Macro partitioning
Partial replacement of saturated fatty acids (SFA) with polyunsaturated (PUFA) or monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) significantly lowers fasting total and LDL cholesterol concentrations.
To improve your cholesterol, swap saturated fats (found in butter, fatty meats, full-fat dairy) for unsaturated fats (found in olive oil, nuts, seeds, fish). You don't need to eliminate fat entirely; focus on the type. This substitution is strongly supported by evidence to lower LDL cholesterol.
Convincing evidence was found that partial replacement of saturated fat (SFA) with polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) or monounsaturated fat (MUFA) lowers fasting serum/plasma total and LDL cholesterol concentrations.
Why this rating
The authors explicitly graded the evidence as 'convincing (high)' based on multiple RCTs showing consistent results.
Source
Effect of the amount and type of dietary fat on cardiometabolic risk factors and risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer: a systematic review
Ursula Schwab et al. · Food & Nutrition Research · 2014
DOI 10.3402/fnr.v58.25145
More from this paper
- Partial replacement of saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), particularly in men.Strong
- Replacing saturated fat with monounsaturated fat (MUFA) or polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) improves insulin sensitivity and lowers fasting insulin concentrations compared to saturated fat diets.Good
- Fish oil (n-3 LCPUFA) supplementation lowers serum triglyceride (TAG) concentrations compared to monounsaturated fat (MUFA) sources.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
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →