Work

Food Sources of Saturated Fat and the Association With Mortality: A Meta-Analysis

Year: 2013

Type: review

Study designs: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis

Abstract: We summarized the data related to foods high in saturated fat and risk of mortality. We searched Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and ProQuest for studies from January 1952 to May 2012. We identified 26 publications with individual dietary data and all-cause, total cancer, or cardiovascular mortality as endpoints. Pooled relative risk estimates demonstrated that high intakes of milk, cheese, yogurt, and butter were not associated with a significantly increased risk of mortality compared with low intakes. High intakes of meat and processed meat were significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality but were associated with a decreased risk in a subanalysis of Asian studies. The overall quality of studies was variable. Associations varied by food group and population. This may be because of factors outside saturated fat content of individual foods. There is an ongoing need for improvement in assessment tools and methods that investigate food sources of saturated fat and mortality to inform dietary guidelines.

Source: American Journal of Public Health

DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2013.301492

Authors: Therese A. O’Sullivan, Katherine Hafekost, Francis Mitrou, David Lawrence

Institutions: Edith Cowan University, The Kids Research Institute Australia, The University of Western Australia

Language: English

Topic: Nutritional Studies and Diet

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: Dairy Innovation Australia Limited, National Health and Medical Research Council, National Medical Research Council