A new retrospective study of 72 articles, more than 600,000 participants, from 18 coutries was published in the journal, Annals of Internal Medicine in March of 2014, showed that our belief that saturated fat causes heart disease is not based on good scientific data. This important study was based out of the Univesity of Cambridge. An editorial published in the March 2014 issue of the Journal of the Americal College of Nutrition by Steven Sinatra, MD et al, reviewed the same material in much more detail and is highly recommended reading (JACN, Vol. 33, No. 1, 79-88 (2014).
It turns out that while there are many correlation studies suggesting saturated fat causes arterioslerosis, there's is NO data proving that dietary cholesterol levels directly cause arteriosclerosis. It turns out that while the LDL cholesterol is increased by saturated fat, it is not the atherogenic small dense LDL cholesterol that is increased; it is the harmless buoyant LDL cholesterol that rises. The rise in small dense LDL is caused by carbohydrate that causes arteriosclerosis.
The bottom line is that it is lifestyle that creates inflammation that leads to the plaque buildup in arteries. Without inflammation, there is no arteriosclerosis. Stearic acid, palmitic acid, lauric acid and myristic acid that is found in chocolate, organic grass fed beef, coconut oil and dairy are all healthy non-atherogenic fats! Olive oil, seeds, and nuts are likely the major ingredient in the Mediterranean diet that are protective.
The seeming paradox between the low saturated fat diets and high saturated fat diets is discussed.
