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Mixing Fats
A Marriage of High- and Low-fat Foods Is a Good Thing
By Teri Brown
Just when you thought the diet wars couldn't get any more confusing, a study pops up that once again leaves everyone scratching their heads and going, "huh"? According to a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, people eating a mixed diet of lower-fat and high-fat foods consume more vitamins and minerals than those who stick to only lower-fat foods or high-fat foods.
Confused yet? Tamra Orr, mother of four from Portland, Ore., sure is. "I think everyone's confused and that is why certain diets come and go all the time," Orr says. "Just when you think you are eating relatively healthy, along comes another study that proves you wrong. For years, fat was the enemy, but now it appears to be carbohydrates. It's frustrating and confusing."
The most recent study just adds to the mix. Researchers from the University of Nevada compared dietary intakes of more than 14,000 American children and adults and divided them into three groups: low-fat eaters (those who ate lower-fat versions of selected foods), high-fat eaters (those who ate "regular" versions of selected foods) and "mixed" eaters (those who ate both lower-fat and regular versions of selected foods).
Study findings showed that those who ate a mixed diet had higher intakes of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, fiber, most B vitamins, vitamins A and C and folate. What does this mean to the average woman? It means we all need to raise our fat IQ just a bit.
Cindy Moore, director of the Department of Nutrition Therapy for the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and a Spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, explains that fats are necessary for our bodies, we just need to know what sort of fats we're eating and what kind of balance we need to maintain for optimum health. "Fat is an essential nutrient and every person, no matter what age, gender or size, needs fat in order to perform essential body functions," Moore says. "Fat is a major source of fuel for our bodies, contributing more calories per gram than carbohydrate and protein. Some fatty acids are essential, meaning the body cannot produce these on its own, and they must be obtained through our diets."