Just one high-saturated-fat meal adversely affects arteries
10
August
In a study at The Heart Research Institute in Sydney, Australia,titled “Consumption of Saturated Fat Impairs the Anti-Inflammatory Properties of High-Density Lipoproteins and Endothelial Function” (Abstract), researchers led by Dr. Stephen Nicholls have discovered that eating just one meal high in saturated fat can quickly prevent “good” cholesterol from protecting the body against clogged arteries.
The good news, however, is that the opposite is also true: A single meal with heart-healthy poly-unsaturated fat (olive oil!) helps to protect arteries from plaque buildup.
In the study, 14 people, ages 18-40, ate two meals of carrot cake and a milkshake one month apart. One meal was high in saturated fat - using coconut oil - and the other was high in polyunsaturated fat - using safflower oil.
The researchers found that three hours after eating the saturated fat meal, the endothelium, or inner lining of blood vessels, in study participants showed reduced ability to expand and increase blood flow and after six hours the good cholesterol (HDL) ’s protective ability to prevent inflammation was also impaired.
The results are pretty straightforward, especially considering the fact that they used everyday foods we are faced with all the time.
Dr. James O’Keefe, a cardiologist at the Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, said Nicholls’ study shows “a really important concept - when you eat the wrong types of food, inflammation and damage to the vessels happens immediately afterward.”
-Via Washington Post
This study only reinforces our understanding that the food choices we make directly affect our body. Whenever I see research like this, I am reminded of the movie, “The Matrix”: “It’s all about choice, Neo”. Now we can either take the blue pill, the story ends and we go back to our old ways of eating. Or we can take the red pill and discover the truth about nutrition for ourselves. So what is it going to be, the blue pill or the red pill?
“Remember, all I am offering is the truth. Nothing more.”
Technorati Tags: health, fitness, nutrition, saturated fat, arteries, heart health
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