Too Little Fat? Ultra-low-fat diets may not provide any additional benefit in reducing certain risk factors associated with heart disease and stroke compared to a regular low-fat diet, reports the American Heart Association (AHA) in its journal, Circulation. Such diets tend to raise triglycerides (the chemical form in which most fats exist in foods and in the body) and lower “good” HDL cholesterol without providing additional decreases in “bad” LDL cholesterol. Although some clinical trials have reported a reduction in risk of cardiovascular disease, there are many unanswered questions. For example, such studies have had no control for other factors that could have been responsible for the protective effect. These include increased physical activity, weight loss, and increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. Any one of these factors alone may have been responsible for the risk reduction. According to the AHA, ultra-low-fat diets contain no more than 15% of total calories from dietary fats. Regular low-fat diets contain no more than 30% of total calories from fat, with no more than 10% of the total derived from saturated fats. The healthiest choice is to follow a standard low-fat diet, full of nutritious fruits and vegetables, combined with regular exercise. If you are at high risk for heart disease or already have it, make sure you work with your physician or a nutritionist to develop an individual diet plan. Keep in mind that if you have elevated triglyceride levels or type II diabetes, ultra-low-fat diets can be particularly harmful. They are also dangerous for seniors, pregnant women, and young children.
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