Why your diet should include more fat
Photos: Fats that can reduce your risk of dying
You can cut your risk of dying by more than a fourth just by replacing bad fats with good. That's the takeaway from a new study from Harvard that analyzed the eating habits of more than 126,000 men and women over a 32-year period. And some fats were better than others from protecting against specific diseases.
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Photos: Fats that can reduce your risk of dying
The study found that if people replaced a mere 5% of their calorie intake from "bad" fats with polyunsaturated fats, they could reduce their risk of death by 27%. Polyunsaturated fats contain essential fats your body can't produce by itself, such as omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. You must get these essential fats through the food you eat. One of the best sources is nuts: Small servings of 10 to 15 nuts can go a long way toward good health.
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Photos: Fats that can reduce your risk of dying
One polyunsaturated fat, an omega-6 fatty acid called linoleic acid, was shown in the Harvard study to be especially protective against death by cancer and coronary artery disease.
Walnuts are one of the best sources of linoleic acid; eating just seven shelled walnuts provides about 11 grams of the good stuff.
Walnuts are one of the best sources of linoleic acid; eating just seven shelled walnuts provides about 11 grams of the good stuff.
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Photos: Fats that can reduce your risk of dying
Other good natural sources of linoleic acid include sunflower, safflower, soybean, corn and canola oils as well as nuts and seeds.
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Photos: Fats that can reduce your risk of dying
Another key polyunsaturated fat, the omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic, was protective against death due to neurodegenerative disease in the Harvard study. Alpha-linolenic acid is found in vegetable oils, such as flaxseed, canola and soybean oils, as well as walnuts.
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