High fat- Can a High Fat Diet Actually Be Helpful?

New research conducted on animals suggests that a short-term splurge on high fat foods could help heal the heart soon after a heart attack. I seems that mice fed diets high in fat for no longer than two weeks had less tissue damage to the heart after a heart attack was induced, as compared to those mice that were fed either a high-fat or low-fat diet continuously. This benefit is not understood fully, and more research is definitely warranted before making any definite statements about the benefits of this in humans. Any certainty related to these finding is still a long time coming.

The mice were divided into five groups, with one fed a lard based high fat diet, over half of the calories coming from saturated fats, for a day. Another group was fed the same diet for a week, and a third for two weeks. The next to last group received this diet for six weeks, and the last group was fed only grains and vegetables. Heart attacks were induced after each period. Those that were fed the higher fat diets for two weeks or less had much less heart damage than the others. If the mice had gone untreated, the decreased seen would have meant the difference in recovering and remaining healthy for a while, or suffering from heart failure.

This particular study involved animals, but previous research has shown that humans with higher cholesterol levels have a higher chance of surviving a heart attack that results in heart failure. The research in mice as pertains to high fat intake is a possible model for further research, and it is definite that more research is needed. A study on the cellular and even the molecular level is best to determine for whom the high-fat diet is most suited, whether it is those who are obese or those of a healthy weight.

Of course past studies have shown the importance of continued intake of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats, which are extremely important in preventing heart disease. The two issues should not be confused. The steady diets of foods such as fish, avocados, nuts, and olives that are high in these types of fats are still important. If the result in this study of a temporary high fat diet holds, the foods needed to protect the heart would most likely be prescribed by doctors as needed rather than be instituted by the patients themselves. This is necessary due to the fact that the diet is only effective for a short time just before or after a heart attack, and will most likely be practiced during the ensuing hospital stay.