When people eat less saturated fat, their cholesterol levels go down—and when cholesterol drops, they have fewer heart problems. This suggests that lowering cholesterol is the main reason eating less saturated fat helps the heart.

Eating less saturated fat can slightly lower your bad cholesterol, but that doesn’t mean you’ll live longer or have fewer heart problems unless you’re changing other parts of your diet too.

If you swap out butter and fatty meats for oils and nuts, your 'bad' cholesterol goes down, which helps prevent clogged arteries and heart problems.

If adults eat less saturated fat, they’re probably 21% less likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or other heart-related problems — but it doesn’t seem to change how long they live.

If you swap out butter and fatty meats for foods like nuts, seeds, or bread and rice, you might lower your risk of heart problems—but we’re not sure if swapping for olive oil or chicken makes a difference.

If you eat less saturated fat (like butter or fatty meat) but still eat lots of white bread, sugary snacks, or refined carbs, it probably won’t make your heart any healthier or lower your risk of heart disease.