Macro partitioning
Replacing saturated fatty acids with polyunsaturated fatty acids reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, whereas replacing saturated fat with carbohydrates does not.
Don't just cut fat; look at what you eat instead. If you reduce saturated fats (like butter or fatty meat), replace them with polyunsaturated fats (like vegetable oils, nuts, or seeds) to lower heart disease risk. Replacing them with carbohydrates (like bread or sugar) does not provide the same benefit.
In meta-analyses of observational studies that adjust for total calorie intake, higher intakes of polyunsaturated fatty acids in place of saturated fatty acids were associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease... In nutrient substitution analyses, only the replacement of carbohydrate with polyunsaturated fats was associated with lower mortality.
Why this rating
Supported by large observational studies (PURE, 128k participants) and meta-analyses, though RCT evidence is noted as having methodological problems.
Source
Dietary fat and cardiometabolic health: evidence, controversies, and consensus for guidance
Nita G. Forouhi et al. · BMJ · 2018
DOI 10.1136/bmj.k2139
More from this paper
- High intake of industrially produced trans fats increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, while polyunsaturated fats are inversely associated with diabetes incidence.Good
- Low fat diets do not provide a benefit for weight loss or prevention of overweight compared to low carbohydrate diets.Good
Related findings · Macro partitioning
- Total daily protein intake of 1.6 g/kg/day is sufficient for maximizing resistance training-induced muscle gains, with an upper confidence interval of 2.2 g/kg/day.Strong
- Resistance exercise training combined with sufficient dietary protein intake acts synergistically to maximize skeletal muscle hypertrophy, with protein intake saturating around 1.6 g/kg/day for general populations and potentially requiring 2.0-2.2 g/kg/day for resistance-trained individuals.Strong
- Trans fats should be completely eliminated from the diet, as they increase LDL cholesterol, decrease HDL cholesterol, and are directly associated with increased coronary risk.Strong
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