" Carbohydrates and saturated fats with vegetable oils could save 1 million lives per year "
According to research carried out by the American Heart Association,
The association between eating a diet high in saturated fats and heart disease is well documented.
The relationships between different types of fats and their consequences on health are a little more complex.
New research and analysis, carried out on a global scale, shows how changes in diet are necessary throughout the world if lives are to be saved.
In all, the team investigated diet and food availability information from 186 countries. They also reanalyzed and collated previous longitudinal studies looking at how specific fats impact heart disease.
For the first time, the global burden of heart disease has been measured in relation to the consumption of too many saturated fats compared with too little polyunsaturated fats.
Published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, senior study author Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian explains the findings:
The benefits of polyunsaturated fats
Not all fats are necessarily evil; none should be eaten to excess, but the physiological profiles of saturated, polyunsaturated and trans fats are different and need to be treated in different ways.
It is important to remember that fats are essential for the body to function. Fats are not only used as an energy source for cellular and physical activity, they also influence the inflammatory response, mood and are vital for intercellular communication.
Polyunsaturated fats are predominantly found in plant-based foods and oils. Consuming these oils can actually improve cholesterol levels in the blood, decreasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. There is also evidence that polyunsaturated fats can lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Polyunsaturated fats can be found in a myriad of foods, including soybean, sunflower oil, tofu, nuts, seeds and fatty fish (for instance, omega-6 oils).
