The Effect of Saturated Fats on Health and Society

Saturated Fats have been repeatedly shown to be one of the more harmful components of a diet. Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats leads to a 29% reduction in your risk of heart disease.

Professionally Reviewed by Charles Li, MD

Saturated Fats = Heart Disease Risk

Saturated Fats have been repeatedly shown to be one of the more harmful components of a diet. Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats leads to a 29% reduction in your risk of heart disease.

Heart Disease is a Devastating Killer

Around the world, heart disease is one of the leading causes of death. Researchers estimate that heart disease causes just under a third of all deaths.

Healthy Eating Matters

Replacing saturated fats, such as butter, with unsaturated fats like vegetable oil as well as whole grains has been shown to help reduce your risk of heart disease.

1. Definition

Saturated Fats

Saturated fats include fats like butter. They are typically solid at room temperature, though they can melt once you cook them.

Chart: Saturated Fat vs Unsaturated Fat

2. Why it matters

Saturated Fats & Heart Disease

Researchers estimate that nearly a third of people around the world die from heart disease. This is by far one of the most serious causes of death. Any reduction in heart disease will lead to a significant improvement in how long we as humans live. Saturated fat has been shown to be one of the key drivers of heart disease deaths.

Researchers estimate that around 30% of deaths around the world are caused by heart disease. (Circulation, 2017)

3. The Cost

How Saturated Fats & Heart Disease Costs Billions

Beyond saturated fats' impact on human lives, it also carries a real cost to society. Researchers estimated that heart disease costs society over $300 billion a year due to healthcare costs and productivity losses.

One economic analysis estimated that heart disease costs society over $300 billion a year in healthcare costs and lost productivity. (Benjamin EJ, Circulation, 2017)

4. Saturated Fats

vs. Unsaturated Fats

One of the best ways to reduce the risk of heart disease is to eat fewer saturated fats. A study found that replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat led to a dramatic reduction in your risk of heart disease.

Replacing saturated fats, such as Butter, with unsaturated fats, such as Vegetable Oil, leads to a 29% reduction in heart disease risk according to a meta-analysis by the American Heart Association.

Data Source

" In summary, randomized controlled trials that lowered intake of dietary saturated fat and replaced it with polyunsaturated vegetable oil reduced CVD by ≈30%, similar to the reduction achieved by statin treatment. "

Source: Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease

5. Saturated Fats vs. Carbs

Replacing Saturated Fats with Carbs

Replacing 5% of the saturated fat calories that you eat with carbs can lead to a reduction in your heart disease risk, as long as those carbs are whole grains.

Data Source

" Replacing 5% of energy intake from saturated fats with equivalent energy intake from PUFAs, monounsaturated fatty acids, or carbohydrates from whole grains was associated with a 25%, 15%, and 9% lower risk of CHD, respectively"

Source: Saturated Fats Compared With Unsaturated Fats and Sources of Carbohydrates in Relation to Risk of Coronary Heart Disease: A Prospective Cohort Study