Fats and Oils for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

Abstract Fats and oils are the most important component of diet because one-fourth of the total per day dietary energy appears to be supplied by these fatty acids. Further randomized trials indicate that olive oil, mustard oil, or rape seed oil may be superior to other oils because these oils in conjunction with fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains have been reported to cause significant decline in cardiovascular events and type 2 diabetes. Olive oil is rich in polyphenols and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), whereas canola oil and mustard are rich sources of MUFA and omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to have beneficial effects in the prevention of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Rice bran oil contains orygenol, and sesame oil phytosterol which are potential antioxidants causing decline in risk factors of cardiometabolic diseases. Most of the other oils are rich in omega-6 fatty acids which may have adverse effects on pro-inflammatory markers of noncommunicable diseases. Flexed seed oil contains 54% omega-3 fatty acids which may be added in other blends to provide optimal content of these fatty acids. A new blend of fats and oils may be developed by the vegetable oil industry to provide all necessary fatty acids and other potential nutrients in an optimal ratio for health promotion and disease prevention. Stearic acid, a type of saturated fatty acid found in clarified butter, is known to increase high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and has antiplatelet effects; hence a limited amount of butter may be allowed, in subjects with a healthy lifestyle.