From the Guidelines
Polyunsaturated fats offer significant health benefits when consumed in moderation as part of a balanced diet, outweighing their potential risks, and should be prioritized over saturated fats to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, as evidenced by the most recent and highest quality study 1. The benefits of polyunsaturated fats are well-documented, with studies showing that replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats can improve cardiovascular disease outcomes, including improvements in cardiac event rates, lipid profile, blood pressure, anthropometry, and blood glucose concentrations 1. Some key points to consider when consuming polyunsaturated fats include:
- Aim for about 5-10% of daily calories from polyunsaturated fats, which typically means 2-3 servings of fatty fish weekly and moderate use of plant oils.
- Use polyunsaturated oils for low-heat cooking or cold preparations to minimize the risk of oxidation and harmful compound formation.
- Store polyunsaturated oils in dark containers away from heat to prevent degradation.
- Maintain a balanced ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in the diet to minimize the risk of inflammation.
- Limit intake of trans unsaturated fatty acids, which have been shown to be especially harmful due to their unfavourable impact on both total cholesterol and HDL-C 1. It is also important to note that the impact of dietary cholesterol on serum cholesterol levels is weak compared with that of the fatty acid composition of the diet, and that high-temperature cooking can induce lipid peroxidation in the minor amounts of PUFAs present in animal products, potentially promoting disease 1. Overall, the evidence suggests that polyunsaturated fats are a healthy choice when consumed in moderation as part of a balanced diet, and that they should be prioritized over saturated fats to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
From the Research
Benefits of Polyunsaturated Fats
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been shown to have potential beneficial effects for chronic diseases including cancer, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease 2, 3, 4.
- Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have been studied extensively and have been linked to healthy aging throughout life, fetal development, cardiovascular function, and Alzheimer's disease 3, 4.
- PUFAs play a significant role in human nutrition, participating in cell membrane structure, blood pressure regulation, and coagulation, as well as influencing the synthesis of pro- and anti-inflammatory substances and protecting the cardiovascular system 5.
Risks and Limitations of Polyunsaturated Fats
- The conversion of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) to EPA and DHA is highly inefficient in humans, which may limit the benefits of ALA consumption 2, 3.
- Moderately increased consumption of ALA may be of little benefit in improving health outcomes compared with increased intake of preformed EPA + DHA 3.
- More research is needed to fully determine the usefulness of EPA and DHA in treating and preventing noncommunicable diet-related diseases 6.
Dietary Recommendations
- Increasing the intake of PUFAs, particularly EPA and DHA, may help mitigate the global burden of diet-related health issues 5.
- Dietary shifts towards increased PUFA intake, in combination with polyphenols from plant-based foods, may be beneficial for overall health and well-being 5.
- Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation has been shown to have a beneficial impact on regulating triglycerides, total cholesterol, insulin resistance, blood pressure, liver enzymes, inflammatory markers, and oxidative stress 6.