The Study
Associations of Dietary Fat Intake With Mortality From All Causes, Cardiovascular Disease, and Cancer: A Prospective Study
This study watched a big group of people for many years to see how their diet relates to their chances of dying. It found links between certain fats and death risk, but it can't prove that the fats caused the changes — other lifestyle factors might be involved.
Analysis score
Maximum 72 for a cohort study.
Where the score came from
This study looked at what kinds of fat people eat and how long they live. It found that some fats are better than others.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 552 / 100
Quality score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes, the results suggest that choosing the right kinds of fat can make a meaningful difference in long-term health and lifespan.
- 2Eating more saturated fat was linked to 13% higher chance of dying early.
- 3Eating more polyunsaturated fat was linked to 21% lower chance of dying early and 34% lower chance of dying from heart disease.
- 4Plant-based monounsaturated fats were linked to 17% lower risk of early death.
- 5Animal-based ones were not.
- 6Trans fats showed a small 4% higher risk per small increase.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Frontiers in Nutrition
Year
2021
Authors
Xiaolin Yao, Xin Xu, Shuo Wang, D. Xia
Related Content
Claims (5)
Eating saturated, trans, or monounsaturated fats doesn’t seem to affect your chances of dying from cancer, based on a long-term study of over 100,000 American adults.
Eating more saturated fat might shorten your life — studies show people aged 55 to 74 who eat more of it have a higher chance of dying earlier, so cutting back could help you live longer.
Eating more trans fats might slowly increase your risk of dying from any cause — the more you eat, the higher the risk — but just comparing high vs low eaters doesn’t show a clear link.
Eating more healthy fats like those in fish, nuts, and seeds might help people live longer and lower their chances of dying from heart disease.
For the best health, about a quarter of your fat intake should come from saturated fats, most from healthy monounsaturated fats like olive oil, and around 15% from fresh polyunsaturated fats like those in nuts and fish.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.