Are we at risk?
Scientists from the US’s National Institute of Health in Maryland recently published their findings after taking a look at lost data from an experiment on heart wellness in the 1960s. The researchers claim that when people involved in the study swapped animal fat spreads for those containing omega-6 linoleic, they had a 74 per cent chance of getting coronary heart disease and a 62 per cent chance of dying from other diseases. But does this mean we’re better off with butter, or should we stick with vegetable-based margarines?
Study failings
Editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Cardiology, Andrew J Stewart Coats cautions us about how the study was not carried out to today’s high standards and if it is was, different conclusions may have been drawn. He points out that more people had diabetes in the group who swapped to vegetable spreads, which could have swayed results. Senior dietician from the British Heart Foundation Victoria Taylor, explains that unsaturated fats have their benefits, but perhaps we can look at the fats in our diet as a whole and concentrate on using them sparingly. Some experts state that the review into the experiment highlights our need to consider more than our intake of saturated fats, as others appear to play a role in our heart’s health.
Not just fat
The Cholesterol Myth author Jonny Bowden explains that lowering our blood sugar and triglyceride levels by taking the supplement BergaMet can reduce our cholesterol. In further studies, Cardiologist Dr Ross Walker explains that extracts from the fruit bergamot lowered blood cholesterol by nearly a third in his patients. As well as decreasing bad LDL cholesterol, the extract boosted good HDL cholesterol and lowered blood glucose levels by 22 per cent. The cardiologist supports the use of BergaMet alongside traditional cholesterol treatments like statins. He also notes that the extract significantly improved LDL and HDL levels whether patients took statins or not. Overall, the study has encouraged debate about how to keep our heart healthy by moderating our sugar and cholesterol levels with a diet infused with fruit extract supplements.
Stockist Information: BergaMet, £42 for a month’s supply, www.bergamet.co.uk