A new study revealed that more Americans are eating fat food now than in the past.
Credit Suisse Research Institute published the report which showed sales in butter and whole milk are up. In the U.S., butter sales rose 14% in 2014 and increased 6% in the first three months of this year. The report also showed that whole milk sales were up 11% in the first half of 2015 while sales of skim milk dropped 14%.
The topic about fat and its place in the American diet has been hotly debated over the years. Time released a cover story in 2014 which challenged the idea that fat is inherently bad for your health and previous researches revealed that a low-fat diet may not be a healthy way to eat.
"I think this is part of a trend toward more natural foods - more organic, unprocessed and simple foods," Global Head for Equity Research at Credit Suisse and an author of the new report Stefano Natella spoke to New York Times. "All these foods have a natural characteristic attached to them. Full-fat milk sounds a lot more natural to people than 2 percent or skim milk. Cows don't produce skim milk. You have to process it to take out the fat."
The data also revealed that there is a growing number of butter consumption worldwide at a rate of 2-4% each year, The Daily Meal informed.
"The conclusion of this report is simple," the study authors wrote in their report. "Natural unprocessed fats are healthy and key to the evolution of society that focuses on developing healthy individuals, not just on treating those who are sick. Natural foods high in monounsaturated and saturated fats are one of the preferred sources of energy for our bodies to use and store."
Moreover, previous studies showed that there is no reduction in heart disease ehrn people replace saturated fat - the kind of fat found in meat, butter, cheese and eggs - with carbohydrates. While it is essential to good health and an important source of fuel for the body, experts still encourage everyone to monitor their intake and dietary-fat like protein and carbs.