Fat continues to be a bone of contention among nutrition scientists. A few months ago, a massive meta-analysis of 72 studies with more than 600,000 subjects concluded that there is no association between saturated fat consumption and the risk of heart attacks.
A new meta-analysis has determined, however, that people who eat more linoleic acid from nuts, seeds and vegetable oils rich in polyunsaturated fats are less likely to suffer cardiovascular complications. The analysis covered 13 cohort studies with more than 300,000 individuals. There were more than 12,000 cardiac events during the study follow-up periods, which ranged from 5 to 30 years.
According to the researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, replacing 5% of the saturated fat in a diet with the polyunsaturated fat linoleic acid instead would reduce the risk of heart attack death by 13%.
It’s no wonder consumers feel confused when the experts can’t seem to agree on the benefits and risks of saturated fat or decide how much and which fat is healthiest. The one thing they all agree on is that trans-fats are dangerous. Look for them in nut butters, stick margarines, deep-fried foods from some fast-food outlets and baked goods such as cookies, crackers, pie crusts, cakes, doughnuts and frozen pizza.
