Macro partitioning
Replacing saturated and trans fats with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats significantly reduces the risk of coronary heart disease by improving lipid profiles (lowering LDL, raising HDL, lowering triglycerides) and reducing inflammation and thrombotic tendency.
Focus on the quality of your fats rather than just cutting them out. Replace butter, lard, and processed foods with trans fats with olive oil, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish. This substitution improves your cholesterol profile and reduces heart disease risk more effectively than simply eating 'low-fat' foods high in refined carbohydrates.
Subsequent controlled feeding studies have shown that compared to carbohydrate, both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats reduce LDL and triglycerides and increase HDL cholesterol... trans fat was by far the worst type of fat... Compared to carbohydrate, monounsaturated fat, and even more so, higher intakes of polyunsaturated fat, were related to lower risk of CHD.
Why this rating
Supported by multiple controlled feeding studies, large prospective cohort studies (Nurses' Health Study, Health Professionals Follow-up Study), and randomized trials (Lyon Diet Heart Study).
Source
The Mediterranean diet: science and practice
Walter C. Willett · Public Health Nutrition · 2006
DOI 10.1079/phn2005931
More from this paper
- Adherence to a traditional Mediterranean dietary pattern, combined with not smoking, maintaining a healthy BMI, and regular physical activity, can prevent over 80% of coronary heart disease, 70% of stroke, and 90% of type 2 diabetes.Strong
- High consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and high-glycemic load carbohydrates increases the risk of weight gain and type 2 diabetes, particularly in individuals with higher BMI or insulin resistance.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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