What foods might make hearts sick over 25 years?
Dietary saturated and trans fatty acids and cholesterol and 25-year mortality from coronary heart disease: the Seven Countries Study.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Lauric and myristic acid — often marketed as 'healthy' in coconut oil products — showed the strongest link to both blood cholesterol and heart disease death.
Many wellness influencers promote coconut oil as heart-healthy, but this study shows it’s among the worst offenders for raising cholesterol and mortality.
Practical Takeaways
Reduce intake of coconut oil, butter, palm oil, and fatty meats to lower exposure to lauric, myristic, palmitic, and stearic acids — the fats most strongly tied to heart disease death.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Lauric and myristic acid — often marketed as 'healthy' in coconut oil products — showed the strongest link to both blood cholesterol and heart disease death.
Many wellness influencers promote coconut oil as heart-healthy, but this study shows it’s among the worst offenders for raising cholesterol and mortality.
Practical Takeaways
Reduce intake of coconut oil, butter, palm oil, and fatty meats to lower exposure to lauric, myristic, palmitic, and stearic acids — the fats most strongly tied to heart disease death.
Publication
Journal
Preventive medicine
Year
1995
Authors
D. Kromhout, A. Menotti, B. Bloemberg, C. Aravanis, H. Blackburn, R. Buzina, A. Dontas, F. Fidanza, S. Giampaoli, A. Jansen
Related Content
Claims (10)
Eating more saturated fats, like those in butter and red meat, raises the bad cholesterol in your blood, which can build up as gunk in your arteries over time.
Eating more saturated fats, like those in butter and red meat, raises the bad cholesterol in your blood, which can build up as gunk in your arteries over time.
People in different countries die from heart disease at different rates, and this might be because of how much saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol they eat.
People in places where folks eat more of these specific types of saturated fats tend to have more heart disease deaths over 25 years, and the link is really strong — so scientists think these fats might be one reason why some populations have more heart disease than others.
In different countries, people who eat more saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol tend to have higher rates of heart disease deaths over 25 years — and this pattern shows up when you compare countries.