Saturated Fat Does Not Cause Heart Disease, Cambridge University Research Finds

Fatty fish are good for you, but fish oil extracts are not.

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GUIDELINES urging people to eat less “unhealthy” fat may be too simplistic, new research suggests.

An international study, led by Dr Rajiv Chowdhury, from Cambridge University, found no overall association between saturated fat consumption, such as the use of butter, and heart disease, contrary to current advice.

In addition, levels of “healthy” polyunsaturated fats such as omega 3 and omega 6 had no general effect on heart disease risk. But different specific strains of fat did have some impact. Two kinds of saturated fat found in palm oil and animal products were weakly associated with heart disease, while a dairy fat called margaric acid was significantly protective.

Similarly, two types of omega-3 fatty acid found in oily fish — EPA and DHA — and the omega-6 fat arachidonic acid were linked to a lower risk of heart disease.

However, popular omega-3 and omega-6 supplements appeared to have no benefit.

“These are interesting results that potentially stimulate new lines of scientific inquiry and encourage careful reappraisal of our current nutritional guidelines,” said Dr Chowdhury.

“Cardiovascular disease, in which the principal manifestation is coronary heart disease, remains the single leading cause of death and disability worldwide. In 2008, more than 17 million people died from a cardiovascular cause globally.

“With so many affected by this illness, it is critical to have appropriate prevention guidelines which are informed by the best available scientific evidence.”

Put it back on the knife ... butter is not going to give you heart disease, new research states. Source: News Limited

The team, whose results appear in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, conducted a “meta-analysis” of data from 72 studies involving more than 600,000 participants from 18 countries.

Pooling study findings in this way is a statistically powerful technique that can reveal previously hidden trends.

A key finding was that total saturated fat, whether measured in the diet or the bloodstream, showed no association with heart disease.

Professor Jeremy Pearson, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation — which co-funded the study, said: “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. But large scale clinical studies are needed, as these researchers recommend, before making a conclusive judgment.

“Alongside taking any necessary medication, the best way to stay heart healthy is to stop smoking, stay active, and ensure our whole diet is healthy — and this means considering not only the fats in our diet but also our intake of salt, sugar and fruit and vegetables.”