Saturated Fats Controversy

Saturated fats are to be avoided. For many years that has been the recommendation from many governments, medical associations and professional health groups.  That advice has always had its detractors but with recent findings, that advice has come under renewed attack.

The realization that refined carbohydrates may be the driving cause behind the rise of obesity and diabetes cases has caused researchers to go back and take another look at saturated fats. The scrutiny has failed to show a significant link to adverse effects from saturated fats.

Meta-Analyses and Studies

Chowdhury R et al. (March 18, 2014). "Association of Dietary, Circulating, and Supplement Fatty Acids With Coronary Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis". Annals of Internal Medicine 160 (6): 398-406.

Danaei G et al. (April 2009). "The Preventable Causes of Death in the United States: Comparative Risk Assessment of Dietary, Lifestyle, and Metabolic Risk Factors". In Hales, Simon. PLoS Medicine 6 (4): e1000058.

Hooper L, Summerbell CD, Thompson R, Sills D, Roberts FG, Moore H, Smith GD. (July 2011). "Reduced or modified dietary fat for preventing cardiovascular disease". The Cochrane Library. Earlier version.

Jakobsen MU, O'Reilly EJ, Heitmann, BL, Pereira MA, Bälter K, Fraser GE, Goldbourt U, Hallmans G et al. (2009). "Major types of dietary fat and risk of coronary heart disease: a pooled analysis of 11 cohort studies". The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 89 (5): 1425–32.

Mente A, de Koning L, Shannon HS, Anand SS. (April 2009). "A systematic review of the evidence supporting a causal link between dietary factors and coronary heart disease". Archives of Internal Medicine 169 (7): 659–69.

Mozaffarian D, Micha R, Wallace S. (March 2010). "Effects on Coronary Heart Disease of Increasing Polyunsaturated Fat in Place of Saturated Fat: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials". In Katan, Martijn B. PLoS Medicine 7 (3): e1000252.

Skeaff M and Miller J. (September 15, 2009). "Dietary fat and coronary heart disease: Summary of evidence from prospective cohort and randomised controlled trials". Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism 55 (1–3): 173–201.

USDA Nutrition Evidence Library. (2010). "What is the effect of saturated fat intake on increased risk of cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes?"

Dairy

Kratz M, Baars T, Guyenet S. (February 2013). "The relationship between high-fat dairy consumption and obesity, cardiovascular, and metabolic disease".  European Journal of Nutrition 52 (1):1-24
 

Reviews, Editorials and Comments

DiNicolantonio JJ. (March 5, 2014). "The cardiometabolic consequences of replacing saturated fats with carbohydrates or Ω-6 polyunsaturated fats: Do the dietary guidelines have it wrong?". Open Heart 1 (1). The British Medical Journal.

Hite et al. (October 2010). "In the face of contradictory evidence: Report of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Committee". Nutrition 26 (10): 915-924.

Hoenselaar R. (February 2012). "Saturated fat and cardiovascular disease: the discrepancy between the scientific literature and dietary advice". Nutrition 28 (2): 118-123.

Knopp RH and Retzlaff BM. (November 2004). "Saturated fat prevents coronary artery disease? An American paradox". American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 80 (5):  1102-1103.

Kuipers RS et al. (September 2011) "Saturated fat, carbohydrates and cardiovascular disease". The Journal of Medicine (Netherlands) 69 (9): 372-378.

Lawrence GD. (May 2013). "Dietary Fats and Health: Dietary Recommendations in the Context of Scientific Evidence". Advances in Nutrition 4: 294-302.

Malhotra A. (October 22, 2013). "Saturated fat is not the major issue". British Medical Journal 347: f6340.

Mann GV. (September 22, 1977). "Diet-heart: End of an era". New England Journal of Medicine 297: 644-49.

Weinberg SL. (March 2004). "The diet–heart hypothesis: a critique". Journal of the American College of Cardiology 43 (5): 731-733.

Articles

Teicholtz, Nina. (May 6, 2014). The Questionable Link Between Saturated Fat and Heart Disease. The Wall Street Journal.

Walsh, Bryan. (June 12, 2014). Ending the War on Fat. Time.