Protein or monounsaturated fats are good replacements for saturated fat.We've all heard that it's important to reduce the amount of saturated fat saturated fat, any solid fat that is an ester of glycerol and a saturated fatty acid. The molecules of a saturated fat have only single bonds between carbon atoms; if double bonds are present in the fatty acid portion of the molecule, the fat is said to be in our diets. What's less certain is which nutrient should replace saturated fat. Should we be eating more protein, more carbohydrate, or more unsaturated fat unsaturated fat: see saturated fat. ? A recent study tried replacing saturated fat with either protein (2/3 plant protein and 1/3 animal protein), carbohydrate, or monounsaturated fat (canola and olive oil, nuts and seeds) and then determining the effect of this on blood pressure and LDL LDL - ["LDL: A Logic-Based Data-Language", S. Tsur et al, Proc VLDB 1986, Kyoto Japan, Aug 1986, pp.33-41]. (bad) cholesterol. Study participants were 164 adults with mildly elevated blood pressure. They were on each diet for six weeks. All diets were low in cholesterol and sodium and high in fruits and vegetables. Blood pressure and total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol decreased on all three diets. Compared with the higher carbohydrate diet, the higher protein diet further decreased blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides Triglycerides Fatty compounds synthesized from carbohydrates during the process of digestion and stored in the body's adipose (fat) tissues. High levels of triglycerides in the blood are associated with insulin resistance. and lowered HDL (Hardware Description Language) A language used to describe the functions of an electronic circuit for documentation, simulation or logic synthesis (or all three). Although many proprietary HDLs have been developed, Verilog and VHDL are the major standards. (good) cholesterol. The higher unsaturated fat diet also further decreased blood pressure and triglycerides but did not decrease LDL cholesterol. HDL cholesterol was higher on the high unsaturated fat diet. All three diets lowered the risk of heart disease, with higher protein and higher unsaturated fat diets having a greater effect than higher carbohydrates. This study suggests that, for those with high blood pressure, a somewhat higher protein intake (with at least half from plant sources) or a somewhat higher intake of unsaturated fat, along with low sodium intake and generous amounts of fruits and vegetables, can help to reduce blood pressure and may lead to lower cholesterol levels and a reduced risk of heart disease. Appel LJ, Sacks FM, Carey VJ, et al. 2005. Effects of protein, monounsaturated fat, and carbohydrate intake on blood pressure and serum lipids. JAMA JAMA abbr. Journal of the American Medical Association 294:2455-64. |
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