Macro partitioning
Replacing 5% of total energy intake from saturated fats with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) or monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) is associated with a significant reduction in total mortality.
To lower your risk of death, focus on swapping saturated fats (found in red meat, butter, full-fat dairy) with unsaturated fats (found in olive oil, nuts, seeds, fish). Specifically, aim to replace about 5% of your daily calories from saturated fats with an equal amount of calories from polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats. This swap is linked to a 13-27% lower risk of dying from any cause. Do not replace these fats with refined carbohydrates like white bread or sugar, as that offers no mortality benefit.
Replacing 5% of energy from saturated fats with equivalent energy from PUFA and MUFA was associated with estimated reductions in total mortality of 27% (HR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.70-0.77) and 13% (HR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.82-0.93), respectively.
Why this rating
Large prospective cohort studies (NHS and HPFS) with long follow-up (up to 32 years), large sample size (n=126,233), and rigorous adjustment for confounders.
Source
Association of Specific Dietary Fats With Total and Cause-Specific Mortality
Dong D. Wang et al. · JAMA Internal Medicine · 2016
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