Ever been told to reduce the amount of butter and cheese you consume to help prevent heart problems? The warnings may have been unfounded, with a new report finding no evidence that restricting saturated fat consumption lowers the risk of heart disease.
The analysis, published in the journal of Annals of Internal Medicine, involved 72 separate studies that included over 600,000 participants across 18 different countries. Saturated fat was tested as a component in participants’ diet, as well as by measuring levels in the bloodstream.
On top of the discovery that total saturated fatty acid was not linked to coronary disease risk, the report also found insufficient evidence that eating more foods containing polyunsaturated fats (such as omega-3 and omega-6) reduces heart risks. What’s more, when investigating specific fatty acids, the impact on heart risk was found to vary even within the same family of fatty acids.
"This analysis of existing data suggests there isn't enough evidence to say that a diet rich in polyunsaturated fats but low in saturated fats reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease," says British Heart Foundation associate medical director Professor Jeremy Pearson.
