To live a long and healthy life, it is better to favor the unsaturated fatty acids contained in olive oil than the saturated fatty acids such as butter.
Consuming large amounts of unsaturated fatty acids, found in olive oil or salmon, is associated with a reduced risk of early mortality, according to a large American study published this Tuesday in the magazine JAMA Internal Medicine. More importantly, this work confirms that replacing saturated fatty acids, contained in butter or meat, with these good lipids is beneficial for health.
Conducted by the Chan School of Public Health at Harvard, this study was conducted over 3 decades among 126,233 people. Every 2 or 4 years, the participants had to answer questionnaires on their diet, their lifestyle and their state of health.
From this information, the researchers were able to examine the link between the type of fatty acids consumed (saturated, trans or unsaturated) and the risk of mortality.
Three types of fatty acids
During follow-up, more than 30,000 volunteers died. The researchers’ analysis reveals that fatty acids trans, especially present in industrial dishes and processed products, are the most harmful to health. Indeed, for 2% of fatty acids trans consumed, the risk of premature mortality increases by 16%. Next come saturated fatty acids with an increased all-cause mortality of 8%.
In contrast, intake of unsaturated fatty acids is associated with an 11-19% decrease in dying prematurely. This benefit is especially observed for polyunsaturated fatty acids such as omega-6 provided by olive oil or omega-3 that can be found in oily fish and soy.
In addition, the researchers found that participants who changed their eating habits to adopt a healthier diet reduced the risk of death and developing cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative pathologies or respiratory disorders.
Choose the right fatty acids
“Our work shows the importance of eliminating fatty acids trans and to replace saturated fatty acids with unsaturated lipids, says Professor Frank Hu, nutritionist and epidemiologist. In practice, this can be achieved by replacing animal fats with vegetable oils. »
The authors point out that this study is one of the most detailed and significant conducted to date on the impact of fat on health. Its findings confirm that unsaturated fatty acids are the best for health, a key message that must remain at the center of nutritional recommendations.
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