Trans-fat increases mortality risk by 34%: Study

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: A sigh of relief for healthy people who consume a reasonable amount of saturated fat in their diet as latest research suggests no health risk for them.

But on the other hand trans-fat increases the risk of death from any cause, death from cardiovascular disease and a diagnosis of coronary heart disease.

Saturated fats found in animal products like butter, egg yolks and salmon make up no more than 10% of daily calories as recommended by dietary guidelines.

Trans-fats are the trans unsaturated fats that are primarily industrially produced and should provide no more than 1% of daily calories.

Saturated fat intake was not tied to coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease, stroke or type 2 diabetes, but its link to risk of death from coronary heart disease was unclear.

The all-cause mortality, heart disease mortality and risk of heart disease are increased by 34%, 28% and 21% respectively by consuming industrial trans-fats, a study said.

For the new review, researchers at several Canadian institutions including McMaster University in Ontario, included data from 41 stud ies between saturated fat intake and health outcomes, covering more than 3,00,000 people, and 20 studies of transfat intake and health outcomes covering more than 2,00,000.

But none of the studies included were randomized controlled trials, the most rigorous type of study.

All the studies were based on observation over time, so other actors in participants' lives could have played a role in their health outcomes.

Among men, trans-fatty acid intake declined between 1980 and 2009 from 2.9% of daily calories to 1.9%, according to a 2014 study.

(With Agency inputs)

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