BUTTERING UP

Saturated Fat Not So Dangerous

Doesn't increase heart-attack risks.

A new study suggests that fretting over the oft-maligned saturated fats may not be doing much good for your heart. Findings published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine show that saturated fats do not increase the risk for heart attacks or other cardiac events. Nor did researchers find any benefit from consuming polyunsaturated fats, such as the fish oil supplements that are often promoted as health measures. The work is part of a shift in nutritional guidelines questioning whether fat is inherently bad for you and whether certain kinds of fats are better or worse. Still, the study did find a link between trans fats—the hydrogenated oil added to many processed foods—and heart disease.