New research finds no link between exceeding recommended fat intake and heart disease Posted: September 5, 2017

A new study published in the Lancet last week challenges popular recommendations for healthy fat and carbohydrate intake, suggesting that the fats may be the lesser of two evils when it comes to heart health. Researchers documented the fat, carbohydrate and protein intake of 135,335 people in 18 countries through questionnaires, following up with the participants for an average of seven years. Scientists noted instances of any cardiovascular disease in the participants during those observation periods. They found no association in their data between consuming more than the recommended amount of fat and developing heart disease. However, participants whose calorie intake was more than 60% carbs were at higher risk of death overall, as well as death not related to cardiovascular disease. Study authors have looked at consumption of both saturated and non-saturated fats, but did not specifically study trans fats, the deleterious effects of which have been described by cardiologists and dieticians.Corresponding Canadian author: Mahshid Dehghan at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.