat isn’t bad — even saturated fat. Now, I know most people have gotten off the low-fat bandwagon by now and appropriately so, but it’s also time to get off the fat-is-bad wagon entirely.’
Neal details, ‘Saturated fat is, apparently, good for you. Or at least not terrible for you. It’s not the demonized, artery-clogging culprit we’ve made it out to be…The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reviewed old saturated fat research and came to a new conclusion: saturated fat doesn’t cause heart attacks. It was a logical conclusion from past research: people who had heart attacks and clogged arteries ate a lot of saturated fat, therefore saturated fat is bad for you. What the research missed was the actual cause and effect connection. This doesn’t mean you should dive in to a plate of saturated fat, though…What it does mean is that we should give fat a chance.’ So what do we really know about fat, and why should you let it play a role in your diet wellness?
1. Cholesterol Confusion: Neal notes, ‘Saturated fat does raise LDL cholesterol (the artery-clogging stuff) but it also raises HDL cholesterol (the good kind) and lowers triglycerides (also good). For reference, carbohydrates raise triglycerides, which are markers of heart disease.’
2. The Right Stuff: ‘Replacing dietary saturated fat with fats like polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats (like those from nuts, oils, etc.) will likely lower your cardiovascular disease risk,’ says Neal. ‘But replacing saturated fat with carbohydrates will not. It’s all about the context of your diet as a whole.’
3. The Wrong Stuff: Neal warns, ‘The one thing everyone seems to be able to agree upon is that trans fats are bad. Avoid them.’
4. Omega 3s: According to Neal, ‘Most people eat way more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids, which is why you hear so much about supplementing with omega-3s. This doesn’t mean omega-6s are bad, but you want to keep the ratio in proportion. Good sources of omega-3s are fatty fish and nuts. Omega-6s are found in vegetable oils like corn, soy, and safflower.’
5. Fat Functioning: ‘Most important of all, you need fat to function,’ Neal asserts. ‘Fat is required to absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K, synthesize hormones, lubricate joints, and promote the sensation of satiety (fullness).’
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