**Possible Changes Ahead for U.S. Dietary Guidelines: A Shift on Saturated Fat?**
Changes may be coming to the U.S. dietary guidelines. If recent comments from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are any indication, Americans could see a significant shift regarding saturated fat recommendations.
In July, Kennedy spoke at a meeting of the National Governors Association, stating that new guidelines would be “common sense” and emphasize the need to eat saturated fats, dairy, good meat, and fresh vegetables. He criticized previous guidelines that promoted low-fat dairy over full-fat versions as “antiquated.” Kennedy has also expressed support for fast-food chains that switched their fryers from vegetable oil to beef tallow—a fat that is 50% saturated fat.
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### What Is Saturated Fat?
Saturated fats include butter, lard, and shortening. They are typically solid at room temperature and naturally occur in beef, pork, poultry, full-fat dairy products, eggs, as well as in coconut and palm oils. Saturated fats are also frequently added to processed foods like savory snacks, desserts, and prepared meals.
In contrast, polyunsaturated fats are typically liquid at room temperature and come mainly in the form of oils. Examples include canola, corn, soybean, and sunflower oils. Oily fish such as anchovies, herring, salmon, sardines, and striped bass, along with some nuts, seeds, soybeans, and tofu, are also rich in polyunsaturated fats.
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### Current Dietary Guidelines and Scientific Consensus
For the past 45 years, federal dietary guidelines have recommended that Americans limit their intake of saturated fat due to its link with increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Agriculture Department update these guidelines every five years. The upcoming 2025 update has not yet been released.
The guidelines typically rely on an expert advisory committee that spends two years reviewing the latest scientific research before publishing a detailed report. The current advisory committee released its report nearly a year ago, endorsing the existing recommendation: Americans should limit saturated fat intake to less than 10% of daily calories starting at age 2, replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats—particularly polyunsaturated fats from plant-based sources.
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### Possible Shift in 2025 Guidelines?
Secretary Kennedy’s recent comments suggest that the Agriculture and HHS departments might diverge from the expert committee’s advice in the 2025 dietary guidelines, according to Eric Rimm, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
“We all are waiting to read it,” Rimm said.
HHS press secretary Emily Hilliard stated via email, “Secretary Kennedy is committed to new dietary recommendations that are rooted in rigorous science. The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans will be a big part of the Trump Administration’s commitment to Make America Healthy Again.”
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### Saturated Fat: Health Impact and Research Findings
Extensive research reviewed by the dietary guidelines advisory committee includes randomized controlled trials and long-term observational studies following thousands of individuals.
“The research is pretty clear,” said epidemiologist Cheryl Anderson, a committee member and dean of the University of California San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science. Data over decades show that consuming saturated fat raises LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels, contributing to cardiovascular disease.
LDL cholesterol, often called “bad cholesterol,” can combine with fats and other substances to form plaque—a thick, hard substance that builds up inside blood vessels, restricting blood flow.
“If you obstruct blood flow to a heart, you have a heart attack. If you obstruct blood flow to the brain, you have a stroke,” explained Dr. Clyde Yancy, chief of cardiology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
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### Key Committee Findings with Strong Evidence
– Replacing butter with plant-based oils and spreads rich in unsaturated fats decreases LDL cholesterol levels.
– Substituting whole grains, vegetables, or plant proteins for red meat lowers cardiovascular disease risk.
– Replacing oils high in saturated fats with vegetable oils higher in unsaturated fats reduces LDL cholesterol.
– Substituting white meat for red meat shows no significant difference in cardiovascular disease risk.
– Research on dairy milk, cheese, and yogurt and their impact on cardiovascular health remains limited. Until more definitive data is available, the committee recommends continuing to promote fat-free or low-fat dairy products.
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### How to Reduce Saturated Fat Intake
Reducing consumption of saturated fats is important for both adults and children, except infants who require higher fat for growth.
“You start putting fatty deposits in the lining of your blood vessels in childhood,” said Dr. Mark Corkins, chair of the nutrition committee at the American Academy of Pediatrics. “We might not see coronary artery disease until middle age or later, but that’s when it starts.”
Nutrition experts recommend focusing on eating whole foods rather than fixating on individual nutrients.
“It’s best to think about changing your entire diet: eating more fruits and vegetables, eating less processed meat, and, if eating red meat, reducing portion sizes,” Rimm advised.
The committee also recommends getting less protein from meat sources and replacing saturated fats with healthier fats like olive oil, which contains mostly monounsaturated fats.
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### Controversy Over Seed Oils
Vegetable oils high in polyunsaturated fats—such as corn, canola, and soybean oils—have recently faced criticism on social media, including from Kennedy, who posted that Americans are being “unknowingly poisoned” by seed oils.
“This is really baffling to scientists,” said Kristina Petersen, an associate professor of nutritional science at Penn State who studies diet and cardiovascular risk. The extensive body of research shows that consuming seed oils is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. “There is no evidence to support that they are harmful,” she emphasized.
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### Recommended Healthy Diets
Dr. Yancy highlighted several diets with “irrefutably beneficial” evidence: the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), and the MIND diet — a combination of the two.
When the government releases the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Yancy encourages everyone “to become more self-aware of what a healthy lifestyle means, seek conversations with trusted health care professionals, and find guidance grounded in truth.”
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**In Summary:** While new U.S. dietary guidelines may signal a change in the approach to saturated fat, current science supports limiting saturated fat intake and replacing it with healthier unsaturated fats, particularly from plant sources. As research continues and new guidelines emerge, focusing on a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats remains key to cardiovascular health.
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/science-says-saturated-fats-rfk-jrs-comments-rcna238933
