Dietary fat: assessing the evidence in support of a moderate-fat diet; the benchmark based on lipoprotein metabolism

There is a growing database that has evaluated the effects of varying amounts of total fat on risk factors for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and overweight and obesity. The evidence clearly suggests that extremes in dietary fat should be avoided, and instead a diet moderate in total fat (25–35 %...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 2002-05, Vol.61 (2), p.287-298
Main Authors: Kris-Etherton, P. M., Binkoski, A. E., Zhao, G., Coval, S. M., Clemmer, K. F., Hecker, H. D., Jacques, H., Etherton, T. D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Benchmarking
Cardiovascular disease
cardiovascular diseases
Cardiovascular Diseases - etiology
Cardiovascular Diseases - prevention & control
Cholesterol
chronic diseases
Chronic illnesses
Diabetes
Diabetes Mellitus - prevention & control
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - diet therapy
Diet
Diet, Fat-Restricted - adverse effects
dietary fat
Dietary Fats - administration & dosage
Dietary Fats - metabolism
dietary fiber
Dietary Fiber - administration & dosage
Dietary guidelines
Dietary Proteins - administration & dosage
energy
fat intake
Fatty acids
Fatty Acids, Unsaturated - administration & dosage
glycemic control
Humans
Lipid Metabolism
Lipoproteins
Lipoproteins - metabolism
Macronutrient Metabolism Group Symposium on ‘Dietary fat: how low should we go?’
Metabolism
Nutrition research
Obesity
Obesity - prevention & control
Oils & fats
Overweight
Patient Compliance
risk
Risk Factors
risk profile
Time Factors
Weight control
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Summary:There is a growing database that has evaluated the effects of varying amounts of total fat on risk factors for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and overweight and obesity. The evidence clearly suggests that extremes in dietary fat should be avoided, and instead a diet moderate in total fat (25–35 % energy) is preferable for the majority of individuals. Moreover, we now appreciate the importance of individualizing dietary fat recommendations within this range of total fat. With respect to cardiovascular disease, a diet higher in total fat (30–35 % energy) affects the lipid and lipoprotein risk profile more favourably than a lower-fat diet; this is also the case for individuals with diabetes, with the added benefit of better glycaemic control. Dietary fibre (≧25g/d) attenuates and even prevents the potentially adverse lipid and lipoprotein effects of a lower-fat diet. With respect to weight control, a moderate-fat diet can be as, or even more, effective than a lower-fat diet, because of advantages with long-term adherence and potentially favourable effects on lipids and lipoproteins. Thus, there is now a convincing scientific basis to advocate a diet moderate in total fat for the majority of individuals. Implicit to this position is that unsaturated fat has numerous beneficial health effects. However, because fat is energy dense, moderation in fat intake is essential for weight control. Consequently, a simple message to convey is to avoid diets that are very low and very high in fat. Moreover, within the range of a moderate-fat diet it is still important to individualize the total fat prescription. Nonetheless, the guiding principle is that moderation in total fat is the defining benchmark for a contemporary diet that reduces risk of chronic disease.
ISSN:0029-6651
1475-2719
DOI:10.1079/PNS2002157