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Introduction
While it has long been acknowledged that high intakes of saturated fat can increase risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease due to their impact on blood lipids, there are some who question the association between saturated fat and heart disease.
Specifically, they may state that the evidence for this association is weak or non-existent, typically by pointing to some commonly cited studies that show null associations between saturated fat and CVD outcomes.
On this basis, they may conclude that there is no basis to aim to limit saturated fat intake to current recommended levels or that reducing saturated fat intake will not actually improve health outcomes.
In this episode, Alan and Danny look at the four most commonly cited publications showing a null association, highlighting some key issues. Beyond that, they look at a number of other lines of evidence on saturated fat that allows one to come to a confident answer on this question.
So does reducing saturated fat intake to recommended levels actually reduce heart disease risk? Let’s discuss…
Related resources
- Join the Sigma newsletter for free
- Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium
- Become a member of Alan Flanagan’s Alinea Nutrition Education Hub
- Further reading:
- The Claim: “Saturated Fat Doesn’t Lead to Heart Disease”
- Cited Studies
- Understanding Over-adjustment
- High Saturated Fat and CVD/CHD
The Hosts
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Dr. Alan Flanagan has a PhD in nutrition from the University of Surrey, where his doctoral research focused on circadian rhythms, feeding, and chrononutrition.
This work was based on human intervention trials. He also has a Masters in Nutritional Medicine from the same institution.
Dr. Flanagan is a regular co-host of Sigma Nutrition Radio. He also produces written content for Sigma Nutrition, as part of his role as Research Communication Officer.
Danny Lennon has a master’s degree (MSc.) in Nutritional Sciences from University College Cork, and he is the founder of Sigma Nutrition.
Danny is currently a member of the Advisory Board of the Sports Nutrition Association, the global regulatory body responsible for the standardisation of best practice in the sports nutrition profession.
Introduction to this Episode
While it has long been acknowledged that high intakes of saturated fat can increase risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease due to their impact on blood lipids, there are some who question the association between saturated fat and heart disease.
Specifically, they may state that the evidence for this association is weak or non-existent, typically by pointing to some commonly cited studies that show null associations between saturated fat and CVD outcomes.
On this basis, they may conclude that there is no basis to aim to limit saturated fat intake to current recommended levels or that reducing saturated fat intake will not actually improve health outcomes.
In this episode, Alan and Danny look at the four most commonly cited publications showing a null association, highlighting some key issues.
Beyond that, they look at a number of other lines of evidence on saturated fat that allows one to come to a confident answer on this question.
So does reducing saturated fat intake to recommended levels actually reduce heart disease risk? Letʼs discuss…
Connection to Previous Episodes
#317: Understanding Diet & Heart Disease Risk
- This episode was a supplemental/follow-up episode to the ‘Diet & Cardiovascular Disease’ series of Sigma Statements. If you have not read those statements, you can find part one here.
- In this episode Alan and I covered:
- Does ApoB testing make LDL-C irrelevant?
- “I heard PUFA/omega-6 increases inflammation and therefore should be restricted. Is this true?”
- Issues with the Sydney Diet Heart Study
- How does insulin resistance impact lipoprotein levels?
- You can find the episode page here.
