If there is one constant in the world of nutrition, it’s that there will be controversy. And since the first announcement of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s recommendations, we have seen nothing short of it. With so many different viewpoints on cholesterol and fat, for instance, it’s hard to keep up.
I recently returned from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo in Nashville, Tennessee. The highlight of the conference for me (and I think many others) was a lively discussion called “The Great Fat Debate,” hosted by KIND Snacks and moderated by Dr. David Katz, the director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center and a U.S. News blogger.
I was extremely honored to be a panelist of this controversial conversation alongside Penny M. Kris-Etherton, distinguished professor of nutrition at Pennsylvania State University, and Dr. Michael Dansinger, director of the Tufts Diabetes Reversal Program. Here’s what you missed:
1. Should the Dietary Guidelines for Americans include a limit on total fat?
The proposed guidelines don’t set a limit on total fat, but the panel’s consensus was that they should. I argued that fat still equates to calories — 9 grams per calorie to be exact, compared with 4 grams per calorie for protein and carbohydrates. And since obesity is still a major problem in the U.S., this point cannot be overlooked.
Kris-Etherton had a similar sentiment, warning that consumers who eat more than 50 percent of their daily calories from fat will likely miss out on key nutrients — even if they don’t exceed their daily calorie needs — since fat-containing foods will displace other nutrient-dense foods.
As for Dansinger, he said he’d be happier if the guidelines had proposed people eat 10 percent to 40 percent of their day’s total calories from fat, with the vast majority of that fat coming from healthy sources instead of meat and dairy.
I don’t like to talk negatively about meat or dairy, since I do believe they can be part of a well-balanced diet. But the bottom line with fat is that we do need guidelines and we most certainly need to look at one’s entire diet for the day — and not isolate any one nutrient or food.
2. Should the dietary guidelines include a total limit on cholesterol?
As it stands, the guidelines propose a cholesterol limit. I, for one, don’t think that’s necessary anymore since years of research has shown that dietary cholesterol does not have an effect on blood cholesterol. Maybe the bacon, greasy home fries and buttered toast were to blame — not the actual eggs.
But Kris-Etherton had a different view, pointing out that about 25 percent of the population is “hyper-responders” to dietary cholesterol. “Increasing dietary cholesterol increases risk of cardiovascular disease in persons with diabetes, a growing population group in the U.S.,” she said when I caught up with her this week. “Having no recommendation for dietary cholesterol is risky for these two groups.”
I won’t argue with that, but we need to remember that the dietary guidelines are designed for healthy people. I believe that people with special dietary needs should be consulting with a registered dietitian nutritionist.
3. Are saturated fats back in favor?
Praising saturated fats makes for great headlines (especially “Butter is back!”), but my esteemed colleagues and I agreed that doing so doesn’t make for great diet advice. Based on conclusive, scientific, peer-reviewed research, there are no health benefits to consuming saturated fats. “These fats cause unhealthy cholesterol levels in the blood by blocking the liver from doing its job,” Dansinger says.
To be fair, some saturated fats — such as stearic acid and lauric acid — have recently been shown to have neutral effects on blood cholesterol levels. But just because a nutrient is neutral doesn’t mean we should be choosing it over a nutrient that’s proven to be health-promoting. Perhaps that message is what’s lost on consumers.
4. Do consumers fully understand the role of fat in their diets?
Unfortunately, we all agreed that consumers are confused. And who can blame them? It’s harder to understand single nutrients than whole foods, and more appealing to believe that butter good for you than that only particular types of fats in certain quantities are good for you. The problem is, years ago, the message was to lower total fat consumption. But experts didn’t tell us with what, so Americans chose a lot of refined sugars and highly-processed packaged foods over fruits, veggies and 100 percent whole grains. We need to not make that mistake again.
5. What is the current thinking about the health effects of unsaturated oils?
The panel was in full agreement that unsaturated oils have positive health effects and should be included in our diets daily. We reiterated the point that we don’t eat unsaturated oils; we eat food. Olive oil tossed in a salad. Nuts and seeds mixed into yogurt or oatmeal. Avocado smashed on whole-wheat toast. It is also important to remember that unsaturated oils and fats are simply one component of a healthy diet and lifestyle.
More from U.S. News
Foods Affected by Trans Fat Ban
The 10 Best Heart-Healthy Diets
7 Reasons to Choose a Plant-Based Diet
The Great Fat Debate originally appeared on usnews.com
