High saturated fat diet can lower the risk of heart attack and stroke

This study was published in Lipid Insights 2011 August 23; 2011(4): 7–15

Study title and authors:

Dietary Carbohydrate Modifies the Inverse Association Between Saturated Fat Intake and Cholesterol on Very Low-Density Lipoproteins

A.C. Wood, E.K. Kabagambe, I.B. Borecki, H.K. Tiwari, J.M. Ordovas, and D.K. Arnett

Department of Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Public Health, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3170517/?tool=pubmed

Having high triglyceride and high Very Low Density Lipoprotein cholesterol levels means you may have an increased risk of coronary artery disease, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

The study investigated the relationship between dietary saturated fat, and triglyceride and Very Low Density Lipoprotein cholesterol levels in 1036 men and women, average age 49.

The study found that: The higher the saturated fat intake in the diet, the lower the triglyceride and Very Low Density Lipoprotein cholesterol levels when subjects consumed a low carbohydrate diet. This was not the case at higher intakes of carbohydrate.

To conclude: The study shows that a high saturated fat diet can decrease risk factors pertaining to heart attack and stroke when consumed with a low carbohydrate diet.