Study: Saturated Fat May Not Cause Heart Disease

But should you really start loading up on it?

BY K. ALEISHA FETTERS

Saturated fat gets a bad rap, that's for sure. But a new meta-analysis published in the Annals of Internal Medicine shows it might not be all that bad—at least for your heart. For the groundbreaking analysis, a team of international scientists combed through nearly 80 studies on fat consumption that involved more than half a million participants. They found that higher levels of saturated fat consumption don't increase the risk of heart disease.

Saturated fat has long been maligned for spurring heart disease by increasing LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. However, the study authors say the relationship between fat, cholesterol, and heart disease is more complicated than once believed, and LDL is only one of many risk factors. As far as cholesterol goes, most experts now believe that the ratio of LDL cholesterol to HDL (good) cholesterol is more important than LDL alone. And research shows that compared with carbohydrates, saturated fat is actually better at increasing good cholesterol and cutting down on your body's levels of triglycerides (fat deposits found in the blood). 

"It's very important to realize that natural fats are not only healthy but essential to overall health," says John Salerno, M.D., founder of The Salerno Center and author of Fight Fat with Fat. "There are several saturated fats that prevent heart disease and stroke." 

The key word here is "natural," meaning not processed and if you can swing it, organic, hormone-free, and antibiotic-free, he says. So while you can and should eat foods such as coconut oil, chicken, nuts, and avocado (all of which contain some saturated fat), in moderation, this study isn't an excuse to fill up on chips, cookies, and doughnuts. 

Beside being prime sources of man-made trans fats, which have been shown to raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol, these sorts of high-taste, low-reward foods are often teeming with sugar and impossible-to-pronounce ingredients that aren't going to do anything for your health.