A study published in Nature Medicine by researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, the German Institute of Human Nutrition, and other universities has confirmed the health benefits of replacing saturated animal fats with high-quality plant oils.
Unsaturated plant fats lower cardiometabolic risk
The study found that such dietary changes positively affect blood fat composition, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. This was achieved through advanced lipidomic analysis, which allowed for precise measurement of diet-related fat changes in the blood.
The World Health Organization (WHO) advises replacing saturated fats with plant-based unsaturated fats to lower cardiometabolic risks. However, these guidelines are considered moderately certain due to limitations in existing studies. The new research addresses these limitations by analyzing blood lipids in detail and combining different study types.
At the University of Reading in the UK, a dietary intervention study was conducted, with one group consuming high saturated animal fats. In contrast, the other group consumed high unsaturated plant fats. Blood samples analyzed using lipidomics identified specific lipid molecules corresponding to each diet. The study found that a high intake of unsaturated plant fats and a low intake of saturated animal fats led to positive multi-lipid score (MLS) levels.
High multi-lipid score linked to reduced risk of heart disease
The MLS results from the dietary intervention study were statistically linked to the occurrence of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in large observational studies that tracked initially healthy participants over several years. It was found that participants with a higher MLS had a significantly reduced risk of developing these diseases.
The study also investigated whether individuals with low MLS levels, indicating a diet high in saturated fats, benefited from switching to a healthier diet. Using data from the PREDIMED trial, which focused on the Mediterranean diet rich in unsaturated plant fats, researchers found that diabetes prevention was most significant in individuals with low MLS levels at the start of the study.
Overall, the research demonstrates the effectiveness of using lipidomics to combine intervention and cohort studies, providing stronger evidence for the health benefits of dietary changes than previous research alone.
