Think about it--corn oil, a
polyunsaturated fat, is liquid at room temperature, butter, a saturated fat, is solid at room temperature.
Nuts and seeds such as walnuts, almonds, cashews and pistachios, are also good sources of protein that are heart healthy and contain a high content of
polyunsaturated fat.
The control diet was comprised of seven percent
polyunsaturated fat, 15 percent monounsaturated fat and 13 percent saturated fat, compared to the PUFA-rich diet which was 21 percent
polyunsaturated fat, nine percent monounsaturated fat and five percent saturated fat.
When you replace saturated fat with
polyunsaturated fat (soybean oil, corn oil, walnuts, sunflower seeds, ground flaxseed, fish), you can significantly lower total and LDL cholesterol, lower CVD events and coronary mortality.
For example, unsalted walnuts have about 15 grams of
polyunsaturated fat and only two grams of saturated.
Half of the participants consumed a normal diet with saturated fats, and half were told to restrict saturated fats and replace them with safflower oil, an omega-6
polyunsaturated fat. The researchers found that over three years, the safflower oil group experienced a higher risk of death from heart disease, and from all causes overall, than the other group.
And
polyunsaturated fat intake did not offer any heart protection.
As meat is rich in dangerous
polyunsaturated fat and cholesterol, the polyphenol-rich red wine you drink can significantly lessen their harmful effects.
"DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), an omega-3 fatty acid that is a type of
polyunsaturated fat, is the healthiest of the fats," says Heller.
Safflower oil contains 74.6g per 100g of a type of
polyunsaturated fat called omega-6 linoleic acid, and no other polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Effects on coronary heart disease of increasing
polyunsaturated fat in place of saturated fat: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.