Macro partitioning
Replacing saturated fatty acids (SFA) with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) reduces coronary heart disease (CHD) risk by 2-3% for every 1% of energy substituted, whereas replacing SFA with low-quality carbohydrates (refined starches/sugars) provides no such benefit and may increase risk.
If you want to lower your heart disease risk by reducing saturated fats (like those in animal fats), you must replace them with unsaturated fats (like those in fish, nuts, or olive oil). Do not replace them with refined carbohydrates like white bread, pasta, or sugar, as this offers no cardiovascular benefit and may increase risk. Focus on the quality of the replacement, not just the reduction of fat.
each 1% of energy from PUFAs replacing SFAs reduces the occurrence of CHD events by 2%–3%... with little evidence available to conclude on the relative effect of replacement with n-6 PUFAs versus n-3 PUFAs.
Why this rating
Based on large prospective cohort studies (Li et al. 2015, PURE) and meta-analyses cited, though the paper is an editorial synthesizing these rather than primary RCT data.
Source
The big fat debate
Anne Marie Minihane · Nutrition Bulletin · 2017
DOI 10.1111/nbu.12302
More from this paper
- High intake of saturated fatty acids (SFA) at the population level is not associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence or mortality, provided the SFA is not replaced by low-quality carbohydrates.Good
- Supplementation with marine long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (EPA and DHA) reduces cardiovascular risk in primary prevention and secondary prevention for patients with low baseline status and limited polypharmacy, but recent trials show null results in highly medicated secondary prevention populations.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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