# Is saturated fat bad for you? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 20, 2011, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saturated-fat-bad-for-you/603572 "2011-11-20T20:12:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![anon11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@anon11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anon11)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saturated-fat-bad-for-you/603572/1 "2011-11-20T20:12:53Z")
Particurlarly in dairy. I’ve always relied on dairy as a good source of calcium. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saturated-fat-bad-for-you/603572/2 "2011-11-20T20:21:41Z")
Conventional wisdom is that it’s not something in which you should overindulge; it’s believed by many that eating a lot of saturated fat can raise your cholesterol level. [http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/tc/types-of-fats-topic-overview](http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/tc/types-of-fats-topic-overview) > **[Saturated fat | Association with diseases](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturated_fat#Association_with_diseases)** > > The effect of saturated fat on heart disease has been extensively studied. Many health authorities, such as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the British Dietetic Association, American Heart Association, the World Heart Federation, the British National Health Service, among others, advise that saturated fat is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. In 2020, the World Health Organization recommended lowering dietary intake of saturated fats to less than 10 A 2021 review found that diets ... That said, as with a lot of theories regarding diet and health, there are those who disagree with this. IANAD, but I’m sure that there’ll be folks weighing in on both sides of this. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saturated-fat-bad-for-you/603572/3 "2011-11-20T21:34:13Z")
Keep drinking your milk. No food is “bad” for you, but, everything in moderation. Well, there is one type of fat that is bad for you and which you should completely avoid: trans fats. Note that many products no longer contain “partially hydrogenated…oil.” A few products still contain partially hydrogenated oil, but advertise 0% trans fats. That’s because FDA allows one to claim 0% if the product contains 0.5 grams or less of the ingredient. Fully hydrogenated fats, incidentally, are not trans fats, but sat fats. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saturated-fat-bad-for-you/603572/4 "2011-11-20T21:38:08Z")
Just because you like the calcium in dairy does not mean you must take in heavy amounts of saturated fat. Low-fat dairy products are sold everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saturated-fat-bad-for-you/603572/5 "2011-11-20T23:16:57Z")
[http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=saturated%20fat%20and%20testosterone&source=web&cd=3&sqi=2&ved=0CDEQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bhrt-resource.com%2Fhow-to-increase-testosterone.html&ei=44nJTrr9PMqAsgKT2s3mBA&usg=AFQjCNG2oz1NBX1LcUTaYWOT6iyS2gcu9Q](http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=saturated%20fat%20and%20testosterone&source=web&cd=3&sqi=2&ved=0CDEQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bhrt-resource.com%2Fhow-to-increase-testosterone.html&ei=44nJTrr9PMqAsgKT2s3mBA&usg=AFQjCNG2oz1NBX1LcUTaYWOT6iyS2gcu9Q) _Some_ saturated fat is also needed for optimal testosterone levels. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saturated-fat-bad-for-you/603572/6 "2011-11-20T23:33:44Z")
Lowering dietary saturated fat intake _may_ lead to less heart disease, but it’s far from clear. The impact of reducing dietary saturated fat may depend on the nature of the foods which replace the saturated fats. [Here is a recent review](http://www.ajcn.org/content/93/4/684.long) (free full text) by some pretty big names in the area. The bottom line, “more research is needed”! As an aside, **Surreal** once pointed out [this very interesting result concerning DAIRY saturated fats](http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v64/n6/abs/ejcn201045a.html). ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saturated-fat-bad-for-you/603572/7 "2011-11-21T04:18:24Z")
Oh what review ever does _not_ end with that as a bottom line? This much they can state with confidence > [@](#): > > When PUFAs replace SFAs, the evidence from epidemiologic, clinical, and mechanistic studies is consistent in finding that the risk of CHD is reduced. In countries following a Western diet, replacing 1% of energy intake from SFAs with PUFAs has been associated with a 2–3% reduction in the incidence of CHD (13, 17). This figure is probably an underestimate of the benefit … PUFAs are high in nuts, seeds, and a particular class of PUFAs, the omega 3’s, in some fish. Also from your cite, relevant to the issue of dairy, the package that the SFA comes in may be a key feature: > [@](#): > > The epidemiologic data provide strong evidence that a high intake of processed meat products, a major source of SFAs, is associated with an increased risk of CHD (32). There is no consistent evidence that a higher intake of dairy products is associated with CHD risk in epidemiologic studies (34), but data do support the beneficial effects of dairy products on type 2 diabetes risk (34, 35). However, intervention studies on the effect of dairy fat on the risk of CHD and diabetes are lacking; thus, the role of SFAs in dairy fat still needs to be investigated. There is increasing evidence to support that the total matrix of a food is more important than just its fatty acid content when predicting the effect of a food on CHD risk, eg, the effect of SFAs from cheese on blood lipids and CHD may be counterbalanced by the content of protein, calcium, or other components in cheese. In addition, the special fatty acid profile (rumenic acid, trans vaccenic acid, and short-chain fatty acids) may modify the effect on CHD risk. Another example is dark chocolate, which has a high content of stearic acid, oleic acid, and polyphenols, and observational studies, mechanistic studies, and RCTs show that dark chocolate reduces risk factors of CVD (36). So dairy good; it is possible that it would be better to use nonfat or low fat rather than full fat, but not proven. And if you are going to have dairy, you may want to [consider including some fermented dairy](http://www.springerlink.com/content/g141j6476328t264/), especially with active cultures. (Yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saturated-fat-bad-for-you/603572/8 "2011-11-21T04:37:38Z")
And hey, throw some blueberries in your yogurt while you’re at it! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saturated-fat-bad-for-you/603572/9 "2011-11-21T11:15:58Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > And hey, throw some blueberries in your yogurt while you’re at it! > > 🙂 I also add a few walnuts and a sliced banana. I eat that in the morning, sometimes, with a hot cup or two of java. I like the Greek yogurt (which, although the whey has been removed, has more protein). My favorite yogurt, though, is Brown Cow, because it has a high fat content. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saturated-fat-bad-for-you/603572/10 "2011-11-21T13:25:32Z")
Sorry **barbitu8** for not providing the link. It was a reference to **anon11** ’s last in a series of Are and Is nutrition questions, asking if [blueberries](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=632048) are the only food that have the antioxidants that protect the brain. (I like Greek yogurt too. Removing the whey also takes out most of the lactose so I can tolerate it much better. I also mix in a host of other stuff, chia seeds, hemp, ground flax, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, dried cherries, cranberries, nuts, cereal … depending on the day and what is in easiest reach that morning.) ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saturated-fat-bad-for-you/603572/11 "2011-11-21T16:54:39Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > When PUFAs replace SFAs, the evidence from epidemiologic, clinical, and mechanistic studies is consistent in finding that the risk of CHD is reduced. In countries following a Western diet, replacing 1% of energy intake from SFAs with PUFAs has been associated with a 2–3% reduction in the incidence of CHD (13, 17). This figure is probably an underestimate of the benefit … That certainly wasn’t what was observed in this study: > **[brmedj02398-0041.pdf](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2166702/pdf/brmedj02398-0041.pdf)** > > 1285 B ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saturated-fat-bad-for-you/603572/12 "2011-11-21T17:57:24Z")
> [@Surreal](#): > > That certainly wasn’t what was observed in this study: > > [Preparing to download ...](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2166702/pdf/brmedj02398-0041.pdf) True, but (and meaning no respect for what was a truly admirable effort for the era,) it’s not a very rigorous study. One centre, small numbers of patients, not blinded, not intention-to-treat analysis, multiple comparisons (yet still not of statistical significance), inadequate and incomplete presentation of baseline characteristics of volunteers (smoking, blood pressure, etc.), i.e. were the groups even balanced? Bottom line is that it’s probably uninterpretable. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saturated-fat-bad-for-you/603572/13 "2011-11-21T18:20:39Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > True, but (and meaning no respect for what was a truly admirable effort for the era,) it’s not a very rigorous study. One centre, small numbers of patients, not blinded, not intention-to-treat analysis, multiple comparisons (yet still not of statistical significance), inadequate and incomplete presentation of baseline characteristics of volunteers (smoking, blood pressure, etc.), i.e. were the groups even balanced? Bottom line is that it’s probably uninterpretable. I forgot two of its most important liabilities: 1. The authors (admit that they) cannot know just what the patents were eating and whether they were even taking the allocated oils. 2. The drop outs seem excessive, i.e. four for ‘medical reasons’ and another six for unknown reasons, meaning ten out of 80 were lost. BUT, their table III (done on patients “STILL IN THE TRIAL”) totals only 43. It seems, then, that almost half the subjects dropped out or were lost to follow-up. Such numbers definitely make a study uninterpretable. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saturated-fat-bad-for-you/603572/14 "2011-11-21T18:29:26Z")
Your point is well taken, but there is certainly other research that suggests that excess n-6 may be harmful: > **[n-6 Fatty acid-specific and mixed polyunsaturate dietary interventions have...](https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/n6-fatty-acidspecific-and-mixed-polyunsaturate-dietary-interventions-have-different-effects-on-chd-risk-a-metaanalysis-of-randomised-controlled-trials/938F3F74E18033ED061F7D8CEAB0A24A)** > > n-6 Fatty acid-specific and mixed polyunsaturate dietary interventions have different effects on CHD risk: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials - Volume 104 Issue 11 > **[The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids - PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12442909/)** > > Several sources of information suggest that human beings evolved on a diet with a ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFA) of approximately 1 whereas in Western diets the ratio is 15/1-16.7/1. Western diets are deficient in omega-3... [http://www.ajcn.org/content/83/6/S1483.abstract](http://www.ajcn.org/content/83/6/S1483.abstract) > **[Dietary fat and asthma: is there a connection? - PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9032484/)** > > The last two decades have seen an increase in the prevalence of asthma, eczema, and allergic rhinitis in developed countries. This increase has been paralleled by a fall in the consumption of saturated fat and an increase in the amount of... ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saturated-fat-bad-for-you/603572/15 "2011-11-21T18:41:40Z")
Dr. William Lands has a good overview of PUFA biochemistry here: [http://efaeducation.nih.gov/](http://efaeducation.nih.gov/) ---
**Author:** ![anon11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@anon11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anon11)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saturated-fat-bad-for-you/603572/16 "2011-11-21T21:06:40Z")
> [@Al\_Bundy](#): > > Just because you like the calcium in dairy does not mean you must take in heavy amounts of saturated fat. Low-fat dairy products are sold everywhere. Great advice, thanks. Strangely never thought of that. ---
**Author:** ![anon11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@anon11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anon11)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saturated-fat-bad-for-you/603572/17 "2011-11-21T21:19:44Z")
[quote=“DSeid, post:10, topic:603572”] Sorry **barbitu8** for not providing the link. It was a reference to **anon11** ’s last in a series of Are and Is nutrition questions, asking if [blueberries](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=632048) are the only food that have the antioxidants that protect the brain. I have gone a bit OTT with the personal nutrition drive. It was a doctor that told me, out of the blue, to eat lot’s of blueberries. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saturated-fat-bad-for-you/603572/18 "2011-11-21T22:05:51Z")
> [@Surreal](#): > > Your point is well taken, but there is certainly other research that suggests that excess n-6 may be harmful … And much that it is not. Which is why the research needs to be evaluated in aggregate with emphasis placed on actual randomized controlled trials (RCTs) when available. [This](http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/119/6/902.full.pdf) 2009 science advisory from the American Heart Association reviewed all the evidence for and against the oft repeated claim that more n-6 may be harmful. The conclusion: > [@](#): > > This advisory was undertaken to summarize the current evidence on the consumption of omega-6 PUFAs, particularly LA, and CHD risk. Aggregate data from randomized trials, case-control and cohort studies, and long-term animal feeding experiments indicate that the consumption of at least 5% to 10% of energy from omega-6 PUFAs reduces the risk of CHD relative to lower intakes. The data also suggest that higher intakes appear to be safe and may be even more beneficial (as part of a low–saturated-fat, low-cholesterol diet). In summary, the AHA supports an omega-6 PUFA intake of at least 5% to 10% of energy in the context of other AHA lifestyle and dietary recommendations. To reduce omega-6 PUFA intakes from their current levels would be more likely to increase than to decrease risk for CHD. In particular the [evidence](http://journals.lww.com/co-lipidology/Abstract/2008/02000/How_relevant_is_the_ratio_of_dietary_n_6_to_n_3.11.aspx) from RCTs is that > [@](#): > > the ratio of n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids is of no value in modifying cardiovascular disease risk Overall the evidence supporting the claim made in the review linked to by **KarlGauss** is very strong. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saturated-fat-bad-for-you/603572/19 "2011-11-21T22:08:20Z")
> [@Surreal](#): > > Your point is well taken, but there is certainly other research that suggests that excess n-6 may be harmful … And much (more) that it is not. Which is why the research needs to be evaluated in aggregate with emphasis placed on actual randomized controlled trials (RCTs) when available. [This](http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/119/6/902.full.pdf) 2009 science advisory from the American Heart Association reviewed all the evidence for and against the oft repeated claim that more n-6 may be harmful. The conclusion: > [@](#): > > This advisory was undertaken to summarize the current evidence on the consumption of omega-6 PUFAs, particularly LA, and CHD risk. Aggregate data from randomized trials, case-control and cohort studies, and long-term animal feeding experiments indicate that the consumption of at least 5% to 10% of energy from omega-6 PUFAs reduces the risk of CHD relative to lower intakes. The data also suggest that higher intakes appear to be safe and may be even more beneficial (as part of a low–saturated-fat, low-cholesterol diet). In summary, the AHA supports an omega-6 PUFA intake of at least 5% to 10% of energy in the context of other AHA lifestyle and dietary recommendations. To reduce omega-6 PUFA intakes from their current levels would be more likely to increase than to decrease risk for CHD. In particular the [evidence](http://journals.lww.com/co-lipidology/Abstract/2008/02000/How_relevant_is_the_ratio_of_dietary_n_6_to_n_3.11.aspx) from RCTs is that > [@](#): > > the ratio of n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids is of no value in modifying cardiovascular disease risk Overall the evidence supporting the claim made in the review linked to by **KarlGauss** is very strong. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saturated-fat-bad-for-you/603572/20 "2011-11-21T22:17:28Z")
> [@anon11](#): > > Great advice, thanks. Strangely never thought of that. Just don’t try nonfat half-and-half. It’s beneath vile. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-saturated-fat-bad-for-you/603572.md?page=2)