Aseem Malhotra

Observational cohort studies and randomized controlled trials do not show a clear association between saturated fat consumption and heart disease.

"what I looked at the data, and it was very clear there was no clear association with saturated fat consumption and heart disease. [...] Both observational data and randomized control trials, no benefit like in lowering it, no association, nothing." (said at 0:44:21)

The statement is accurate regarding prospective observational cohort studies and certain mortality outcomes in randomized controlled trials (RCTs), but requires qualification. Meta-analyses of prospective cohort studies find no clear independent association between total dietary saturated fat intake and all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, total coronary heart disease (CHD), or stroke. Similarly, long-term RCTs show no significant reduction in overall or cardiovascular mortality when reducing saturated fat. However, a Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis of long-term RCTs established that reducing dietary saturated fat intake produces a statistically significant 17% reduction in combined cardiovascular events, particularly when saturated fats are replaced by polyunsaturated fats.

• supports: Intake of saturated and trans unsaturated fatty acids and risk of all cause mortality, car… (BMJ (Clinical research ed.) 2015) · cited 1441x in the literature

  "Saturated fat intake was not associated with all cause mortality (relative risk 0.99, 95% confidence interval 0.91 to 1.09), CVD mortality (0.97, 0.84 to 1.12), total CHD (1.06, 0.95 to 1.17), ischemic stroke (1.02, 0.90 to 1.15), or type 2 diabetes (0.95, 0.88 to 1.03)." (abstract, results, passage verified)

  pubmedfull study (doi)
• partial: Reduction in saturated fat intake for cardiovascular disease. (The Cochrane database of systematic reviews 2020)

  "The included long-term trials suggested that reducing dietary saturated fat reduced the risk of combined cardiovascular events by 17% (risk ratio (RR) 0.83; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.70 to 0.98, 12 trials, 53,758 participants of whom 8% had a cardiovascular event, I² = 67%, GRADE moderate-quality evidence)." (abstract, results, passage verified)

  pubmedfull study (doi)