Recent Harvard School of Public Health Study Provides Further Evidence for the Health Benefits of Consuming Foods With Low Saturated Fat Vegetable Oils, Such as Soft Spread Margarine

Newswise — WASHINGTON, DC (November 3, 2014)---A recent meta-analysis study published in the American Heart Association Journal, Circulation, conducted by researchers at Harvard School for Public Health, concluded there is “robust evidence” that replacing dietary saturated fat with linoleic acid, the polyunsaturated omega-6 fat in vegetable oils lowers the risk of coronary heart disease and related deaths.

“This study further reinforces that the best choice for heart health is to replace high saturated fat foods like butter, with polyunsaturated fats like those found in soft spread margarine,” said Richard Cristol, president of the National Association of Margarine Manufacturers. “Soft spread margarine is made with polyunsaturated fats found in vegetable oils and is also trans fat free.”

Lineolic acid is found in nuts, seeds, fish and vegetable oils and vegetable oil spreads such as soft spread margarine. Saturated fats are found in meat and dairy products including butter and cheese.

The Harvard School of Public Health researchers analyzed 13 cohort studies which included a total of 310,602 individuals and 12,479 coronary heart disease events including 5,882 deaths. According to the analysis, at the high end, dietary linoleic acid was associated with a 15% lower risk of coronary heart disease events and a 21% lower risk of heart-disease related deaths. At the lower end, replacing 5% of saturated fat energy intake with the polyunsaturated fat, linoleic acid, was associated with a 9% lower risk of coronary heart disease events and a 13% lower risk of heart disease related deaths.

The published report states, “These data provide support for current recommendations to replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat for primary prevention of coronary heart disease.”

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