SCIENCE / MEDICINE : A Fat That’s Fairly Friendly
From Times Staff and Wire Service Reports
Heart-conscious eaters who are fed up with low-fat diets can safely add some olive oil and other monounsaturated fats to their daily fare, but the extra dose probably won’t reduce their cholesterol, a study concludes.
Scientists have been searching for foods that prevent disease rather than cause it, and monounsaturated fat has been among the possible candidates. A study examining it was published in last week’s New England Journal of Medicine.
Some studies have suggested that foods high in monounsaturated fat, such as olive oil, actually might lower blood cholesterol levels. But the new work found that while monounsaturated fats don’t raise cholesterol, they don’t seem to lower it significantly.
