Dietary Fats

The incidence of a number of chronic diseases is significantly influenced by the kinds and amounts of nutrients consumed (Fig. 1). Dietary fats most strongly influence the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD), but evidence linking dietary fat and the risk for cancer or obesity is much weaker.

Figure 1: Influence of nutrition on some common causes of death in the United States in the year 2010. Red indicates causes of death in which the diet plays a significant role. Blue indicates causes of death in which excessive alcohol consumption plays a part. [Note: *Diet plays a role in only some forms of cancer.]

Earlier recommendations emphasized decreasing the total amount of dietary fat. Unfortunately, this resulted in increased consumption of refined grains and added sugars. Data now show that the type of fat is a more important risk factor than the total amount of fat.