People who replace saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats or high-quality carbohydrates in their diet may live longer and have a lowered risk of heart disease, according to a new Harvard study.
People who replace saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats or high-quality carbohydratesin their diet may live longer and have a lowered risk of heart disease, according to a new Harvard study
This is the first prospective analysis to directly compare saturated fat with other types of fats and different types of carbohydrates in relation to heart disease risk. Lead researcher Dr. Frank B. Hu and his team analyzed the diet of nearly 85,000 nurses and 43,000 doctors, who were free of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer at baseline, every four years over 30 years. Diet was assessed by a semi qualitative food frequency questionnaire every 4 years.
Given that this study is observational, it cannot prove causation. However, after calculating the percentage of calories the participants received – from polyunsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, whole grain carbohydrates and refined carbohydrates – the study found that substituting 5% of the calories from saturated fat, found in foods including dairy, lard or red meat, with the same amount of food rich in polyunsaturated fats (such as walnuts, soybean oil, sunflower oil or fish) was associated with a 25% lower risk of heart disease.
Walnuts are one of the best sources of polyunsaturated fat, which has been shown to support heart health.* Walnuts are the only nut that provide an excellent source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the plant-based omega-3 fatty acid (2.5 grams per one ounce serving). Research shows that eating 1.5 ounces of walnuts per day as part of a low-saturated fat and low-cholesterol diet may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
Walnuts are a nutrient-dense food that earned one of the first approved qualified health claims by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a whole food due to their positive effect on heart health. Also, in September 2011, the American Heart Association certified walnuts as a heart-healthy food with its Heart-Check mark program.2
For more ideas on how to include walnuts in your next meal, check out our recipe collections.
Resources:
1. Yanping Li, Adela Hruby, Adam M. Bernstein, Sylvia H. Ley, Dong D. Wang, Stephanie E. Chiuve, Laura Sampson, Kathryn M. Rexrode, Eric B. Rimm, Walter C. Willett, Frank B. Hu. Saturated fats compared with unsaturated fats and sources of carbohydrates in relation to risk of coronary heart disease: A prospective cohort study. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, online September 28, 2015, doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2015.07.055
2. Heart Check Food Certification does not apply to recipes or research from organizations other than the American Heart Association® unless expressly stated.
* “Supportive but not conclusive research shows that eating 1.5 ounces of walnuts per day, as part of a low saturated fat and low cholesterol diet, and not resulting in increased caloric intake may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.” One ounce of walnuts provides 18g of total fat, 2.5g of monounsaturated fat, 13g of polyunsaturated fat, including 2.5g of alpha-linolenic acid, the plant-based omega-3.
