Fats in the Blood

The American Medical Association made it official last week. Yes, said its Council on Foods and Nutrition, it is a good idea to reduce the levels of cholesterol and other fats in the blood of patients suspected of having the sort of hardening of the arteries that is associated with heart attacks.

The A.M.A. experts had waited for years to commit themselves. As a result, the council was able to make a point that has only recently become clear to researchers: merely cutting down the amount of fat in the diet is not the way to lower the blood cholesterol. This is because less overall fat usually means an increase in consumption of carbohydrates (sugars and starches), which the body somehow converts into fats known as triglycerides. The right way, said the council, is to replace much of the saturated fat (in eggs, meat and dairy products) with the polyunsaturated forms found in fish and the dark meat of poultry and especially in vegetable oils.

While the A.M.A. council shied away from recommending an overall cut in dietary fats, neither did it go so far as some do-it-yourself prescribers such as Dr. Herman (Calories Don't Count) Taller, who recommends a carefree 65% fat diet. The A.M.A. favors a balanced diet, with not more than 40% fats.

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