Reduce cardiovascular disease by reducing one type of fat and increasing other fats.

It may look strange to you that eating more fat may decrease cardiovascular disease, but decreasing saturated fat and increasing polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) can provide health benefits. Polyunsaturated fats are found in vegetables, nuts, seeds and avocados, which are mostly omega 6 fats. PUFA from flax seeds and cold water fish provide omega 3 fat. The study reviewed here collected data from multiple studies investigating the effects of increased PUFA consumption as a replacement for saturated fat on cardiovascular disease (Mozaffarian D, et al. 2010). The researchers concluded their findings provide evidence that consuming PUFA in place of saturated fat reduce cardiovascular disease. Instead of reducing the intake of all the fat, it is healthier to only reduce saturated fat such as those found in dairy and meat. The fat found in vegetables, nuts, seeds, avocados and cold water fish provide health benefits. Fat is involved in the regulation of inflammation and is incorporated into the cell membranes. Omega 6 fat is converted to arachidonic acid which again is converted to inflammatory substances. We need this to produce a healthy immune response, but is it important to have a balance between omega 6 and omega 3 fat since omega 3 fat helps to reduce inflammation.

Mozaffarian D, Micha R, Wallace S. Effects on coronary heart disease of increasing polyunsaturated fat in place of saturated fat: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PLoS Med. 2010 Mar 23;7(3):e1000252.