Saturated fat – an end to the myth?

Executive summary

* An article has been published, which aimed to investigate the robustness of the claim that saturated fat clogs arteries and causes heart disease.

* I start this note with some basic facts about food, fat and saturated fat, which lead to the conclusion that it makes zero sense that saturated fat is harmful.

* The methodology of this study was a systematic review of other systematic reviews, from the past decade, to summarise the conclusions from all studies on saturated fat (SFA), cardiovascular disease (CVD) and deaths from cardiovascular disease.

 * There were 32 studies found. Of the studies that reported on mortality, none found that saturated fat had a negative impact.

* For saturated fat and CVD (not deaths), the most common finding was evidence for SFA having no effect. The second most common finding was that SFA had a positive impact. Only 3 out of 32 studies found that SFA had a negative effect.

* The paper concluded that "this review provides strong evidence for absence of observed cardiovascular harm of SFA."

* My PhD found the same. (My PhD papers were included in this review). My PhD has made no difference. The 32 studies in this review have made no difference. I expect that this latest paper will make no difference. The notion that saturated fat is harmful is absurd and has no evidence base. The dietary authorities don't care.

 

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