Eating too many cakes, chips and burgers can start damaging your body in as little as three weeks, research suggests.
Foods like this, rich in saturated fats, are dangerous for the heart even when people do not gain weight, according to a study by the University of Oxford.
In the trials, one group of people were asked to follow a diet high in saturated fats or polyunsaturated fats and another group was asked to eat foods containing healthier polyunsaturated fats, such as oily fish and nuts, for up to 24 days.
In the end, neither group gained weight, but those that ate more saturated fat showed marked deterioration in basic health markers and their test results were linked to a higher risk of heart disease.
They also had a 20 percent increase in the amount of fat stored in their liver, which increased their risk of type 2 diabetes, and saw their total and “bad” cholesterol levels rise by about 10 percent.
Eating too many cakes, chips and burgers can start damaging your body in as little as three weeks, research suggests
By the end, neither group had gained weight, but those who ate more saturated fat showed a marked deterioration in basic health markers and scan results were linked to a higher risk of heart disease.
In contrast, those who consumed diets rich in polyunsaturated fats saw their health improve significantly.
They observed a drop in total blood cholesterol and “bad” cholesterol levels of about 10 percent and an increase in energy stores in the heart muscle.
Nikola Srnic, the lead researcher at the University of Oxford, said: “It’s the type of fat that matters, not the amount of fat.”
“It’s interesting how you can see such a rapid change, in three weeks,” the researcher said.
‘For diets higher in saturated fat, we asked people to increase their consumption of butter, full-fat dairy products, cakes and pastries.
They also had a 20 percent increase in the amount of fat stored in their liver, which increased their risk of type 2 diabetes, and saw their total and “bad” cholesterol levels rise by about 10 percent.
‘The diet rich in polyunsaturated fats is richer in fats from fish, certain vegetable oils and certain nuts and seeds.
“The results suggest that a diet high in saturated fat may negatively change cardiovascular disease risk factors even when a person does not gain weight,” the doctoral student said.
‘On the other hand, we saw protective effects if a person consumed a diet rich in polyunsaturated fats.’