Saturated Fat Is Not The Enemy

Stephen D. Harrison
March 18, 2026
The medical profession driven by the American Heart Association has vilified saturated fat as something particularly ominous to avoid. This includes the actual very healthy fat found in coconut oil and grass-fed meat. The latest studies are quite convincing on this, but it will take medicine typically two generations to catch up with this. Autopsies meanwhile show that the polyunsaturated fatty acids in the seed oils are what is often found in vessels as opposed to saturated fat.
Indeed, those who have a higher ratio of polyunsaturated fat have a much higher incidents of heart disease and other circulation disease. The American Journal of clinical nutrition has looked at over 20 studies for over 20 years and found no evidence whatsoever that saturated fat increased the risk of heart disease or stroke. A major fast-food chain did not a meal happy when they stopped using beef tallow for French fries and replaced it with vegetable oil.
Meanwhile, there is a newly discovered saturated fatty acid that has been shown clearly to improve health outcomes. To be clear, this is a natural product and not something synthetic. It is known as C 15:0. This type of fat is far more common in whole food sources, including dairy products like whole milk. This helps to lessen inflammation. It helps to protect against diabetes. In addition, it helps to boost brain health. It is also protecting of the heart.
Natural sources of this C 15:0 include grass fed butter, Gouda cheese, grass fed hard cheeses, and heavy cream. Lesser amounts are found in yogurt and lamb, grass fed beef, and bison, whole milk, fatty fish, etc. Again, keep in mind that cooking in the proper oil can keep a healthy food even more healthy. A good supplement can now be found known as Pentadecanoic acid. It is important to have pure supplement that has been standardized with 100 to 500 mg per serving range.
Stephen D. Harrison, M.D.
Dr. Harrison is an experienced physician with decades of practice in family medicine and medical leadership. He shares insights on preventative health, nutrition, and evolving medical research.