Why saturated fat might not be as bad as we thought
The homeoviscous adaptation to dietary lipids (HADL) model explains controversies over saturated fat, cholesterol, and cardiovascular disease risk.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Saturated fat-induced increases in LDL cholesterol may be a normal, adaptive response rather than a pathological one.
This contradicts decades of public health messaging that equates higher LDL with increased heart disease risk, regardless of context.
Practical Takeaways
Don’t panic over rising LDL if you're metabolically healthy—focus on overall health markers like waist size, blood sugar, and energy levels.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Saturated fat-induced increases in LDL cholesterol may be a normal, adaptive response rather than a pathological one.
This contradicts decades of public health messaging that equates higher LDL with increased heart disease risk, regardless of context.
Practical Takeaways
Don’t panic over rising LDL if you're metabolically healthy—focus on overall health markers like waist size, blood sugar, and energy levels.
Publication
Journal
The American journal of clinical nutrition
Year
2021
Authors
M. Zinöcker, K. Svendsen, S. Dankel
Related Content
Claims (6)
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 saturated fats might raise your 'bad' cholesterol not because it's harmful, but because your body is just adjusting to keep your cells working smoothly — like how a car adjusts to different weather conditions.
High LDL cholesterol might not always lead to heart disease if a person is metabolically healthy — it could depend on whether they have insulin resistance or other metabolic issues.
The cholesterol and saturated fats you get from eating animal foods like meat and eggs help keep your cell walls strong and stable, especially in your red blood cells.
Your body might use lipoproteins like delivery trucks to move cholesterol around when you eat different types of fats, helping keep your cells balanced and healthy.