Dietary fatty acids and cardiovascular disease – (09-07-00)



Dietary fatty acids and cardiovascular disease

This is a perfect example of how vastly different types of fats can be. This article is a nice review of the benefits of unsaturated fats and the harmful effects of saturated and trans fats.

While it may be a while before nutrition authorities are ready to suggest specific guidelines for how much and which fatty acids should be included in a heart-healthy diet, new research provides surprising information on the biological effects of individual fatty acids on CVD risk factors such as plasma lipids and lipoproteins, blood pressure, endothelial and platelet function, hemostasis and insulin sensitivity. ” … we should be emphasizing, at this point, a mix of unsaturated fats because we have evidence for a benefit for monos, the n-6 polys and the n-3 polys.” Dr Frank Sacks. The exact mechanism by which saturated fatty acids raise serum cholesterol continues to elude researchers. The widespread view that saturated fatty acids somehow modify the expression of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors and reduce the clearance of LDL remains controversial. Speaking at an American Heart Association conference recently, Dr Thomas Pearson (University of Rochester) reviewed recent epidemiological and clinical trial evidence that appears to challenge the current orthodoxy. The Western Electric Study, for example, identified associations between dietary cholesterol (and less so saturated fat) and CVD endpoints. The Lyon Diet Heart Study demonstrated profound declines in CVD endpoints despite little difference in classical risk factors between treatment groups who received a diet higher in oleic (monounsaturated) and alpha-linolenic (precursor to n-3 polyunsaturated) acids and lower in linoleic (n-6 polyunsaturated) and saturated fatty acids than a prudent western diet. The rapidity of decline in CVD events in some studies also suggests mechanisms other than atherogenesis, he noted. Declines of 25% to 65% in CVD endpoints in recent observational and experimental studies over brief periods of time places dietary intervention at par with pharmacologic approaches to CVD prevention, he said. Speaking at the same conference, Dr Frank Sacks (Harvard School of Public Health) said he believes the evidence “supports Dr (Scott) Grundy (University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas) and Dr (Peter) Zock’s (Wageningen Centre for Food Sciences, Wageningen, Netherlands) perspective that we should be emphasizing, at this point, a mix of unsaturated fats because we have evidence for a benefit for monos, the n-6 polys and the n-3 polys.” However, there is not yet enough evidence to support specific recommendations regarding the ideal proportion of these 3 unsaturated fatty acids.

James Bogash

For more than a decade, Dr. Bogash has stayed current with the medical literature as it relates to physiology, disease prevention and disease management. He uses his knowledge to educate patients, the community and cyberspace on the best way to avoid and / or manage chronic diseases using lifestyle and targeted supplementation.







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Category: Heart Disease
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