Margarine plant fats 'unlikely' to damage hearts, research shows

London (dpa) – Widely used processed vegetable fats have negligible cardiovascular impact if consumed in moderation, according to nutritionists at King's College London and Maastricht University. Margarine, long marketed as a heart-healthy alternative to butter due to its lower saturated fat content, has come under scrutiny in recent years amid concerns about the health impact of processed foods. However, two fats commonly found in margarine are not likely to have a negative effect on heart health when consumed in amounts achievable in most people’s diets, say the authors of the study. "With the current demonisation of everything processed, this research highlights that not all food processing is bad for us," said Sarah Berry, professor of nutritional sciences at King’s College London, whose team's work was funded by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board. Published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the research was based on a randomized trial in which participants followed different diets over two six-week periods, with food items featuring the fats making up 10% of energy intake. "People's heart health is unlikely to be affected by two types of industrially processed hard fats widely used in everyday food," the researchers found. The study looked at the effect of so-called interesterified (IE) fats, which are derived from vegetable oils such as palm and used as alternatives to trans fats and animal fats in foods such as baked goods and margarines. Those who took part were assessed for "a comprehensive set of cardiometabolic health markers, including cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin sensitivity, liver fat, inflammation and blood vessel function," the team said. The researchers said they picked up no "adverse effects" related to inflammation, insulin resistance, liver fat or vascular function. The following information is not intended for publication dpa spr coh

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