Should animal fats be back on the table? A critical review of the human health effects of animal fat

Abstract

Humans hunt or raise a wide variety of animals for meat, which vary from free-range to intensively reared. These animals form a valuable part of human nutrition. Their tissues, including the fat, contain vitamin and other essential nutrients necessary for health. However, animal fat from ruminants and other land mammals is usually regarded as saturated. The purpose of this review is partly to examine the basis for the saturated fat hypothesis of cardiovascular disease given more recent research, to examine the human health effects of animal fats, and partly to draw into one place the diverse knowledge about animal fat and the effects of fat on metabolism. Mechanistic understanding of the initiation of the fatty streak and atherosclerosis calls into question the avoidance of ruminant or porcine fat. Due to high levels of oleic acid, a low n-6 : n-3 fatty acid ratio in some groups, and the presence of specific micronutrients including vitamins and essential fatty acids, animal fats are of benefit in human nutrition. Animal fats can be obtained in minimally processed form making them a convenient source of energy and micronutrients.