Swapping bad fats for good really does cut heart attack risk
I just found this in the newspaper:
It kind of scared me, but then I read that they recommend safflower oil. Instead of butter???? Geddoutta here.....
British Medical Journal
* BMJ Group, Wednesday 24 March 2010 00.00 GMT
* Article history
Eating less saturated fats in favour of more polyunsaturated fats reduces the risk of heart attacks and other serious problems from heart disease, a new review of studies reports. This is the first review to confirm that changing your diet in this way can cut your risk of heart attacks, although experts have long thought that cutting down on saturated fats improves heart health.
What do we know already?
Coronary heart disease is the most common cause of death for adults in the UK. You get this disease when the arteries that carry blood to your heart become narrowed with fatty deposits. If an artery becomes blocked, this can lead to a heart attack.
We don't know exactly why fatty deposits build up in some people's arteries. But we do know that some things can increase your risk, such as smoking and not taking much exercise. Another key risk factor is eating a lot of saturated fats, which are plentiful in meat, butter, cream, and other dairy products. These fats boost the level of 'bad' cholesterol in your blood, and it's this cholesterol that creates the fatty deposits in your arteries.
To reduce the risk of heart problems, doctors often recommend swapping saturated fats for a healthier kind called polyunsaturated fats, which are found in vegetable oils and fatty fish, such as salmon. Instead of increasing levels of 'bad' cholesterol, these fats can help lower it.
However, not much good-quality research has shown that this dietary approach actually reduces the risk of heart attacks and other serious problems from heart disease. There are also concerns that eating a diet high in polyunsaturated fats might ultimately increase a person's risk of heart problems, and some experts have recommended getting only 5 percent to 10 percent of your total energy from these fats.
In the new review, the researchers addressed these concerns and gaps in the research by looking closely at the best studies on replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats. They also did a meta-analysis, which means they pooled the results of the studies to see what conclusions they could draw from this larger body of research. In all of these studies, people were randomly assigned to replace saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats in their diet, or to make no change. They were then compared over time.
What does the new study say?
People who replaced saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats were 19 percent less likely to have a heart attack or other serious heart problems during the studies than those who didn't change their diet.
On average, people who modified their diet ended up with 15 percent of their total energy coming from polyunsaturated fats, compared with just 5 percent for those who didn't change. The researchers estimated that with each 5 percent increase in polyunsaturated fats, the risk of serious problems from heart disease dropped by 10 percent.
The review included eight studies with more than 13,000 people in total. The studies lasted anywhere from one year to eight years. The researchers found that the longer people were on the modified diet, the lower their risk of serious heart problems.
How reliable are the findings?
This was a well-conducted review, and it provides the best evidence to date that replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats reduces the risk of serious problems from heart disease. The study's findings are also quite similar to estimates drawn from research on polyunsaturated fats, cholesterol levels, and heart disease. This means the findings make sense within a larger research context, which makes them more reliable.
However, the researchers can't say how much of the improvement in risk was due to eating more polyunsaturated fats and how much was due to eating less saturated fats. The review also didn't compare this dietary approach with other options for reducing saturated fats, such as replacing these fats with monounsaturated fats (found in olive oil), carbohydrates, or proteins.
Where does the study come from?
The review was conducted by researchers at Harvard University in Boston and funded by grants from the US National Institutes of Health and the Chicago Community Trust. It was published in the medical journal Public Library of Science.
What does this mean for me?
This review suggests that replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats is an effective way to lower your risk of heart attacks and other serious problems from heart disease.
But bear in mind that this is just one part of keeping your heart healthy and reducing your risk. It's also important to take regular exercise, to not smoke, and to eat a healthy diet with lots of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and not too much salt.
What should I do now?
If you'd like to cut down on saturated fats by eating more polyunsaturated fats, considered dining on more fish and less red meat. And if you cook with a lot of butter, consider using sunflower oil, safflower oil, or corn (maize) oil. Your doctor or a dietician can provide you with more detailed advice.
From:
Mozaffarian D, Micha R, Wallace S. Effects on coronary heart disease of increasing polyunsaturated fat in place of saturated fat: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PLoS Medicine. Published online 23 March 2010.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited ("BMJ Group") 2010
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