Eating oil-based products such as soft margarine can lead to a significant reduction in heart-disease risk, says a new study.
Researchers have even found that an increase in the intake of polyunsaturated fats may be even more beneficial to preventing cardiovascular disease than a decrease in smoking or an increase in fruit intake.
The study, carried out in Poland by Walter Willett from the Harvard School of Public Health in the US, states that: "Mortality due to coronary heart disease can be reduced by partly replacing dietary saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats while maintaining a low intake of trans fatty acids."
Mr Willett suggests that even simple dietary changes - such as choosing a soft, trans fat-free margarine in place of butter - can significantly reduce one's risk of heart disease by lowering the level of cholesterol.
Research has shown that arteriosclerosis, or the build-up of fat on the walls of the arteries, begins at childhood.
Willett attributes this to children eating too much saturated fat - even at pre-school age - which then leads to cardiovascular disease later in life.
Other research has confirmed that an increase of polyunsaturated fats in the diet is responsible for a decrease in mortality due to coronary heart disease.
Encouragement for consumers to switch from saturated to unsaturated fatty products explains the "major declines in coronary mortality in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia over several decades," said Mr Willett.