Food that is good for health, especially the role of fats, had been debated for a long time. The researchers from Penn State University had found out that the between the various kinds of fats that are heart healthy, it is not possible to have the healthy meal by banishing one kind of fat totally and taking only one particular kind of fats. The right combination of both can help achieve the best possible diet for reducing cholesterol and stay healthy.
Fatty foods that contain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are often given a preference over the fats of the variety mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). Previously there were no clear recommendations of how much from each of these fat groups are good for health.Researchers have compared the comparative role of both the dietary fats in their study for achieving optimum dietary benefits for lowering the risks of cardiovascular disease. They have taken two heart healthy oils such as sunflower oil that is rich in PUFA, and olive oil that is rich in MUFA.
The PUFA rich diet did reduce the total and LDL cholesterol levels in people, as expected. However, the dietary fat rich in MUFA surprisingly did not reduce cholesterol levels as was expected. Also the greater percentage of PUFA in the fats did not increase the risk factors for atherosclerosis.
Researchers feel only a balance of both of these together can be beneficial to good health, instead of adopting any one in our diet.
Reference: Journal of the American Dietetic Association, July 2005
