Saturated (SFA) and mono/poli unsaturated (MUFA - PUFA) fatty acids

The mainstream idea is that reducing the intake of saturated fat will reduce the coronary heart diseases (CHD). According to the latest researches, it is more important to limit refined carbs and to reduce excess adiposity.

There is a famous research done by Ancel Keys on Japanese men migrating from Japan to Hawaii or California, related to the increased percentage of CHD risk if the calories from SFA increase. If the SFA intake increases, the CHD risk dramatically increase. But the results are still treated as inconclusive, as there are too many variables involved.

The idea behind this is that when the SFA intake increases through dietary intervention, the serum lipids values increase (mostly LDL, but also HDL in a smaller proportion), and the CHD risk prediction also increase.

Few useful conclusions from other researches:

Vegetable oils (poliunsaturated fatty acids - PUFA) replacing SFA from dairy and meat will lower the CHD risk.

Reducing SFA and increasing refined carbs make no change to the CHD risk.

SFA raises LDL (causal factor for CHD and atherosclerosis), replacing SFA with MUFA/PUFA lower LDL levels.

Replacing SFA with PUFA prevents and regresses atherosclerosis in non human primates.



Sources of SFA - dairy foods (butter, cream, cheese, milk), fatty meat, processed meat, salami, sausages, chicken skin, cured meat, palm oil, cooking margarine, coconut oil and milk, fatty snack foods, deep fried, cakes, biscuits, pastries.

Sources of PUFA - Omega3/Omega6 healthy fats - soy bean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, walnuts, tofu, canola, sunflower and flax seeds, fish (salmon, tuna, trout, herring, mackerel).

Sources of MUFA - nuts, avocado, canola oil, olive oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, peanut butter.