It is time to revisit current dietary recommendations for saturated fat. [Review]

The extent to which a high intake of saturated fat (SFA) increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has become a highly controversial topic. Dietary SFA primarily raises low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, while having a relatively neutral impact on other key CVD risk factors. Recent epidemiological data also challenge the concept that SFA increases the risk of CVD. This short review provides arguments for the urgency to re-assess the association between dietary SFA and CVD risk in light of recent data on the subject.