Individuals who are concerned with their cholesterol may want to consider replacing their normal intake of saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat, according to a new study.

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) have found that patients who replaced saturated fat in their diets with polyunsaturated fat reduced their risk of developing coronary heart disease by 19 percent. This figure was compared to the control groups of people who made no change to their diet.

While previous studies have indicated that saturated fats are detrimental to health and can lead to high cholesterol, this study argues that this special kind of saturated fat may be better for the body than trans-fat, which has been used to replace saturated fat.

“The specific replacement nutrient for saturated fat may be very important,” said lead author Dariush Mozaffarian. “Our findings suggest that polyunsaturated fats would be a preferred replacement for saturated fats for better heart health.”

Individuals who are concerned for their health may also want to consider adopting an alkaline diet, which some physicians believe can help lower cholesterol levels.