Why you should never eat a bacon sandwich

Why you should never eat a bacon sandwich: what you can - and can't - eat

Butter can be good for you but don’t fry with olive oil. We speak to experts to consider the latest findings that flip our food wisdom on its head

This was the week when everything we thought we knew about eating and drinking healthily was turned on its head.

First, a damning new study in the British Medical Journal showed that – after all we have been told to the contrary – saturated fat is good for you. Far from being the great risk to our health and hearts, it turns out that most people who eat butter, milk, cream and full-fat yoghurts generally have better heart health, less risk of Type 2 diabetes, and are even slimmer than those who eat fat-free. It seems that there is a connection between our 30-year war on saturated fat and our terrifying obesity epidemic.

Now experts are saying instead that carbohydrates are the real killer.

Later in the week, more research was published in the British Medical Journal, suggesting that despite what we have always thought, the benefits of drinking wine have been overstated.

So what can we safely eat these days? And what had we better avoid? Here, the experts give their “definitive” verdict...

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Butter

What the line has been: Avoid butter at all costs and replace with low-fat polyunsaturated spreads.

What we now know: Butter can be good for you in small amounts.

“We used to think that if you ate saturated fat, it raised your cholesterol levels and increased your risk of heart attack,” says Dr Michael Mosley, the science journalist. “It turns out that dairy fats don’t work like that in your bloodstream. When you look at all the big studies, the proof that butter is bad for you isn’t there.

Recommended amount: A moderate amount, which may even do you good.

Milk

What the line has been: Better to drink semi-skimmed or skimmed.

What we now know: Full-fat is fine to drink. It is still less than four per cent fat and contains some healthy fats. “People have this misconception that full-fat milk is fattening, but we are not big milk drinkers in the UK and we know that just because a food is fatty doesn’t mean it’s always bad for you, as there are different types of fats,” says Mel Wakeman, a senior lecturer in nutrition at Birmingham City University. “I’ve gone back to drinking full-fat milk because I prefer the taste and it's a good source of nutrients.”

Recommended amount: Half a pint of full-fat milk a day is fine - one serving (250ml) will provide around one third of your calcium intake.

Eggs

What the line has been: Eggs are full of cholesterol and you should limit your intake.

What we now know: “Repeated studies have now shown that dietary cholesterol has little impact on blood cholesterol levels,” says Mrs Wakeman. “Eggs are full of all sorts of nutrients and vitamins, and are very good for you. They are rich in protein, so may also keep you fuller for longer and help with appetite control.”

Recommended amount: Three times a week.

Olive oil

What the line has been: Olive oil is a wonder-ingredient that is key to better health.

What we now know: Olive oil is fine on salads but not necessarily for frying. “Olive oil is very good for you but some olive oils have a very low smoke point, and produce small amounts of carcinogens when heated,” says Dr Glenys Jones, a nutritionist. “For frying, I recommend either a light coloured olive oil or rapeseed oil, which have similar nutritional benefits, but a high smoke point.”

Recommended amount: One to two tablespoons a day.

Carbohydrates

What the line has been: Carbohydrates should make up 50 per cent of your food intake.

What the line is now: “I’m a big supporter of carbohydrates,” says Mrs Wakeman, “but try to choose wholegrain. White spaghetti, bread and rice are not our friends in large quantities. Once they hit the bloodstream they are quickly digested, rapidly releasing sugar into the bloodstream. Too many simple carbohydrates put us at increased risk of obesity, heart problems, Type 2 diabetes and cancer. Plus, the fibre and minerals have been stripped from white carbohydrates.”

Recommended amount: Starchy carbohydrates should make up 50 per cent of your calorie intake.

Processed Meat

What the line has been: Fine in moderation.

What the line is now: There are strong links between eating processed meat and the risk of heart attacks, bowel cancer and strokes. “Processed meats, including bacon, sausages, parma ham, ham and salami, have a very high salt content and the act of processing itself is associated with an increase of heart disease, bowel cancer and stroke,” says Dr Michael Mosley. “One esteemed scientist I know called Dr David Spiegelhalter told me that if you crunch the numbers, every bacon sandwich you eat knocks half an hour off your life.”

Recommended amount: A couple of times a week if you really have to – but no more.

Wine

What the line has been: A small amount of alcohol, particularly red wine, is good for the heart.

What we now know: The benefits of drinking may have been overstated. "Recent studies about resveratrol (a possible active ingredient derived from the grapes) shows that the benefits of even a small amount of red wine may have been exaggerated, but there has been a lot of conflicting research,” says Mrs Wakeman.

“The benefits may be greatest for post-menopausal women (and men over 45) because red wine makes the blood less sticky, helping to lower the risk of heart disease. But the more alcohol you drink, the higher the risk of developing cancer and other diseases.”

Recommended amount: A small glass of red a day is probably fine, with a couple of days off a week.

Yoghurt

What the line has been: Stick to the low-fat variety.

What the line is now: Full-fat may be better. “There is now strong evidence that eating full-fat yoghurt is likely to cut your risk of heart disease and diabetes, and is associated with effective weight loss in a way that eating low-fat yoghurt isn’t,” says Dr Mosley. “The problem with low-fat yoghurts is that they remove the fat but stuff them full of sugar to improve the taste.

“Also, when you get rid of the fat, you lose a lot of the fat-soluble vitamins, so you lose the goodness, and also the yoghurt becomes less filling so you eat more later.”

Recommended amount: Switch to full-fat and you may eat regularly if you like.

Superfoods

What the line has been: There is no such thing as a superfood.

What the line is now: There has been much debate over how to define a 'superfood’ but it is now clear that certain foods – mostly fruits and vegetables – are extraordinarily nutrient-dense.

“There is strong evidence that some foods deliver far more micro-nutrients than others,” says Dr Mosley.“Watercress, beetroot and spinach, for example, all seem to deliver a record number of vitamins and micro-nutrients.”

Recommended amount: As much as you like.

Fruit Juice

What the line has been: Fruit juice is good for you.

What we now know: Many commercial fruit juices contain unhealthy amounts of sugar, the equivalent of 10 teaspoons per glassful. “I’ve been banging on about the dangers of fruit juice for some years,” says Dr Mosley.

“Many fruit juices have a similar sugar content to Coca-Cola. Commercial juices get rid of the fibre, which is the good stuff, and you’re also consuming a lot of sugar in one drink, which isn’t good for you. It also doesn’t affect your appetite so you don’t eat any less at your next meal.”

Recommended amount: Making your own is better but it’s a treat, not a health drink.

Red Meat

What the line has been: Red meat is bad for you.

What the line is now: Red meat from grass-fed animals can be good for you. “If you look at American studies, there does seem to be evidence of a small increase of risk to your heart from eating red meat, but when you look at similar studies from Europe there is no link,” says Dr Mosley. “This is probably because American meat is reared on concrete lots, fed corn and given a lot of antibiotics and growth hormones, whereas beef in Europe is often fed on grass and hasn’t been pumped full of all the bad stuff.”

Recommended amount: 3-4oz or 100g three or four times a week is fine.

Bread

What the line has been: Bread is good for you.

What the line is now: Bread is still good for you. “The key thing with bread is to have a mixture and try to include bread made from wholemeal flour," says Mrs Wakeman. "Eating only bread made with white flour could play havoc with your blood sugars. Just because bread is covered in seeds doesn’t mean it has been made from wholemeal flour. Lots of healthy-looking artisan breads are made with white flour so try to vary what you have. There’s no difference in terms of nutrition if you buy sliced bread.”

Recommended amount: Two to four slices a day is fine.

Caffeine

What the line has been: Up to six cups of coffee or tea a day is fine.

What we now know: Many of us punctuate our day with cups of coffee or tea, and caffeine has long been associated with increased wakefulness, yet it is now thought to come with health risks. “Caffeine can be mildly addictive and excessive intakes can raise blood pressure and have been linked to heart palpitations,” says Dr Jones.

Recommended amount: Two to four cups of coffee or tea a day is fine but watch the calories if having lattes.

Dark Chocolate

What the line has been: Chocolate is bad for you.

What we now know: Dark chocolate could be good for the heart. “Research has shown an association between eating small amounts of dark chocolate and lowered blood pressure,” says Mel Wakeman. “But don’t kid yourself that milk chocolate is good for you. It has a higher fat and sugar content with very little cocoa in it.”

Recommended amount: One to two squares of 70 per cent cocoa dark chocolate a day.

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