It was proposed in the early 1950's that their was a linear relationship between dietary saturated fat (SatFat) intake and both blood cholesterol levels and coronary heart events like heart attacks. The prospective
Seven Countries studies confirmed this with a massive, on the ground, analysis of diet and outcome in over 10,000 men around the world.
Yet, debates about optimal SatFat advice continue and the new USDA Dietary Guidelines have flamed the fire even though they did not change the overall recommendation to limit SatFat to <10% of total calories. Is there any new evidence to limit SatFat in heart patients.
A
recent paper provides more ammunition to limit SatFat intake like cheese, meats, eggs, fried foods, and beef tallow.
STUDY
The recent study was designed to systematically summarize randomized trial data on reducing or modifying SatFat intake on cholesterol, mortality, and major cardiovascular events.
There were 17 eligible trials (66,337 participants). Risk stratified evidence provides low to moderate certainty that reducing saturated fat intake may result in a reduction in all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and fatal and nonfatal stroke.
For persons at low baseline cardiovascular risk, absolute reductions were below our thresholds of importance while for those at high risk, the benefits were above our thresholds, suggesting there may be important absolute reductions.
The effects were more pronounced when replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat for nonfatal MI, reducing the risk by 25%.
CONCLUSIONS
Among persons at high cardiovascular risk, low- to moderate-certainty evidence was found for important reductions in mortality and major cardiovascular events, particularly for MI, with respect to replacing SatFat with polyunsaturated fat.
This is further evidence, starting in the 1950s and currently involving hundreds or more of studies, that limiting foods high in SatFat (including coconut and palm oils) and replacing them with healthier plant fats (nuts, seeds, avocados, soy products or oils) can reduce heart events and improve health and well being.
