In a study to be published in the August 15 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Scientists at The Heart Research Institute in Sydney have warned that a single meal high in saturated fat like a single bite of burger can be sufficient enough to cause heart attack.
In a study conducted among 14 volunteers aged between 18 and 40, the researchers were shocked to find that three hours after giving a meal high in saturated fat the endothelium lining their blood vessels was less able to expand the arteries to enable it to increase blood flow.They also found that after six hours, the ability of the high density lipoprotein (HDL) or good cholesterol to control inflammation inside arteries was also reduced. However, the anti-inflammatory abilities of HDL seemed to increase with polyunsaturated meal.
Stephen J. Nicholls, Cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio said, "The take-home, public-health message is this: It's further evidence to support the need to aggressively reduce the amount of saturated fat consumed in the diet." He concluded, "It is a small study, but I think the findings have broad implication because diet and exercise are the cornerstones of all strategies for preventing heart disease."
