The Claim

In overweight postmenopausal women, replacing dietary fat from cheese or meat with carbohydrates has no significant effect on total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, or triglyceride levels.

Source: Diets with high-fat cheese, high-fat meat, or carbohydrate on cardiovascular risk markers in overweight postmenopausal women: a randomized crossover trial.

What the research says

Supports is higher

Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.

Supports
60score
Challenges
0score

These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

Description
1 study reviewed
In plain English

In overweight women after menopause, swapping fat from cheese or meat for carbohydrates does not change levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, or triglycerides.

See the scientific wording

In overweight postmenopausal women, replacing dietary fat from cheese or meat with carbohydrates does not significantly alter total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, or triglyceride levels, challenging the assumption that all saturated fats raise these markers equally.

Why this might work

When cheese or meat fat replaces carbs, the body excretes more fat and bile acids in the stool, which reduces the amount of fat reaching the liver. The liver then uses more cholesterol to make new bile acids instead of releasing it into the blood, and it produces more good cholesterol particles that remove cholesterol from the body. This keeps bad cholesterol and triglycerides from rising.

Verified mechanismbased on 1 study

What the research says

1 study
  1. Study: Diets with high-fat cheese, high-fat meat, or carbohydrate on cardiovascular risk markers in overweight postmenopausal women: a randomized crossover trial.

    In overweight postmenopausal women, swapping cheese or meat fat for carbs didn’t make their bad cholesterol or triglycerides go up — and even made their good cholesterol go up a bit. This suggests not all saturated fats affect blood fats the same way.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

Fit Body Science verdict — we translate health claims into clear verdicts backed by peer-reviewed research.

Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.