“Saturated fat consumption is harmful to human health.”

A diet high in saturated fatty acids (SFA) is a suspected contributor to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk, in large part because of an effect to raise the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentration. Most dietary guidance from health authorities advocates limiting intake of SFA... Replacing SFA with unsaturated fatty acids, particularly polyunsaturated fatty acids, may reduce ASCVD risk.

Limiting saturated fats is important for your health — and it doesn't mean you have to cut down on flavor. The 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting calories from saturated fats to less than 10% of the total calories you eat and drink each day. Eating too many foods high in saturated fats can be bad for your health. By replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats, you may lower your risk of getting heart disease.

A diet high in saturated fat is more dangerous for the heart than a diet high in unsaturated fat, even when there has been no weight gain... The results suggest that a diet high in saturated fat may negatively change cardiovascular disease risk factors even when a person does not gain weight. Saturated fat has long been understood to cause a much higher risk of heart and circulatory disease.

The PURE investigators found that saturated fat was not associated with risk of myocardial infarction or cardiovascular disease mortality and was significantly associated with lower total mortality as well as lower risk of stroke.

A meta-analysis of prospective epidemiologic studies showed that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD. The pooled relative risk estimates that compared extreme quantiles of saturated fat intake were 1.07 (95% CI: 0.96, 1.19; P = 0.22) for CHD, 0.81 (95% CI: 0.62, 1.05; P = 0.11) for stroke, and 1.00 (95% CI: 0.89, 1.11; P = 0.95) for CVD.

While the health effects of full-fat dairy remain a subject of debate in mainstream nutrition circles, experts say the fundamental evidence hasn't changed: Eating more saturated fat raises levels of LDL cholesterol, which is in turn linked with higher risk of cardiovascular disease. The strongest evidence found by the 2025 dietary guidelines advisory committee on saturated fat was that swapping out butter, beef tallow, and lard for vegetable oils is beneficial for LDL cholesterol.

An extremely robust body of evidence shows that saturated fat raises LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, which is a direct cause of heart disease, according to the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology. Replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats, found in nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils, significantly reduces the risk of heart disease.

Randomized controlled trials that lowered intake of dietary saturated fat and replaced it with polyunsaturated vegetable oil reduced CVD by ≈30%... Prospective observational studies... showed that lower intake of saturated fat coupled with higher intake of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat is associated with lower rates of CVD... Lowering intake of saturated fat and replacing it with unsaturated fats... will lower the incidence of CVD.

The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) maintained the consensus that saturated fat consumption should not exceed 10% of total daily calories, but confusingly grouped animal-based foods higher in saturated fat with plant-based foods lower in saturated fat, potentially leading to higher intake and increased LDL cholesterol and cardiovascular risk.

Although initial epidemiological studies associated saturated fat intake with heart disease risk, subsequent studies have failed to confirm the link. Saturated fat raises HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels, perhaps ameliorating its effects on LDL cholesterol. An unintended consequence of a low-fat diet may be increased carbohydrate intake, which could actually raise heart disease risk compared with a higher-fat diet.

Recent research has called into question the long-held belief that saturated fat increases cardiovascular disease risk by raising LDL cholesterol, with newer, large-scale studies not finding strong evidence for this link. Some experts argue that the focus should be on overall diet quality and the elimination of processed foods rather than solely on saturated fat.

The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) maintain the limit on saturated fat at ≤10% of daily calories, but some recommendations, such as advising consumption of 'healthy fats' from meat, poultry, eggs, and full-fat dairy, are not evidence-based and could lead to saturated fat intake exceeding the recommended limit, potentially increasing cardiovascular risk.

In a study published in the February issue of Journal of Nutrition, researchers analyzed how diets containing different ratios of fats and carbohydrates affected metabolic health and liver function in mice over time. They found, overall, higher fat diets were more harmful than high-carbohydrate diets, but that fiber supplementation might be able to reduce harm in specific conditions. Mice who consumed high-fat diets, especially the ketogenic diet, experienced more weight gain, liver damage and other negative health effects than those who ate a high-carbohydrate diet.