Macro partitioning
Dietary interventions that specifically increase n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) without simultaneously increasing n-3 PUFA increase the risk of non-fatal myocardial infarction and coronary heart disease (CHD) death compared to mixed n-3/n-6 PUFA interventions.
If you are replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats, ensure you are also increasing your intake of n-3 fatty acids (like those found in fish or flaxseed) rather than just increasing n-6 fatty acids (like corn or soybean oil). Relying solely on n-6 oils for heart health may actually increase your risk of heart attacks and coronary death.
For non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) + CHD death, the pooled risk reduction for mixed n-3/n-6 PUFA diets was 22 % (risk ratio (RR) 0·78; 95 % CI 0·65, 0·93) compared to an increased risk of 13 % for n-6 specific PUFA diets (RR 1·13; 95 % CI 0·84, 1·53).
Why this rating
Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, though the authors note potential confounders like TFA and medication use in excluded studies.
Source
<i>n</i>-6 Fatty acid-specific and mixed polyunsaturate dietary interventions have different effects on CHD risk: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Christopher E. Ramsden et al. · British Journal Of Nutrition · 2010
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