Not many parts of our body are as essential as the heart. While transplants are possible, and there’s every possibility that the near future will see completely artificial hearts, it’s still far more effective to take care of the one you have now. Just how we do that, however, is still up for debate.

One topic of interest is the role of fats. There are many types, from saturated to monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, they come in many places, from meats and cheese to avocados and of course that vegetable oil sitting on the counter. That vegetable oil has been called back into question regarding its health status, as the Atlantic describes:

The Minnesota Coronary Experiment was a study conducted from 1968 to 1973; a rare randomized controlled trial testing this idea. It looked at a population of nursing home and mental hospital residents, some of whom were given a diet that replaced saturated fats with corn oil and corn oil margarine.

The researchers conducted autopsies as part of this study, but the results of those were never reported or analyzed as part of the original study published in 1989. It’s not clear why. But a new study, published by the BMJ,looks at the MCE data in more detail.

In this new analysis, researchers also suggest the high-linoleic acid, low-saturated fat diets seem to have had a negative effect for participants over 65. This latter claim—that vegetable oil could actually be worse than butter for mortality—is not very strong, though, given all the missing data.

It’s fair to say that we don’t know right from wrong here. Science is uncovering the answers but it will take some time before we get a clear picture of how all of this works and relates to our health. For now, check out the full post for more details on the current study.

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