Poland’s 1991 decision to cut farm subsidies related to saturated fats has led to a drastic drop in heart attack deaths, a study says. The study published in this week’s British Medical Journal says the cuts affected dairy and animal sources of saturated fats. Researchers found by 2002, deaths from coronary heart disease had dropped by more than a third in the 45-64 age group, a 38 percent drop for men and 42 percent for women. During a similar period, people consumed 7 percent less saturated fat, while consumption of polyunsaturated fats rose by 57 percent. The authors say the sharp drop in deaths cannot simply be explained by the effect of any polyunsaturated fat, but is likely to be related to the type consumed. Rapeseed and to a lesser extent soybean oil made up most of the rising numbers of polyunsaturated fats available in Poland in the 1990s — both of which contain omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, also thought to reduce heart problems. © Copyright 2005 by United Press International

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