Many people will have had blood tests to check their cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is made by the body and regulated by the liver, but it can also be obtained from the diet. When you have your cholesterol levels checked, your results show the levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (the “bad” cholesterol”), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (the “good” cholesterol) and triglycerides (dietary fat) in your blood.
Overall, having high LDL, low HDL and high triglyceride levels produces the highest risk for heart disease. So how does this relate to our diet? Dietary fats have an effect on blood LDL levels, and therefore on the risk of heart disease. Trans fats have a negative effect and increase risk, whereas unsaturated fats have a beneficial effect and decrease risk. Saturated fat in itself isn’t inherently bad for us, it depends on context. A diet that contains high amounts of saturated fat as a percentage of overall energy intake is linked to increased risk of heart disease. Evidence shows that reducing intake of saturated fat as a proportion of overall fat intake (but not reducing total fat) has beneficial effects, but replacing with unsaturated fats had a much more positive effect than replacing with sugar.
It’s absolutely not necessary to eat low-fat. In fact, the Mediterranean diet, which is widely agreed to be a very healthy way of eating, is moderate-fat, and has a role for foods like cheese. This just goes to show that a whole-diet approach is more important. I like the message of moderation and the following recipes reflect that. I’ve used sources of saturated fat, especially cheese, as a bit of cheese is nothing to be afraid of.