Saturated Fat: Part of a Healthy Diet

Abstract

Purpose of Review
Despite the American public following recommendations to decrease absolute dietary fat intake and specifically decrease saturated fat intake, we have seen a dramatic rise over the past 40 years in the rates of non-communicable diseases associated with obesity and overweight, namely cardiovascular disease. The development of the diet-heart hypothesis in the mid twentieth century led to faulty but long-held beliefs that dietary intake of saturated fat led to heart disease. Saturated fat can lead to increased LDL cholesterol levels, and elevated plasma cholesterol levels have been shown to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease; however, the correlative nature of their association does not assign causation.

Recent Findings
Advances in understanding the role of various lipoprotein particles and their atherogenic risk have been helpful for understanding how different dietary components may impact CVD risk. Numerous meta-analyses and systematic reviews of both the historical and current literature reveals that the diet-heart hypothesis was not, and still is not, supported by the evidence. There appears to be no consistent benefit to all-cause or CVD mortality from the reduction of dietary saturated fat. Further, saturated fat has been shown in some cases to have an inverse relationship with obesity-related type 2 diabetes.

Summary
Rather than focus on a single nutrient, the overall diet quality and elimination of processed foods, including simple carbohydrates, would likely do more to improve CVD and overall health. It is in the best interest of the American public to clarify dietary guidelines to recognize that dietary saturated fat is not the villain we once thought it was.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13668-018-0238-x

Meanwhile Fat Phobia is still abounds  

Draft reports from the UK's Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition and World Health Organization concur in endorsing the dietary guideline to restrict intake of saturated fat

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/nbu.12333

http://sci-hub.tw/10.1007/s13668-018-0238-x

The second one doesn't surprise me at all, they are currently doubling down on stupid as a response to the likes of Virta and the several recent conferences.

OMG I read the SACN report with mounting horror

"While the Machiavellian machinations of this controversy lie beyond the scope of this article, we would encourage those who remain unconvinced of Keys’ pioneering contribution to human nutrition science to read a White paper on Keys and the Seven Countries Study, commissioned by the True Health Initiative (Pett et al. 2017). This paper examines the primary source material and provides explanations for many of the common methodological criticisms aimed at the Seven Countries Study. It vindicates a man who has done so much to establish the dietary guideline on SFA and in doing so, prevent an immeasurable number of premature deaths from CHD."

You Just Couldn't Make This Up!

True Health Initiative is a militant vegan pressure group - David Katz, Michael Greger et al - so the initiative of the SACN becomes clearly vegan at this point. The entire BDA for that matter, along with the WHO and UN.