John Myers
In the 1950s, American researchers discovered that high-fat foods lead to increased cholesterol levels. A low-fat diet was therefore considered the be-all and end-all of a healthy life. But the study was paid for by the sugar industry and was wrong. This is now also shown by a large international study.
Study: People who eat fat live longer
For the PURE study (Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology Study) researchers asked 135,000 people worldwide about their dietary habits and observed how many of the respondents died over a period of seven years. The result: people who eat a lot of fat have a lower risk of dying than people who eat little fat.
The study thus confirmed on a large scale the results of a study published by Spanish scientists two years ago: At that time, one group had eaten a lot of carbohydrates and little fat, and two other groups had eaten a lot of olive oil or nuts and few carbohydrates. In both groups with the high-fat diet, 30 percent fewer heart attacks occurred than in the high-carb, low-fat group.
Saturated fats do no harm
What is surprising about the PURE study is that people who mainly ate saturated fats, such as fat from meat and dairy products, also benefited. So far, doctors have always been concerned that saturated fats increase the LDL value, i.e. the “bad” cholesterol.
Carbohydrates can make you sick
The second important finding of the PURE study is that those who eat a lot of carbohydrates have a higher risk of death than someone who eats little bread, pasta, and rice. Carbohydrates raise insulin levels. This in turn inhibits fat burning, makes you fat in the long run, and leads to an increase in blood lipid levels. In the long term, the pancreas is overwhelmed and type II diabetes mellitus can develop. In addition, the PURE study suggests that a carbohydrate-rich diet could also increase the risk of cancer and susceptibility to infections. These were the leading causes of death in the study.
Whole grains and vegetables instead of sugar and wheat
However, the scientists did not differentiate between the types of carbohydrates consumed. Nutrition experts agree that it makes a big difference whether you eat carbohydrates from refined sugars or, for example, from whole grains or vegetables. It is reasonable to assume that carbohydrates from processed sugar, wheat flour, and similar products are primarily responsible for the negative effects. They should therefore disappear from the menu as far as possible.
Eat lots of vegetables and healthy fat
Experts recommend lots of vegetables as the basis of meals. Good oils are also part of it because fat fills you up and serves as an important flavor carrier. Vegetables prepared with lots of oil taste good and fill you up, so you no longer have an appetite for unfavorable carbohydrates from pasta or bread.
The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) has also renewed its recommendations: it advises less sugar and moderate fat consumption. In doing so, the DGE follows the common practice of many nutritionists, who have long recommended a low-carbohydrate diet in combination with protein and good fats.
The PURE study makes no statement about the role of proteins in food. According to experts, proteins, together with vegetables, are the basis of a healthy diet. They ensure long-lasting satiety and provide the body with important building blocks for the muscles.
