Cardiovascular Disease and the Dietary Consumption of Saturated Fats: A Review of the Strength of the Literature and Evidence

Introduction: Dietary guidelines suggest the reduction of saturated fat intake due to its perceived association with cardiovascular disease. However ambiguity remains in the literature regarding this association. This review aims to evaluate the strength and level of evidence of the literature regarding the association between cardiovascular disease and the consumption of saturated fats in the diet. Evidence acquisition: Computerized literature review of databases for articles that met inclusion criteria and qualitative analysis of included studies. Evidence synthesis: There was a mean quality index of 81.7% for studies included in the review indicating strong methodology in the literature. The majority of research represents level 3 evidence. Conclusions: Further research is required before the advocacy to avoid saturated fats in the human diet can be scientifically warranted.