Eating saturated fat doesn’t seem to increase the risk of dying from heart disease in American adults, even after tracking over 45,000 people for many years — so cutting back on saturated fat alone might not help you live longer.

People who eat a higher share of saturated fats compared to all the fat they consume are more likely to die from any cause, even if they’re not eating more fat overall — and this holds true after accounting for things like age, lifestyle, and health markers.

Eating more saturated fat — like in butter or red meat — doesn't appear to raise the chance of dying from heart disease, based on long-term studies of nearly 90,000 people.

Eating more saturated fat might shorten your life — studies show people aged 55 to 74 who eat more of it have a higher chance of dying earlier, so cutting back could help you live longer.

Eating foods with saturated fat, like butter or meat, doesn't seem to raise your risk of heart disease or dying from it, based on the studies reviewed.

If you eat less of the kind of fat found in butter and red meat, you're less likely to have heart problems like heart attacks or strokes.