These 12 Studies Show Saturated Fat Is Not Just a Heart Hazard

Research clearly shows that avoiding saturated fat is the best way to keep your heart healthy, despite confusing findings in a new BMJ study.

Setting aside saturated fat—found primarily in meat and dairy products—can also decrease your risk for obesity, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and early death, among other health issues. Following are just a dozen of the many studies showing why avoiding saturated fat is a smart choice for maintaining good health. Sign up for our Breaking Medical News to get the latest research on these and other nutrition and health topics.

1. Dairy Increases Risk for Death from Prostate Cancer: The saturated fat in dairy products may increase your risk of death from prostate cancer, according to a study published in the International Journal of Cancer.
2. High-Fat Diet Slows Metabolism: A high-fat diet may change how your body processes nutrients, according to a study published in Obesity.
3. Fat Linked to Breast Cancer Risk: A high-fat, high-cholesterol diet increases the risk for breast cancer, according to a study published in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment.
4. A High-Fat Diet Increases Risk of Breast Cancer: Women who eat diets high in fat and saturated fat increase their risk of developing breast cancer, according to a study published by the National Cancer Institute.
5. Better Brain Health with Less Saturated Fat: Reducing consumption of saturated and trans fats reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, according to a review published in Neurobiology of Aging.
6. Fatty Diets Linked to Cancer and Early Death: Diets high in saturated fats and sugar may increase your risk of death from gastrointestinal cancers, including stomach and esophageal, according to a presentation at the American Institute for Cancer Research Annual Research Conference.
7. Low-Saturated-Fat Diet Improves Insulin Function: Eating a low-saturated-fat, high-fiber diet helps with insulin sensitivity, according to a study published in Diabetes Care.
8. High-Fat Diet Boosts Brain Proteins Linked to Alzheimer's Disease: A high-fat, high-glycemic-index diet increases the concentration of proteins in the brain that are linked to Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published by the American Medical Association.
9. Fat Matters for Type 1 Diabetes: Fatty foods tend to increase blood sugars for people with type 1 diabetes, according to a study published by the American Diabetes Association.
10. High-Fat Dairy Intake Linked to Mortality: Women who consumed the most high-fat dairy products were more likely to die during a 12-year follow-up, compared with those who consumed the least, according to a study published by the National Cancer Institute.
11. Yes, Cutting Fatty Foods Really Does Help You Lose Weight: Diets lower in total fat led to lower total body weights, compared with diets higher in fat, according to a new review published in the British Medical Journal.
12. Cognitive Decline Associated with Fat Intake: Fatty foods eaten during midlife may hasten cognitive decline in later life, according to research from the Harvard’s Nurses’ Health Study.