For years it had been commonly accepted that saturated fats raise bad cholesterol levels and therefore increase risk for heart disease. But now research is disproving this theory.
In the 1950s a scientist linked dietary fat and cholesterol levels to levels of fat and cholesterol in the blood. However, the study was flawed because the researcher only used data from seven countries where higher saturated fat intake and higher levels of heart disease occurred.
On the basis of this research, the American Heart Association began recommending a diet low in saturated fats and high in carbohydrates and vegetable oils for heart health. Ironically the foods that raise our cholesterol levels are the very foods that were recommended by the American Heart Association – processed carbohydrates, margarine, and vegetable oils.
Researchers have now concluded that triglycerides cause heart disease, not cholesterol. Trigylceride levels are affected by carbohydrates in foods like pasta, bread, crackers, and cookies. When you replace processed carbohydrates with real carbohydrates such as vegetables, and replace man-made fats with real fats such as butter, nuts, olive oil and avocados, you cholesterol levels will normalize.