What constitutes a low-fat diet?

From the Guidelines

A low-fat diet is defined as total fat intake <30% of total energy intake and saturated fat intake <10%. According to the study published in Diabetes Care 1, a low-fat diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits, starches, lean protein, and low-fat dairy products. For someone consuming 2,000 calories daily, this means eating no more than 65 grams of fat per day.

Key Components of a Low-Fat Diet

• Focus on incorporating lean proteins like skinless poultry, fish, beans, and low-fat dairy products
• Limit red meat, full-fat dairy, fried foods, and processed snacks
• Choose cooking methods like baking, steaming, grilling, or broiling instead of frying
• Read nutrition labels carefully, looking for products with 3 grams of fat or less per serving for low-fat options However, recent studies have shown that the focus on restricting total fat may not be beneficial for cardiovascular health, and that diets higher in healthful fats may actually reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes 1.

Importance of Healthy Fats

• Maintain adequate intake of healthy fats from sources like avocados, nuts, and olive oil
• These provide essential fatty acids and help with vitamin absorption
• The body needs some fat for proper hormone production, cell membrane function, and energy storage It's essential to note that the current restriction on total fat may shape numerous government feeding programs and policies, and drive industry marketing of fat-reduced products, which may not be the most effective approach for promoting healthy eating habits 1.

From the Research

Definition of a Low-Fat Diet

A low-fat diet is typically defined as a diet that restricts the intake of fat, particularly saturated fats.

• The exact definition of a low-fat diet can vary, but it is often considered to be a diet that limits fat intake to less than 30% of total daily energy 2.
• Some studies suggest that limiting saturated fat intake to less than 10% of total daily energy may be beneficial for cardiovascular health 2.
• Others recommend limiting saturated fat intake to 5-6% of total daily energy for patients with hypercholesterolemia 2.

Fat Intake Recommendations

Recommendations for fat intake vary depending on the organization and the specific health goals.

• The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends reducing saturated fatty acid intake for cardiovascular disease prevention 3.
• Moderate evidence supports the reduction of saturated fat intake for cardiovascular disease event reduction 3.
• Low- to moderate-certainty evidence supports prioritizing the replacement of saturated fats with polyunsaturated fatty acids 3.

Comparison of Low-Fat Diets to Other Diets

Low-fat diets have been compared to other diets, such as low-carbohydrate diets, in terms of their effectiveness for weight loss.

• One study found that low-carbohydrate interventions led to significantly greater weight loss than low-fat interventions 4.
• However, the effectiveness of low-fat diets for weight loss may depend on the intensity of the intervention and the comparison group 4.