Research vs dogma
More and more evidence is emerging which questions the decades of advice on what constituted a healthy intake of fat in a standard diet.
A very robust study published in the British Medical Journal in February 2013 is one in a long line which challenges the standard medical advice to replace saturated animal fats, such as butter, with polyunsaturated fatty acid, such as margarine.
Questions were first raised in this arena in March 2001 when the large Canadian study, the Women’s Health Initiative revealed that women who used margarine had more heart attacks and strokes than those who used butter.
Twelve years later and despite continued misinformation by doctors and the advertising media yet another study showing an INCREASED RISK OF DEATH amongst heart patients who swap butter for margarine.
In fact the study went further than just cardiovascular health to report an increased risk of death from ALL CAUSES in the Vegetable oil users. The data was from Australian and USA studies.
Ingrained belief systems, even among professionals who are trained to practice ‘evidence based medicine', are very hard to shift, even in light of very sound and consistent research.
Take home message: take back responsibility for your health – look at the evidence and make up your own minds.
Just to remind everyone:
Ingredients in butter:
cream
salt
Ingrediens in margarine:
plant sterols
water
soy
lecithin
mono and di-glycerides of fatty acids
milk
vitamin D2 (inactive)
Vitamin A
Vitamin E
flavours (unspecified)
I harp back to my previous advice to look at a benchmark of LOW HUMAN INTERVENTION for your food choices. This will steer you in the right direction every time. Oh, and enjoy that great tasting organic butter on your toast, guilt free!