Is Saturated Fat Really a Health Villain?

Cardiovascular disease is the leading global cause of death. For decades, conventional wisdom has been that consuming saturated fat is a surefire way to sabotage your cardiovascular health, clog your arteries, and be on the path to a heart attack. Do these claims hold up to scrutiny?

A new paper published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology looked at the relationship between consuming saturated fat and the development of cardiovascular disease. Researchers conducted a review of articles (observational studies, prospective epidemiologic cohort studies, RCTs, systematic reviews, and meta analyses) published between 2010-2021 on the association between saturated fat consumption and cardiovascular disease risk and outcomes.

The researchers found that the consumption of saturated fat is not significantly associated with cardiovascular risk, events, or mortality. They also found no benefit of reducing dietary saturated fats on cardiovascular risk, events, and mortality, and any beneficial effects of replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fat or carbohydrates remain elusive.

Based on this evidence, there is no scientific ground to demonize saturated fat as a cause of cardiovascular disease, and saturated fat naturally occurring in nutrient-dense foods can be safely included in the diet.