A report on Saturated Fats and Health by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) has recently been published by Public Health England using evidence from the Cochrane Heart Group review, Reduction in saturated fat intake for cardiovascular disease.
The report from Public Health England considers the relationship between saturated fats, health outcomes and risk factors for non-communicable diseases in the general UK population.
Dr Saverio Stranges, Professor and Chair of Epidemiology at Western University in Canada said,
“There is good evidence supporting the notion that reduction of saturated fat intake is likely to produce beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk factors and clinical events, although the findings on mortality outcomes are less consistent. In addition, the current trial evidence suggests that replacing the energy from saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat should be considered as an effective strategy to reduce cardiovascular risk, whereas replacement with carbohydrate or proteins is unlikely to produce any cardiovascular benefit.
The current trial evidence, although not perfect and conclusive, is strongly suggestive of potential cardiovascular benefits from saturated fat reduction and relative increase in unsaturated fats.
This evidence is reflected in the report from Public Health England.”