Saturated dairy fat consumption and heart disease

[jim mcnamara]

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10654-017-0243-1
Jung Huo et al, 2017

European Journal of Epidemiology, 'Milk and dairy consumption and risk of cardiovascular
diseases and all-cause mortality: dose–response meta-analysis of prospective cohort
studies'

The takeaway is that saturated dairy fat consumption (butter, whole milk, and cream products)
do not affect rates of coronary heart disease or cardiovascular disease. This is a meta-anlaysis of 29 papers based on 939k study subjects.

In plain English, dairy fat (other than calories which may or may be not good for you) is NOT something to completely avoid in your diet.

This sounds completely contrary to what a lot of major players in this area have been stating for years. Some of them, like the Lipid Institute lipidfoundation.org, are coming around to this newer point of view.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

What are your thoughts Jim? What is the difference in dairy saturated fat with other saturated fats? So I can eat a block of cheese now without concern, but prime rib is still a problem?

 

[jim mcnamara]

It appears to be that saturated fat in general is not a major cause of CHD and CHV. I attended a lecture sponsored by the the lipidfoundation.org people about a year ago. They think that most of problem is related to the ratio of (LDL creation) / (HDL creation). This is root cause of cholesterol molecules being parked in arteries where they do not belong. This ratio works back to polyunsaturated fatty acids balance in the diet (arachidonic acid, alpha-linolenic acid), exercise, fiber, a broad spectrum of plant nutrients, resistance training, and other lifestyle changes. Those fatty acids are more plant than animal based, e.g., cooking oils.

This is why they lipid people support a massive sea change - the use of statins proactively which would, they think, undo the LDL problem. And stop carping about fat in the diet. This is reasserted by the above study.

The whole good/bad thing is just awful with regard to diet. Lots of factors, and people want a simple 20 syllable sound bite for dietary guidance - and then do whatever they want anyway.