36 | JULY 2019 Women’s Health
THE THEORY
The type of fat historically
associated with butter and
bacon baps has cropped up
in fleetingly trendy coconut
oil and biohackers’ favourite
butter-boosted beverage,
bulletproof coffee. So what
gives? Registered dietitian Jo
Hollington (nutritionme.co.uk)
explains that the links between
saturated fat (a type of fat chain
that’s saturated with hydrogen,
making the chemical structure
solid at room temperature) and
artery-clogging low-density
lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol,
reinforced in studies since the
1960s, have been countered by
recent research. Cue confusion
and excitable tabloid headlines.
Hollington, however, highlightsflaws in the research, such as
the fact that scientists looked
at individual fatty acids, even
though no one food contains
just one type of fat (eg, butter
is made up of 63% saturated,
26% monounsaturated and
3% polyunsaturated fat).THE BOTTOM LINE
Small servings of saturated
fat aren’t the worst thing in
the world – but your
monounsaturated and
polyunsaturated options are
better. Crack on with oily fish,
seeds, avocados, nuts and
their butters (though stick
to 15g servings of the latter).THE MYTH
SATURATED FAT
IS NOW A
HEALTH FOOD
THE MYTHCELERY JUICE
CAN HEAL
YOUR GUT
THE THEORY
Believe social-media hype
and celery in a glass can nix
everything from stressed skin to
a bloated tum, via supporting
the gut. Biohacker Dave Asprey
(yep, he of bulletproof coffee
fame) extolled its gastro benefits
with American food-as-medicine
guru Dr Oz, citing a 2009 study
that found that antioxidant
flavonoids in celery can improve
digestion by inducing gastric
relaxation (read: speeding up
the natural movements your
stomach makes as food moves
through the gut). Dietitian
Leanne Ward isn’t convinced.
‘There’s no evidence in humans
linking celery juice consumption
to improvements in gut healing,’
she explains. ‘If anything, it may
worsen the effects of irritable
bowel syndrome, as celery is
high in FODMAPS [the group
of compounds thought to
contribute to IBS symptoms].’
But she’s not hating on the
crunchy stems. ‘They’re packed
with vitamins A, B, C and K and
minerals such as potassium,
calcium, folate and phosphorus,’
she adds. ‘They’re hydrating,
too – but they don’t need to be
juiced to get these benefits.’THE BOTTOM LINE
By all means, stick a stalk in
your green blend. But keep in
mind that, just as crunching
celery sticks won’t make you
lose weight (remember when
that was a thing?), juicing won’t
gift you a healthy microbiome.
The latter outcome – as with
the former – is the outcome of
good habits (more fibre, veg
and fermented foods; less sugar,
booze and processed food),
not some quick fix.A^ LO
W-CARB
DIE
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SHEA
LTH
Y
THE THEORY
Rumours of ‘keto crotch’ (whiffy
nether regions – see Reddit
for deets) aren’t denting the
minimal-carb ketogenic diet’s
popularity. So, why have people
so readily pied off butternut
squash and sourdough?
‘Because low-carb diets initially
help with weight loss, people
think they’re healthier,’ says
Helen West, registered dietitian
and co-founder of The Rooted
Project. It’s true that consuming
fewer carbs reduces insulin
and ups glucagon, the hormone
that triggers your body’s fat-
burning mode, but going ham
for low-carb long-term could
deliver an own goal. Research
published last year in The
Lancet Public Health found that
following a diet that was less
than 40% carbs was associated
with a higher mortality risk,
and a separate study linked
low-carb diets to increased
chances of dying from coronary
heart disease, stroke and cancer.
Sorry, what? It’s all because
carb refuseniks miss out on
the perks that come with the
complex variety. ‘You’ll lose
out on essential vitamins,
minerals and fibre, and, in the
long term, low-carb diets have
also been shown to negatively
affect gut and bowel health,
cholesterol levels and mood,’
adds Hollington.THE BOTTOM LINE
Simple, really – NHS guidelines
suggest that complex carbs
make up a third of your plate.
See page 16 for more on how
to balance your diet.THE^ M
YTH
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