Reducing the share of processed foods in a diet and boosting the intake of fish, nuts, fruits, and vegetables leads to meaningful drops in blood fat levels for women. This finding comes from a study published in a nutrition-focused journal after examining a large Australian health cohort from 2011 to 2012. The researchers built a model to predict how triglyceride levels in women would respond to different dietary changes, recognizing that high blood fat is a known risk factor for obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
According to the study, cutting processed foods by half while increasing minimally processed or unprocessed foods by 25 to 75 percent reduced triglyceride levels by about 2.8 percent. Processed foods are those that require multiple steps to prepare and are often high in calories, sugar, and fat while offering relatively fewer nutrients. Common ultra-processed items include crackers, chips, breakfast cereals, and sausages. In contrast, unprocessed foods encompass fruits, vegetables, nuts, mushrooms, and meat.
When the diet emphasized fish, nuts, fruits, and vegetables together, triglyceride levels fell by about 8.2 percent, and when the diet featured omega-3 rich fish, triglyceride levels dropped by roughly 9.9 percent. Such improvements could shift an individual from a high to a normal triglyceride range, illustrating the impactful role of food choices on cardiovascular risk markers.
Earlier researchers have also explored how dietary adjustments might support brain function, noting potential quick benefits in some contexts, though more work is needed to confirm these effects across broader populations. This study adds to the growing body of evidence that making strategic food substitutions can positively influence blood lipids and related health outcomes.