Swap saturated fats with unsaturated fats, not carbs

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers Walter Willett and David Ludwig weigh in on the ongoing debate over saturated fat and heart health in an April 2018 article in Women’s Health.

While some recent studies have suggested that eating foods containing saturated fat such as butter may not be as harmful as previously thought, Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition, still suggests “replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat as much as reasonably possible” to reduce heart disease risk.

Ludwig, professor in the Department of Nutrition, sees saturated fat as less of a problem than processed carbohydrates—a food many turn to when adopting a low-fat diet. “When you consider white bread and butter, the bread is the less healthful component,” he told Women’s Health.

Read Women’s Health article: Should You Really Start Eating More Saturated Fat?

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Setting the record straight: It’s best to swap out saturated fats for healthier fats

Higher consumption of unsaturated fats linked with lower mortality

Consuming high amounts of saturated fats linked to increased heart disease risk

Butter is not back: Limiting saturated fat still best for heart health