Don't cut out this food as it could reduce heart disease risk, nutritionist advises
Many of us will have committed to cutting out unhealthy foods in order to follow a more balanced lifestyle in 2025. But it's not as simple as 'good foods' versus 'bad foods'.
In fact, many of the foods that are branded by our culture as 'unhealthy' can actually have many health benefits - as long as they are enjoyed in moderation, of course.
Federica Amati, one of the UK’s top nutritionists, has issued a warning that not all fats are bad. She even explained that some could reduce the risk of heart disease, reported Gloucester Live.
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Although it's common knowledge that some fats are bad for health, the expert explained the importance of remembering that a few of them (not all) could be beneficial.
Amati explained to The Times Magazine that people who are trying to become healthier tend to limit their fat intake. But this might not always be beneficial to lead a healthier lifestyle.
She explained: "Saturated or trans fats are linked to poorer health outcomes like heart disease. But other types, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, are associated with good health outcomes.”
The expert claimed that foods such as olive oil, nuts, and avocados were recommended because while they are high in fat, they provide a net health positive.
Fatty-acids found in omega-3s are also found to be healthier forms of fat. These are found in nuts, seeds, sea vegetables, and fatty fish such as salmon.
While she states that she would warn against cutting out some forms of fat, she also spoke on which foods are best avoided.
The nutritionist told The Times that there were two items she prohibited her children from consuming- cola and flavoured yoghurts. She explained: “I don't see any benefit to drinking a Cola at any point in life. That's something that I'm very black and white about. I don't see any reason for even trying them. Fizzy drinks are the worst ultra-processed food [UPF] that exist.
“Children's yoghurts have some of the highest sugar content in the food industry. I've got two daughters and it's really important that they have a good relationship with food.”
And Amati, chief nutritionist at health science company Zoe, isn’t the first expert to warn about the dangers of UPFs on the body.
The British Medical Journal recently published research suggesting that UPFs could be linked to a wide variety of conditions. These include cancer, anxiety, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Discussing these findings, Dr Charlotte Gupta said that while there was existing awareness that UPFs weren’t healthy, it's still unclear just how bad they are for you. She said: “We know these foods aren’t considered ‘healthy’, but this sheds new light on how damaging they can be.”
Speaking in greater detail to The Sun about the research, lead author Dr Melissa Lane urged action to be taken on the prevalence of UPFs in order to improve the health of the wider population.
She said: “These findings support urgent mechanistic research and public health actions that seek to target and minimise ultra-processed food consumption for improved population health.”
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