More on saturated fat

The AHA recommend replacing saturated fats with mono- and polyunsaturated fats, such as those found in the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approaches To Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.

Both of these diets consist mainly of fruits and vegetables, unsaturated vegetable oils, nuts, low-fat dairy, and whole grains, as well as fish and poultry. The Mediterranean and DASH diets also limit red meat, sugar, and salt intake.

The AHA meta-review of existing randomized controlled trials found that restricting dietary saturated fat and replacing it with polyunsaturated vegetable oil lowered CVD risk by approximately a third.

Making this dietary change accounted for a 30 percent decrease in CVD risk, which is roughly the equivalent of what statins – a class of drug generally prescribed to lower cholesterol – can achieve.

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