Why your grandma was wrong about butter
Fat, Sugar, Whole Grains and Heart Disease: 50 Years of Confusion
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Replacing saturated fat with refined carbs does nothing for heart health—and may increase risk.
For decades, nutrition guidelines pushed low-fat diets, assuming replacing fat with carbs was healthier. This study flips that on its head.
Practical Takeaways
Swap one sugary drink per day for water or unsweetened tea, and add one serving of whole grains (like oatmeal or brown rice) to your meals.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Replacing saturated fat with refined carbs does nothing for heart health—and may increase risk.
For decades, nutrition guidelines pushed low-fat diets, assuming replacing fat with carbs was healthier. This study flips that on its head.
Practical Takeaways
Swap one sugary drink per day for water or unsweetened tea, and add one serving of whole grains (like oatmeal or brown rice) to your meals.
Publication
Journal
Nutrients
Year
2018
Authors
N. Temple
Related Content
Claims (7)
If you swap out foods like butter and cheese for things like white bread and sugary snacks, it might raise your blood sugar and fat levels after meals, which could make your heart more likely to get sick.
Eating a lot of meat and sugary refined foods like white bread and pastries is linked to more body inflammation, higher fat levels in your blood, and a 14 to 17% greater chance of developing heart disease—even if you’re counting carbs, fats, or proteins.
Eating 7 grams of fiber from cereal each day might help lower your chance of getting heart disease, so whole grains could be a big help for your heart.
Switching from foods high in saturated fats (like butter) to foods high in refined carbs (like white bread or sugar) doesn’t change your good-to-bad cholesterol balance or lower your risk of heart disease.
Eating foods high in saturated fats, like butter or red meat, doesn’t seem to strongly increase your risk of heart disease—so the idea that they’re really bad for your heart might be overblown.