For years, headlines have promoted low-fat diets and pushed us toward low-fat meals and snacks on grocery shelves. Fats have been truly maligned, like four-letter words, in the many dire warnings from nutritionists and doctors.

Now, following reviews of the latest scientific and medical literature, a new report has revealed that actually, it's not the amount—but the type—of fat that matters.

The recent U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, recommended that dietary advice should place the emphasis on consuming healthy types of fat instead of reducing total fat.

Research has shown that when people eat more than the recommended 35% daily total fat, they actually have reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease if unsaturated fats from sources like nuts, avocados, vegetable oils and fish replaced the unhealthy saturated fats and carbohydrates.

"With these quiet statements, the DGAC report reversed nearly four decades of nutrition policy that placed priority on reducing total fat consumption throughout the population," wrote Dariush Mozaffarian, M.D., of Tufts University in Boston and Dr. David S. Ludwig, M.D., of Boston Children's Hospital, in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association.

The panel of nutrition experts who wrote the report also said it was okay to eat an egg a day, reports NPR News. "The scientific evidence now shows it won't raise the amount of LDL cholesterol – the bad kind of cholesterol — in your blood or raise the risk of heart disease."

The government panel is hoping its advice will lead to diets rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains, with limited meats, sugars and processed flours–and a hearty daily portion of healthy fats.

(READ more at NPR) – Photo by SweetOnVeg, CC

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