The good fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are important parts of a healthy diet and are found in foods like fish, olive oil, and walnuts.  These are the heart healthy fats that raise the HDL “good” cholesterol and lower the LDL “bad” cholesterol. 

The results of the Nurses’ Health Study, a longitudinal study of diet and lifestyle factors among 80,000 female nurses, suggest that monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are beneficial in preventing heart disease.¹ In this study by Dr. Walter Willet at the Harvard school of Public Health, a 5% increase in monounsaturated fats was associated with a 19% reduction in coronary heart disease. Similarly for a 5% increase in polyunsaturated fat a 38% reduction in coronary heart disease was found. 

Omega-3 a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid found in fish, soybeans and walnuts, deserves particular mention for its’ cardio-protective effects.  Persons eating just one fish meal per week decreased the risk of cardiac death by 52%.² In another study, patients who had survived a myocardial infarction (heart attack) and consumed daily fish oil capsules containing omega-3 reduced their risk of cardiovascular events by 20% over 3.5 years.⁵

1.                  Dietary fat intake and the risk of coronary heart disease in women.  NEJM 1997;337:1491-9

2.                  Fish consumption and risk of sudden cardiac death.  JAMA 1998; 279:23-28