Rationale:
Excessive dietary fat intake has been linked to increased risk of obesity, coronary heart disease and certain types of cancer. High consumption of saturated-fatty acids is widely considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In 2002, the joint WHO/FAO expert consultation recommended that for the prevention of NCDs, SFA consumption should be less than 10% of a person’s total energy consumption. More recently, WHO recommended that SFA consumption should be less than 10% of a person’s total energy consumption for the reduction of cardiovascular disease. An analysis of FAO Food Balance Sheets (FBS) indicates that in 2008 the intake of SFA ranged between 2% and 35%, with over 40 countries exceeding 10% of energy.Analysis of cohort studies and randomized controlled trials indicates that isocaloric replacement of SFA with polyunsaturated fat reduces cardiovascular risk. A 10% reduction of coronary heart disease risk for each 5% increase in per cent energy from PUFA has been calculated.The proportion of total energy intake from both saturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids need to be collected in order to monitor the shift in consumption patterns.Individual fatty acids within the broad classification of saturated fatty acids have unique biological properties and health effects that can have relevance in developing dietary recommendations.Where saturated fatty acid (SFA) intake is not reported, assumptions can be made about SFA and PUFA from total fat intake. In the absence of SFA values in a food composition database, it is possible to estimate SFA intake through breaking down total fat by foods or food groups in order to calculate the fatty acid composition. For example, the fatty acid composition of dairy fat is quite similar across butter, cheese, yoghurt, etc. and, it is, therefore, possible to estimate the SFA and PUFA content of dairy food if the total fat content is known. Similar estimations can be made for meats, nuts, seeds, and oils.
Definition:
Age-standardized mean proportion of total energy intake from saturated fatty acids (SFA) in persons aged 18+ years
Name:
Noncommunicable diseases and Health promotion (NHP) unit
