Diane Joy Galos

Saturated fat may not be the dietary villain it's long been considered, a groundbreaking study from Ateneo de Manila University reveals.


Published in health research journal Nutrients, a study from Ateneo professor and chemist Fabian Dayrit and American physician Mary Newport re-examines the 1953 work of physiologist Ancel Keys, which claimed that high saturated fat and cholesterol levels in diets were linked to heart disease.

Dayrit and Newport, however, argue that Keys' findings led to “flawed dietary recommendations.”

“Reducing total fat intake was not proven to have any effect on lowering cholesterol levels or dying from heart disease,” the research said.

They point out that Keys’ study lumped all saturated fats together, including harmful industrial trans fats, which artificially raised total cholesterol, and overlooked the complexity of cholesterol metabolism.

Their findings says that Keys' focus on heart disease ignored trans fats' roles in cancer, obesity, and metabolic disorders.

A related 2021 study in the Journal of the American Heart Association supports their findings, concluding that saturated fat intake, such as that from beef, pork, and dairy products, does not directly impact heart disease risk.

“Numerous observational, epidemiological, interventional, and autopsy studies have failed to validate the Keys equation and the lipid-heart hypothesis,” Dayrit and Newport said.

While saturated fats may have long been cast as the villain, this research suggests it might be time to reconsider who—or what—should really be on the “do not eat” list.

"Current dietary guidelines are outdated and not supported by scientific evidence," Dayrit said.