The Source of Fat Matters to Your Heart

Plant-Based Fats Linked to Lower Mortality Risk

New research suggests that swapping animal fats for plant-based options could significantly improve you and your physical therapy (PT) patients' health.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine found a strong correlation between dietary fat intake and mortality rates. Researchers analyzed data from over 400,000 participants over 24 years and discovered some surprising results.

Key Findings:

• Plant fats are protective: Consuming more plant-based fats, especially those found in grains and vegetable oils, was associated with a lower risk of overall and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality.

• Animal fats linked to increased risk: Higher intake of animal fats, including those from dairy and eggs, was linked to an increased risk of death from both overall and cardiovascular causes.

• Significant impact: Replacing just 5% of energy from animal fat with plant-based fat could lead to a substantial reduction in mortality risk.

What does this mean for you and your PT Practice?

While more research is needed, this study suggests that incorporating more plant-based fats into your diet could be a crucial step towards improving your overall health and longevity. Consider incorporating foods like nuts, seeds, avocados, and olive oil into your meals. Educate clients to avoid highly processed foods, as these usually contain less healthy fats and do not offer the other benefits that more whole-food, plant based fatty foods offer.

It's important to note that this study is observational and doesn't prove causation. Despite this being observational, we know of copious other data around the Mediterranean and other plant-forward diets that eating less red meat, incorporating whole sources of plant-based fats and proteins, and reducing processed foods can reduce cardiac risk. Doctors of Physical Therapy working in cardiac rehabilitation, acute care, and general practice ought to be aware of such data and educate their patients of simple dietary changes. Lastly, a referral to a dietitian can be huge -- don't neglect the referral and support your patients in their dietary changes over time!

Would you like to know more about specific plant-based fats or how to incorporate them into your patients diet? There is more in our 3 board-approved continuing education courses on Nutrition specific for Physical Therapists. Enroll today in our new bundled course offering and save 20%, a value of $60!

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