Butter was once the symbol of all that is rich and good in foods and margarine a poor substitute -- but when it became synonymous with heart disease because of the cholesterol-raising properties of its saturated fats, margarine was the gainer. Now, says Ursell, research indicates margarine is just as bad for us and "the argument appears to have come full circle."
Eggs got on the "bad food" list when doctors banned them from the diets of those with high levels of blood cholesterol, and virtually everyone else climbed on the bandwagon. But, says Ursell, eggs are back on the table because research has found that for most people, eating three to seven a week makes little difference to blood cholesterol.
Potatoes were blacklisted when low-carbohydrate dieting became the rage in the 1960s. But now scientists have decided that potatoes are a low-fat, high-carbohydrate food and, says Ursell, "current advice decrees that this is the best kind of diet to follow to shed weight and keep it off -- so the potato earns an honorary reprieve."
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