Surprise good news for butter and cheese lovers

EATING too many steaks can increase the risk of stroke but cheese and butter are no more harmful than vegetable fats, research suggests.

Scientists tracked the type and quantity of fat in the diet of 117,000 US nurses over the course of nearly 30 years.

Those with the highest intake of animal fat – from red meat such as steaks and sausages – were 16 per cent more likely to suffer a stroke than those who ate average amounts. Those with the highest intake of healthier vegetable fat were 12 per cent less likely than the average participant to suffer a stroke.

The study found that dairy fat, found in cheese, cream, ice cream and butter, was not associated with stroke risk.

The researchers, from Harvard University, noted that people who ate lots of animal fat got their fill from red meat such as beef, pork or lamb, as well as processed red meats such as bacon and sausage.

Previous studies have found that diets high in processed red meat can increase the risk of bowel cancer, due to a harmful type of salt called nitrates.

Every year roughly 38,000 Britons lose their lives to a stroke, which happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. This is usually caused by either a blood clot or a burst blood vessel in the brain. Fatty diets have been linked to an increased risk of blood clots because, over time, deposits of fat build up in the walls of an artery, forming inflamed areas called plaques. These plaques can rupture, and a blood clot then develops.

Dr Fozia Ahmed, consultant cardiologist at the Manchester Heart Centre, said: ‘This is good news for people who like lots of butter on their toast, but it’s important to note this is just looking at the risk of stroke.

‘We don’t yet know if eating vegetable fat instead of animal fat could reduce the risk of heart attacks, too. Although it is likely, as the onset of a heart attack involves a similar mechanism to that of a stroke.

‘Overall calories are also important, as being obese increases the risk of all sorts of conditions, including stroke.

‘Unfortunately it’s not a case of eating as much cheese as you like and thinking it’s good for your heart.’