I was recently on a “Preventing Diabetes and Obesity” panel with a local cardiologist. I asked him what he thought about all the recent review studies clearing saturated fat of any association with heart disease. His response was, “Well, a little bit might be okay, but not much.” I should have carried this study with me!
The article cited here pertains to a meta-analysis, meaning an overview of 49 separate observational studies reviewing the connection between fats (dietary and supplemental) and cardiovascular disease. I would have to say that I think this study has been done many times over, but nevertheless I appreciate this fastidious review of the existing literature.
What the researchers found was that if you wanted to avoid cardiovascular disease, there is no reason to avoid or even minimize saturated fats (enjoy the butter!) There is also no reason to increase or supplement the polyunsaturated fats. And yes, they looked at fat levels in the blood, too, eliminating an absorption explanation.
So enjoy the butter, and get your polyunsaturated fats from food (fresh fish, a couple of times a week) or fermented cod liver oil. Stop with the overdosing on fish oil, and again: enjoy the butter, your heart is just fine with it.
