Heart disease connection to saturated fat could be weakening or dissolving
In a significant shift from long-held beliefs, the connection between saturated fats and heart disease is increasingly being questioned. Recent analyses and reviews have challenged the causal link between saturated fat consumption and coronary heart disease (CHD), suggesting that the traditional diet-heart hypothesis may be based on weak or outdated evidence.
Key findings include:
- Early trials replacing saturated fats with vegetable oils high in linoleic acid lowered serum cholesterol but did not show a significant reduction in CHD events or deaths, casting doubt on the direct link between saturated fat reduction and improved heart outcomes.
- A systematic review and meta-analysis found no association between saturated fat consumption and all-cause mortality, CHD, CHD mortality, ischemic stroke, or type 2 diabetes in healthy adults.
- Coronary heart disease is now understood as a chronic inflammatory condition, where the simplistic "saturated fat clogs arteries" model is outdated.
Despite these findings, major cardiovascular guidelines and recent expert statements still recommend reducing saturated fats and replacing them with unsaturated fats or high-fiber carbohydrates to lower LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) and reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk.
- Higher intake of saturated fat raises LDL-C, a strong risk factor for ASCVD, and replacement with unsaturated fats reduces cardiovascular risk by about 30% according to meta-analyses of high-quality randomized trials.
- Current clinical advice continues to promote diets low in saturated fat and rich in plant-based foods to manage blood lipids and prevent heart disease.
However, a team of scientists from the University of Bergen believes that cholesterol problems may have more to do with how the body responds to cholesterol rather than the type of fat consumed. The cholesterol found in saturated fats is vital for keeping the cells of the body healthy.
In light of these findings, it appears that moderation is key when consuming saturated fats, as too much of any food is never a good thing. The body is uniquely designed to utilize saturated fats efficiently, and foods high in saturated fat may have been unfairly maligned.
Sources:
- Study Finds. (2021). Saturated fats in butter, meats, and cheese may not cause heart disease despite warnings. [online] Available at: https://www.studyfinds.org/saturated-fats-heart-disease-warning/
- de Souza RJ, Mente A, Maroleanu A, et al. Intake of saturated and trans unsaturated fatty acids and cause-specific mortality: systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. BMJ. 2015;351:h3978.
- American Heart Association. (2019). 2019 AHA/ACC/AACVPR/AATS/PCNA/ASNC/NASCM Focused Update of the 2011 ACCF/AHA/AATS/PCNA/the ACCC/ASNC 2009 appropriate use criteria for the selection of appropriate lipid-lowering therapy for the management of dyslipidaemia in patients with coronary artery disease: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines, and the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association, and Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions. [online] Available at: https://www.acc.org/clinical-guidance/statements/2019/11/2019-aha-acc-focused-update-of-the-2011-guidelines-for-the-management-of-dyslipidemia-in-patients-with-coronary-artery-disease
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2014). Lipid modification: cardiovascular risk assessment and the modification of blood lipids for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. [online] Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg181/chapter/1-Guidance
- The findings suggest that the connection between saturated fats and heart disease, long considered a Liability, is increasingly Being questioned, as the body may response uniquely to cholesterol in saturated fats, essential for keeping cells healthy.
- Despite major cardiovascular guidelines recommending reducing saturated fats, a recent study by the University of Bergen implies that a moderate consumption of saturated fats, found in foods like butter, meats, and cheese, may not cause heart disease as previously believed.
