A large Canadian study is challenging conventional wisdom that says a low-fat diet is optimal for cardiovascular health and reduces the risk of premature death.

The McMaster University study of more than 135,000 people in 18 countries found that eating a moderate amount of all types of fat is linked to a reduced risk of early mortality compared to the much-touted low-fat diet 香蕉视频直播� while consuming a high-carbohydrate diet is associated with an increased risk of dying early.

香蕉视频直播淐ontrary to popular belief, increased consumption of dietary fats is associated with a lower risk of death,香蕉视频直播� said lead author Mahshid Dehghan, a nutrition epidemiologist at the Hamilton university香蕉视频直播檚 Population Health and Research Institute.

香蕉视频直播淭hose with a high-fat intake, about 30 per cent of energy intake, had a 23 per cent lower risk of mortality and an 18 per cent lower risk of stroke, compared to the low-intake group, which had 11 per cent energy from fat,香蕉视频直播� Dehghan said from Barcelona, where she presented the findings Tuesday to the European Society of Cardiology Congress.

香蕉视频直播淭he association with lower mortality was also seen with all major types of fat, by which I mean saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.香蕉视频直播�

Research with 135,000+ people shows a moderate intake of fat, fruits, and vegetables lowers risk of death.

香蕉视频直播� McMaster University (@McMasterU)

Saturated fat is found in meat and dairy products, while monounsaturated fat is contained in nuts, avocados, and vegetable and olive oils. Polyunsaturated fat is found in walnuts, sunflower and flax seeds, fish, corn, soybean and safflower oils.

Current global guidelines recommend that 50 to 65 per cent of daily calories come from carbohydrates, and less than 10 per cent from saturated fats. But Dehghan said that advice is mostly based on evidence from studies in North America and Europe.

Cardiovascular disease is a global epidemic, with 80 per cent of the burden of disease in low- and middle-income countries. Diet is a key modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, experts say.

Dehghan said the healthiest diet would be made up of 50 to 55 per cent carbohydrates and 35 per cent total fat, including both saturated and unsaturated types.

香蕉视频直播淲e found no evidence that below 10 per cent of energy from saturated fat is beneficial 香蕉视频直播� and going below seven per cent is even harmful,香蕉视频直播� she said, adding that a diet containing 10 to 13 per cent of energy from saturated fat was found to be beneficial.

A diet that provides more than 60 per cent of energy from carbohydrates 香蕉视频直播� one common among populations in China and South Asia 香蕉视频直播� was associated with a 28 per cent higher risk of premature death, researchers found.

香蕉视频直播淭he message of our study is moderation as opposed to very low or very high intake in consumption of both fats and carbohydrates.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e not advocating an extreme diet,香蕉视频直播� agreed co-author Andrew Mente. 香蕉视频直播漌e香蕉视频直播檙e not saying that people should go on a low-carb, very high-fat diet because we didn香蕉视频直播檛 find any benefit with a very low-carb diet either.

香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 a sweet spot for carbohydrates, which is about 55 per cent of energy intake.香蕉视频直播�

The PURE (Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology) study was Tuesday in The Lancet.

In a linked commentary in the journal, Drs. Christopher Ramsden and Anthony Domenichiello of the U.S. National Institute on Aging called the research 香蕉视频直播渁n impressive undertaking that will contribute to public health for years to come.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淭he relationships between diet, cardiovascular disease and death are topics of major public health importance香蕉视频直播�. Initial PURE findings challenge conventional diet-disease tenets that are largely based on observational associations in European and North American populations, adding to the uncertainty about what constitutes a healthy diet. This uncertainty is likely to prevail until well-designed randomized controlled trials are done.香蕉视频直播�

Mente, also a nutrition epidemiologist at the Population Health and Research Institute, was lead author of a second analysis from the PURE study presented Tuesday at the cardiology meeting.

That paper 香蕉视频直播� one of three from PURE published in The Lancet 香蕉视频直播� found that eating three to four servings of fruit, vegetables and legumes per day reduces the risk of premature death.

香蕉视频直播淎nd consuming higher amounts, pretty much you have the same level of risk,香蕉视频直播� Mente said from Barcelona. 香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 no added benefit with consuming more than four servings.

香蕉视频直播淭his is important because existing guidelines recommend that people consume at least five servings per day, which is less affordable in the poorer countries because fruits and vegetables 香蕉视频直播� particularly fruits 香蕉视频直播� are more expensive as a proportion of people香蕉视频直播檚 incomes.香蕉视频直播�

Lower-income Canadians may also be unable to afford the five to 10 daily servings of fruits and vegetables recommended in the country香蕉视频直播檚 Food Guide.

香蕉视频直播淪o what our study shows is you can achieve maximum benefit through fruits and vegetables and legumes, and it香蕉视频直播檚 also affordable at the same time.香蕉视频直播�

Mente said the study also showed raw vegetables appear to confer greater health benefits than those that are cooked because of a loss of nutrients from being exposed to heat.

With the federal government in the process of revamping Canada香蕉视频直播檚 Food Guide, the research could be a timely addition to consultations on what Canadians should be eating, Mente suggested.

香蕉视频直播淲e would hope that independent thinkers perhaps reconsider the guidelines and look at our data, and perhaps rather than putting limits on total fat and saturated fat, perhaps we should be putting limits on the amount of carbohydrates that people consume.香蕉视频直播�

Sheryl Ubelacker, The Canadian Press