Healthy Dietary Patterns, Plasma Lipid Metabolites, Cardiovascular Health and Mortality

In Chapters 1 and 2, we examined two key components of heathy dietary patterns, specific types of dietary fat and consumption of fruit and vegetables, in relation to total and cause-specific mortality in two prospective cohort studies, the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Dietary intake was assessed using semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires at baseline and updated every 2 to 4 years. In Chapter 1, we found that higher saturated and trans fat intakes were associated with higher mortality, whereas polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat intakes were inversely associated with mortality. Replacing 5% of energy from saturated fats with equivalent energy from polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats was associated with 27% and 13% estimated reductions in total mortality, respectively.^ Intake of n-6 polyunsaturated fat, especially linoleic acid, was inversely associated with mortality, while marine n-3 polyunsaturated fat intake was associated with a modestly lower total mortality. In Chapter 2, we observed an inverse and nonlinear association between fruit and vegetable consumption and mortality. Consumption of five servings of fruit an