The new US dietary guidelines are moving away from previous strict recommendations to avoid full-fat dairy and red meat, suggesting a more nuanced approach to fats.

The PESA study shows that even if you are otherwise perfectly healthy, LDL cholesterol above 50-60 mg/dL can still lead to arterial blockages.

Evidence from multiple study types is so strong that researchers conclude elevated LDL cholesterol is a direct cause of heart disease, not just a correlation.

For individuals at high risk of heart disease, cutting saturated fat yields significant benefits, but it has little benefit for those at low risk over a five-year period.

An old study often used to defend saturated fat is flawed because the replacement diet included margarine with trans fats, which are even worse for your heart.

Meta-analyses claiming saturated fat is harmless often include poor-quality old studies, a "garbage in, garbage out" problem that invalidates their conclusions.

The 2020 Cochrane review, which only includes high-quality studies, found that reducing saturated fat leads to a 17% relative risk reduction for cardiovascular events.