Fact Check: The truth about saturated fat

A new report questioning the link between saturated fat and heart disease has triggered a major backlash from some in the medical community. What are the facts?

What did the report say?

In an editorial published in the British Journal of Sport Medicine yesterday, three cardiologists challenged the long-held belief that fats found in meat and dairy products clog up arteries and increase the risk of heart disease.

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"This idea that dietary saturated fats build up in the coronary arteries is complete unscientific nonsense," Dr Aseem Malhotra, a consultant cardiologist at the NHS Lister hospital in Stevenage and lead author of the paper, told CNN.

Following a review of previous scientific studies, Malhotra and co-authors Dr Pascal Meier and Professor Rita Redberg concluded there is little evidence to support the belief that consuming saturated fat leads to a higher risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and premature death.

They added that people can reduce their risk of heart disease by walking for 22 minutes a day, minimising stress and following a Mediterranean-style diet.

Have butter and bacon been exonerated?

Far from it. The paper has caused a bitter debate among medical professionals, who accuse the authors of misrepresenting some of the data and oversimplifying a complex issue.

"This editorial is muddled and adds to confusion on a contentious topic," said Professor Alun Hughes, associate director of the Medical Research Council unit for lifelong health and ageing at University College London (UCL).

He adds that the authors present "no really new evidence, misrepresent some existing evidence and fail to adequately acknowledge the limitations in the evidence that they use".

Dr Amitava Banerjee, senior clinical lecturer in clinical data science and honorary consultant cardiologist at UCL, said the authors were guilty of ignoring studies that did not support their claims.

"They failed to cite a rigorous Cochrane systematic review which concluded that cutting down dietary saturated fat was associated with a 17 per cent reduction in cardiovascular events," she told The Guardian.

Some, however, welcomed the findings. "[It's] the best dietary and exercise advice I have read in recent years," said Dr Mary Hannon-Fletcher, head of the school of health sciences at Ulster University. "Walking 22 minutes a day and eating real food - this is an excellent public health message."

What's the consensus?

Current UK government guidelines advise people to cut down on the amount of saturated fat they consume in order to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood and prevent heart attack and stroke.

While fat remains a controversial topic, experts agree that quitting smoking, becoming more physically active and managing your weight are sure-fire ways to improve cardiovascular health.