Healthy fats do not affect weight gain
People who want to maintain a healthy weight over time should not obsess about fat intake.
The dietary guidelines suggest that people should keep fat intake between 20 and 35 percent of total calories, and eating “healthy” fats from fish, nuts and vegetable oils, fats instead of “unhealthy” saturated and Trans fats, said the team of Dr. Nita Forouhi, Institute of Metabolic Science, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
Then, the percentage of calories consumed from fat, unlike protein or carbohydrates, it has nothing to do with how much weight should be increased in subsequent years.
The results show that “it is more important a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and exercise, fat intake as a factor in weight gain.
Follow up in six countries over 10 years
The British agency analyzed data from nearly 90,000 men and women from six countries participating in the European Prospective Investigation into essay Cancer and Nutrition Study. Were followed for about 10 years.
The average fat intake ranged from 31, 5 to 36, 5 percent of total calories.
People piled on 0, 10 kilos a year. But several factors analysis found no relationship between how much weight the participants and how much fatter fat consumed, or between the intake of polyunsaturated fats and saturated fats.
The healthiest way
The findings should not be considered proof that people can eat as much fat as they want, said Forouhi. ”That would be absurd, given the amount of available evidence on the potential harms of diets rich in saturated and trans fats for the heart, for example,” said the author.
“The healthiest way to avoid weight gain is to ensure the restriction of total calorie intake, especially reducing sugars and added fats and alcohol because they provide calories, and control the portion sizes (which do not grow with time) and exercising regularly, “she added.