Interesting article.....

Why Australian dietary recommendations on fat need to change

A recent editorial in the journal Open Heart suggests many of us have it all wrong when it comes to the balance of fats we eat.

The authors urge a return to equal amounts of specific types of fats known as omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in order to help combat global obesity.

The paper reflects a recent wave of evidence supporting a revision of guidelines around dietary fat, including in Australia.
What are dietary fats?

Fats - more correctly referred to as fatty acids - are a major dietary source of energy, along with carbohydrate and protein. Fats can be saturated or unsaturated, terms that refer to the makeup and structure of the fat molecules.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids include the groups of omega-6 and omega-3 fats. The omega-6 linoleic acid and omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid are called essential fats, as humans cannot produce them: we need to obtain these from dietary sources.

Major sources of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids are seeds that are used abundantly in vegetable oils like safflower and sunflower oil. These oils are commonly used to make margarines. Processed foods such as cakes, biscuits, burgers, pizza and chips are therefore high in omega-6.

Plant sources of omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid are nuts (such as walnuts), seeds (such as linseeds) and green leafy vegetables. The longer chain, more highly unsaturated omega-3s known as eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid come from algae and oily fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines.

There is good evidence for the health benefits of monounsaturated fatty acids: these are found in olive oil, macadamia oil, avocado, and selected nuts like almonds and peanuts.




Excess amounts of saturated fatty acids in the diet have been associated with increased risk of clogged arteries and heart disease (although this is complicated and may depend on their source). Saturated fatty acids come primarily from red meat and processed foods, but dairy products, coconut and palm oil also contain them.

Highly processed food also contains trans fatty acids which occur as a result of the hydrogenation of vegetable oils for margarine, commercial cooking and manufacturing. This process alters the structure of the fat, and these are associated with increased risk of heart disease.
How do fats contribute to our health?

Apart from contributing energy that our bodies need to work properly, fats have numerous important health benefits including healthy skin and hair, absorbing fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K), and insulation to keep us warm.

Omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids are important for brain development. Docosahexaenoic acid is particularly concentrated in our brains, where it has multiple important roles in healthy brain function, cognition and mental health.

Furthermore, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids produce important chemicals that reduce inflammation and blood clotting, and improve blood vessel dilation. Conversely, omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids promote inflammation, clotting and constriction of blood vessels.

A diet low in omega-3 and rich in omega-6 can therefore create a range of problems, including chronic inflammation and poor blood flow. These changes are associated with chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease, stroke, mental illness and dementia.
What sorts of fats do Australians eat?

In traditional societies, humans consumed a ratio of roughly 2-1:1 of omega-6 to omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. This came about due to diets rich in fish, plant foods and free grazing animals, and eggs from chickens that ate plants high in omega-3 fats.

In industrialised regions such as Europe and the United States, the dietary ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is very different, being closer to 16:1. In Australia it is estimated to be 8:1.



Therefore Australians are not meeting recommended guidelines for omega-3 intake, eating high levels of processed and takeaway foods, a lot of fatty red meat and not enough fish or vegetables.

This diet is associated with high levels of obesity and chronic disease in adult Australians.

Furthermore, one in four Australian children is overweight or obese. This age group also consumes excess saturated fat – largely through processed foods – and not enough omega-3 fats.

The recent Open Heart editorial suggests such statistics may be reflective of poor dietary policy:

    It is the responsibility of the governments and international organisations to establish nutrition policies based on science and not continue along the same path of focusing exclusively on calories and energy expenditure, which have failed miserably over the past 30 years.

Confusion around dietary fat: low-fat diets

cont......

FORGET TRYING TO REMEMEBER ALL THAT JUST PRINT THIS OUT AND STICK ON THE FRIDGE

Any recommended diet that includes soy milk is based on junk science! Too little salt in your diet and you get muscle cramps. What a load of hooey!

Females especially should avoid soy milk, the phyto hormones in it are bad for them! Cows milk is good for you and so is red meat!

I don’t buy much food at supermarkets, some icecream or biccies sometimes, 2L of Paris Creek milk or Paris Creek butter or yoghurt etc. I buy at real markets including farmers markets.

Yes, that is what I said the phyto hormones are bad for females—a male with lots of phyto female hormones is not a good thing!

Soy milk is filled full of fats and sugar to make it (barely) palatable. Crap!

Everyone of us should innately know what is good for our body and what isn't.  I remember years ago they were pushing Margarine onto us and outlawing butter.   Rancid, toxic, despicable stuff Margarine is.  Now, of course, they are wrong.

As a rule, anything natural has to be better for us than the processed unnatural products and we do need fat in our diet.  Some people just go overboard with it.

I have ancestors who lived into their mid 80s, way back in the early 1800s ... they were Scottish and probably ate "stodge" ... they died of Old Age.

It isn't what you eat (or drink), it is how much you do it ...

We are destined to DIE ... S.M.I.L.E. before you do so. Have fun while you can, Life is short in the great scheme of things.  As my late Mother said "You are a LONG time dead".