Diet and nutritionSaturated fat — have we been unfairly scared of butter for 50 years?
Sources: 14 · Article: 15 578 characters
There is no unqualified “yes”: some authors consider the warnings exaggerated, while others link saturated fat to the risk of heart disease.
- The cited analyses found no clear link between saturated fat and heart disease, nor certain benefits from limiting it.
- Other claims suggest that saturated fat may raise LDL and increase the risk of coronary heart disease. However, moderate amounts of butter were considered harmless.
- Some authors distinguish saturated fat from industrial trans fats, which they describe as more harmful.
What the authors write
Bracia Rodzeń
Researchers questioned limits on saturated fat because they considered the evidence that these limits prevent heart disease or reduce mortality to be insufficient.
„The researchers argue that “there is no strong scientific evidence that current population-wide upper limits on commonly consumed saturated fats will prevent cardiovascular disease or reduce mortality. They add that a continuous limit on these fats is not justified.””Naukowcy argumentują, że „nie ma mocnych dowodów naukowych na to, że obecne dla całej populacji górne limity powszechnie spożywanych tłuszczów nasyconych zapobiegną chorobom sercowo-naczyniowym, lub zmniejszą śmiertelność. Dodają, że ciągły limit tych tłuszczów nie jest uzasadniony.”
Bracia Rodzeń
A review of cohort studies found no significant evidence that saturated fat is linked to a higher risk of heart disease.
„It found “(…) no significant evidence to conclude that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease or cardiovascular disease”:
Meta-analyses of observational studies from 2015 and 2017 reached the same conclusions, finding no link between saturated fat and heart disease:
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2010: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease.”wykazał „(…) brak istotnych dowodów pozwalających stwierdzić, że tłuszcze nasycone w diecie są związane ze zwiększonym ryzykiem choroby wieńcowej lub chorób układu sercowo-naczyniowego”:
Metaanalizy badań obserwacyjnych z lat 2015 i 2017 doprowadziły do tych samych wniosków dotyczących braku związku między tłuszczami nasyconymi a chorobami serca:
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2010: Metaanaliza prospektywnych badań kohortowych oceniających związek tłuszczów nasyconych z chorobami układu krążenia.
Bracia Rodzeń
The meta-analyses described by the author found no benefit from limiting saturated fat for cardiovascular disease or all-cause mortality.
„The most recent meta-analyses of randomized trials and observational studies found no beneficial effect of reducing SFA intake on cardiovascular disease (CVD) or all-cause mortality. Instead, they found a protective effect against stroke.”W najnowszych metaanalizach badań z randomizacją i badań obserwacyjnych nie stwierdzono korzystnego wpływu zmniejszenia spożycia SFA na choroby układu krążenia (CVD) i całkowitą śmiertelność, a zamiast tego stwierdzono działanie ochronne przed udarem.
Bracia Rodzeń
Observational studies cited by the author linked higher fat intake, including saturated fat, with a longer life.
„On the other hand, higher fat intake was associated with longer life, whether the fat was unsaturated or saturated.
The Lancet 2017: Associations of fat and carbohydrate intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality in 18 countries across five continents (PURE): a prospective cohort study.”Z drugiej strony, większe spożycie tłuszczu wiązało się z dłuższą żywotnością, niezależnie od tego, czy był to tłuszcz nienasycony, czy nasycony.
The Lancet 2017: Związki spożycia tłuszczów i węglowodanów z chorobami układu krążenia i śmiertelnością w 18 krajach na pięciu kontynentach (PURE): prospektywne badanie kohortowe.
Henryk Różański
Saturated fat may raise LDL, accelerate atherosclerotic changes, and be linked to ischemic heart disease.
„Saturated fatty acids increase LDL (Low Density Lipoproteins) in blood plasma and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. Current recommendations are to keep the intake of fats with saturated fatty acids at 10% of energy.
Monounsaturated fatty acids, for example,”Kwasy nasycone zwiększają LDL (Low Density Lipoproteins) w osoczu i zwiększają ryzyko cukrzycy typu 2 oraz choroby wieńcowej. Obecnie zaleca się utrzymywanie spożycia tłuszczów z kwasami nasyconymi na poziomie 10% energii.
Kwasy tłuszczowe jednonienasycone, np.
Andrzej Frydrychowski
Moderate amounts of butter are not bad, but larger amounts of saturated fat may have pro-inflammatory effects.
„In larger amounts, they have pro-inflammatory effects (we should remember that inflammation is the starting point for many diseases). So eating butter or pork knuckle in moderate amounts is not bad.
Monounsaturated fatty acids (including omega-9 and omega-7). Olive oil mainly contains omega-9, or oleic acid.”W większej ilości mają działanie prozapalne (pamiętamy, że jest to punkt wyjścia wielu chorób). Czyli jedzenie masła, golonki w umiarkowanych ilościach nie jest złe.
Jednonienasycone kwasy tłuszczowe (w tym omegi 9 i 7). Oliwa z oliwek zawiera głównie omegi 9, czyli kwas oleinowy.
Grażyna Cichosz
A diet high in animal fats may raise LDL and HDL cholesterol to a similar degree, leaving their ratio unchanged.
„However, this diet raises total cholesterol and raises LDL cholesterol by the same amount as HDL cholesterol, so the LDL-to-HDL ratio remains unchanged. Artificial TFA, on the other hand, raise LDL cholesterol while causing a large drop in HDL cholesterol (22).”Jednakże dieta ta powoduje wzrost cholesterolu ogółem oraz taki sam wzrost stężenia cholesterolu frakcji LDL jak też frakcji HDL, przez co proporcje LDL do HDL pozostają nie zmienione. Podczas gdy sztuczne TFA powodują wzrost stężenia cholesterolu frakcji LDL przy jednoczesnym dużym spadku cholesterolu frakcji HDL (22).
Grażyna Cichosz
In the study, a diet high in saturated fat raised both LDL and HDL, while artificial trans fats worsened this profile.
„Eating a diet rich in saturated fatty acids did not cause such a worsening of the blood lipid profile, because it raised both LDL and HDL cholesterol (22, 24). Thus, artificial TFA are much more atherogenic than animal fats containing saturated fatty acids.”Spożywanie diety bogatej w nasycone kwasy tłuszczowe nie powodowało takiego pogorszenia profilu lipidowego krwi, albowiem skutkowało wzrostem stężenia zarówno cholesterolu frakcji LDL jak też frakcji HDL (22, 24). A zatem, sztuczne TFA są znacznie bardziej aterogenne niż tłuszcze zwierzęce zawierające nasycone KT.
Grażyna Cichosz
The author distinguishes saturated fat from artificial trans fats and claims that the former pose no health risk.
„Unlike artificial trans isomers, which increase the likelihood of breast, prostate, and colon cancer, saturated fatty acids pose no health risks (20). Animal studies (using chemically induced cancers) have shown that high intake of saturated fatty acids from animal sources (lard, beef tallow, butter) or plant sources (palm oil, coconut oil) inhibits carcinogenesis (33).”W odróżnieniu od sztucznych izomerów trans, które zwiększają prawdopodobieństwo nowotworów piersi, prostaty i okrężnicy nasycone KT nie stanowią zagrożeń zdrowotnych (20). W badaniach na zwierzętach (z indukowanymi chemicznie nowotworami) udowodniono, że wysokie spożycie nasyconych KT pochodzenia zwierzęcego (smalec, łój wołowy, masło) lub roślinnego (olej palmowy, olej orzecha kokosowego) wpływa hamująco na kancerogenezę (33).
Grażyna Cichosz
The author points out that a lack of polyunsaturated fatty acids may also contribute to high cholesterol, and that trans isomers increase the risk of heart disease more than saturated fat does.
„Thus, the real causes of hypercholesterolemia include not only saturated fatty acids but also long-term dietary deficiencies in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), especially the n-3 family, which determine cholesterol metabolism (the first transformation of cholesterol is esterification with cis-configuration PUFAs).”A zatem, rzeczywistą przyczyną hipercholesterolemii są nie tylko nasycone KT ale również długotrwałe niedobory w diecie wielonienasyconych kwasów tłuszczowych (WNKT), zwłaszcza rodziny n-3, które determinują metabolizm cholesterolu (pierwsza przemiana cholesterolu to estryfikacja WNKT o konfiguracji cis).
Henryk Różański
According to the cited studies, stearic acid, one of the saturated fats, does not raise cholesterol.
„Some studies indicate that stearic acid does not have hyperlipidemic or hypercholesterolemic effects, because it is desaturated into oleic acid and short-chain fatty acids. However, given that stearic acid makes up as much as 5% of coconut fat, this is not very significant, especially since other saturated fatty acids that predominate in coconut fat have an adverse effect on health.”Istnieją prace świadczące o tym, że kwas stearynowy nie działa hiperlipemicznie i hipercholesterolemicznie, bowiem ulega on desaturacji do kwasu oleinowego oraz niskocząsteczkowych kwasów tłuszczowych. Biorąc pod uwagę jednak, iż kwas stearynowy występuje w tłuszczu kokosowym w ilości do 5%, nie ma to większego znaczenia, zwłaszcza, że inne kwasy nasycone dominujące w tłuszczu kokosowym mają niekorzystny wpływ na zdrowie.
prof. David Ludwig
The authors cited by Prof. David Ludwig concluded that many foods rich in saturated fat can be healthy, but recommended eating a variety of fats rather than basing one’s diet on butter.
„David: Many foods with lots of saturated fat are perfectly healthy. Full-fat yogurt. Dark chocolate. The vast majority of calories from saturated fat look very good in clinical trials. There are no high added sugar foods that look healthy.
That doesn’t mean we want to be loading up on butter.”David: Many foods with lots of saturated fat are perfectly healthy. Full-fat yogurt. Dark chocolate. The vast majority of calories from saturated fat look very good in clinical trials. There are no high added sugar foods that look healthy.
That doesn’t mean we want to be loading up on butter.
prof. David Ludwig
The author claims that the Look Ahead study found no promise in reducing heart disease with a low-fat diet, while Predimed found unexpected protection from diets higher in fat.
„Of particular interest, the Look Ahead study was terminated prematurely for “futility” when its low-fat diet showed no promise of ever reducing cardiovascular disease. Compare that result to Predimed, a study that also closed early, but in this case because the higher-fat diets demonstrated unexpectedly great protection against cardiovascular disease.”Of particular interest, the Look Ahead study was terminated prematurely for “futility” when its low-fat diet showed no promise of ever reducing cardiovascular disease. Compare that result to Predimed, a study that also closed early, but in this case because the higher-fat diets demonstrated unexpectedly great protection again cardiovascular disease.
Thomas E. Levy
The author claims that butter and the other fatty foods mentioned are not harmful, and that there is no link between high fat intake and heart disease.
„Very significantly, the committee found that, “Butter, olive oil, heavy cream, and bacon are not harmful foods. Quite the opposite. Fat is the best thing for those who want to lose weight. And there are no connections between a high fat intake and cardiovascular disease.”
While this might make a lot of docs derisively snort while their obedient patients look confused, it must be clearly asserted that this committee is absolutely correct in this bold assertion.”Very significantly, the committee found that, "Butter, olive oil, heavy cream, and bacon are not harmful foods. Quite the opposite. Fat is the best thing for those who want to lose weight. And there are no connections between a high fat intake and cardiovascular disease."
While this might make a lot of docs derisively snort while their obedient patients look confused, it must be clearly asserted that this committee is absolutely correct in this bold assertion.
M. Williamson i N. Moustaid-Moussa i L. Gollahon
The author allows fatty meat in moderate amounts and writes that the oxidation of saturated fat in meat is less strongly linked to disease than a diet high in sugar, salt, and refined carbohydrates.
„However, saturated fatty acid oxidation in meat is not as strongly associated with disease risk as high glucose, sodium, and refined carbohydrate containing diets (). Fatty, therefore more flavorful, cuts of meat may still be allowed in moderation as part of a healthy diet with plenty of plant variety.”However, saturated fatty acid oxidation in meat is not as strongly associated with disease risk as high glucose, sodium, and refined carbohydrate containing diets (). Fatty, therefore more flavorful, cuts of meat may still be allowed in moderation as part of a healthy diet with plenty of plant variety.
Research from PubMed · Europe PMC
We selected 3 studies with the best, positive results. This is a selection, not a full review of all research.
Total number of studies on this topic in PubMed: 250.
The study indicates that hard margarine high in trans fats offered no advantage over butter in terms of predicted coronary heart disease risk.
Aim of the study: Intake of trans fatty acids unfavorably affects blood lipoproteins. As margarines are a major source of trans, claims for the advantages of margarines over butter need to be scrutinized.
Results: Replacing 10% of calories from butter with hard, high-trans stick margarines lowered total serum cholesterol by 0.19, LDL by 0.11, and HDL by 0.02 mmol/l, and did not affect the total/HDL cholesterol ratio. Soft, low-trans tub margarines decreased total cholesterol by 0.25 and LDL by 0.20 mmol/l, did not affect HDL, and decreased the total/HDL cholesterol ratio by 0.20. Based on the total/HDL cholesterol ratio, replacing 30 g of butter per day with soft tub margarines would theoretically predict a 10% reduction in coronary heart disease risk, while replacing butter with hard, high-trans margarines would have no effect. Replacing butter with low-trans soft margarines favorably affects the blood lipoprotein profile and may reduce the predicted risk of coronary heart disease, but high-trans hard margarines probably offer no benefit over butter.
Money for the studynot stated
Do the authors have ties to companies?not stated
Did a manufacturer help with the study?unknown
Type of studydiscussion of other studies
“Not stated” does not mean nobody paid — the database does not always record it.
The review found that in intervention studies, fat from cheese did not affect cholesterol more harmfully than the same amount of fat from butter.
Aim of the study: Currently, the effect of dairy products on cardiovascular risk is a topic much debated and with conflicting results. The purpose of this review is to give an overview of the existing literature regarding the effect of cheese intake and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Results: The possible mechanisms that may be of importance include calcium, protein, fermentation and the fatty acid composition of cheese. Results from four prospective studies reported no association between cheese intake and CVD risk, whereas one reported an increased risk, two reported a decreased risk and one reported no association in men but a decreased risk in women. In addition, results from four intervention studies indicated no harmful effect on cholesterol concentrations when comparing fat intake from cheese with fat from butter. The underlying mechanisms for these findings still need to be elucidated.
Money for the studynot stated
Do the authors have ties to companies?not stated
Did a manufacturer help with the study?unknown
Type of studydiscussion of other studies
“Not stated” does not mean nobody paid — the database does not always record it.
Higher intake of full-fat dairy was initially associated with a lower risk of artery calcification, but the association weakened after adjustment for BMI.
Aim of the study: Studies on the association of dairy intake and coronary artery disease have been inconsistent. Little is known about the relationship between dairy consumption in young adulthood and coronary artery calcification (CAC), a marker of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis. This prospective cohort study assessed the association of dairy intake and the presence of CAC.
Results: A total of 904 participants were observed to have CAC during follow-up. After covariate adjustment, higher intake of whole-fat dairy was inversely associated with risk of CAC [hazard ratio for the highest compared with the lowest quartile: 0.76 (95% confidence interval: 0.61, 0.96)]. Further adjustment for body mass index, which was slightly lower in those who consumed more dairy, attenuated these results (P for trend across quartiles: 0.13). Associations with CAC of total and low-fat dairy, as well as individual dairy products and fermented dairy, were not statistically significant. Among young adults in the CARDIA study, whole-fat dairy was inversely associated with the future presence of CAC. These results do not support dietary guidelines that emphasize low-fat dairy intake for the prevention of coronary artery disease.
Money for the studygovernment, public institutions · NHLBI NIH HHS, National Institutes of Health, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute
Do the authors have ties to companies?not stated
Did a manufacturer help with the study?NO
Type of studyobservation of people
Participants3 110
“Not stated” does not mean nobody paid — the database does not always record it.
Perspectives and opinion materials
The content below presents the authors’ opinions, interpretations and hypotheses. It is not treated as equal to scientific studies and systematic reviews.
Orthomolecular Medicine News Service Opinion material
„Other supplements desirable for any ideal cardiovascular disease: a nutritional regimen include additional vitamin C, magnesium, coenzyme Q, fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K2), and grass-fed organic butter. Your ideal intake varies with your individuality. Nutrients such as niacin you need. Media misinformation you don't. References: Ames BN, Elson-Schwab I, Silver EA. High-dose vitamin therapy stimulates variant enzymes with decreased coenzyme binding affinity (increased K(m)): relevance to genetic disease and polymorphisms. Am J Clin Nutr. Apr 2002;75(4):616-658. Avila MD, Escolar E, Lamas GA.”Other supplements desirable for any ideal cardiovascular disease: a nutritional regimen include additional vitamin C, magnesium, coenzyme Q, fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K2), and grass-fed organic butter. Your ideal intake varies with your individuality. Nutrients such as niacin you need. Media misinformation you don't. References: Ames BN, Elson-Schwab I, Silver EA. High-dose vitamin therapy stimulates variant enzymes with decreased coenzyme binding affinity (increased K(m)): relevance to genetic disease and polymorphisms. Am J Clin Nutr. Apr 2002;75(4):616-658. Avila MD, Escolar E, Lamas GA.
Orthomolecular Medicine News Service Opinion material
„Butter Makes Your Pants Fall Off. Lustig R. Sugar: The Bitter Truth. Toxic Sugar. You know, tack, like when your sailboat cannot sail straight into the wind but must sail back and forth alternately on both sides of the wind to make progress. 9. Campbell R. Sugar Fraud. Ross J. Volek J. The Art and Science of Low Carb Living: Cardio-Metabolic Benefits and Beyond. Fung J. Dante wrote The Divine Comedy some 700 years ago, where he divided hell into 9 levels and assigned notable people of the day to various levels.”Butter Makes Your Pants Fall Off. Lustig R. Sugar: The Bitter Truth. Toxic Sugar. You know, tack, like when your sailboat cannot sail straight into the wind but must sail back and forth alternatively to both sides of the wind to make progress. 9. Campbell R. Sugar Fraud. Ross J. Volek J. The Art and Science of Low Carb Living: Cardio-Metabolic Benefits and Beyond. Fung J. Dante wrote The Divine Comedy some 700 years ago where he divided hell into 9 levels and assigned notable people of the day to various levels.
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