15 Apr Facts About Fats
Huffington Post – Have We Been Misled? What You Should Know About Dietary Fats
Have you been given the advice to substitute vegetable oils high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) for animal fats high in saturated fats? Sure you have—if you have been listening to worldwide dietary guidelines since the 1960s. The basis of this advice relates to studies tht found diets high in PUFAs are associated with lower levels of cholesterol. So a diet high in PUFAs has long been recommended as a heart-healthy diet.
There are two main types of PUFAs: omega-6 and omega-3 PUFAs (both are not made by the body and must be taken as food or supplements). When these widespread dietary guidelines were made, people switched from animals fats (primarily butter and lard) to omega-6 PUFAs (primarily vegetable oils). The result of this switch was a drastic change in the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. People were eating much more omega-6 but the same amount of omega-3 (which for most people was, and still is, very little). And saturated fats ended up taking the blame for poor heart health.