Dietary Saturated Fats from Different Food Sources Show Variable Associations with the 2015 Healthy Eating Index in the Canadian Population

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background Although mostly food-based, the majority of dietary guidelines also recommend limiting the consumption of foods high in SFAs. Yet, the association between the consumption of SFAs from different food sources and overall diet quality remains uncertain. Objectives The objective of this study was to examine the associations between SFAs from various food sources and the 2015 Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015) as a proxy of overall diet quality. Methods The study sample included 11,106 respondents between 19 and 70 y of age from the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey. Dietary intakes as well as the HEI-2015 were calculated using data from a single 24-h recall. An HEI-2015 from which the SFA subscores were subtracted was also calculated. Low nutritive value foods were defined using Health Canada's 4-Tier system. Associations were investigated using multivariable linear regressions with restricted cubic splines. Results Major sources of SFAs in this population were low nutritive value foods [4.4% of total energy intake (%E)], dairy (2.7%E), and meat products (1.9%E). The associations between SFA consumption (total and from different food sources) and the HEI-2015 were generally inverse and nonlinear (P for the nonlinearity test <0.03 for all). Total SFA intake showed no association with the SFA-subtracted HEI-2015 (P = 0.29). SFAs from dairy tended to be associated with an increase in the SFA-subtracted HEI-2015 (P < 0.001). Removing the SFA subscore from the HEI-2015 did not materially modify its association with SFAs from meat. SFAs from low nutritive value foods remained significantly and inversely associated with the SFA-subtracted HEI-2015 (P < 0.001). Conclusions These cross-sectional data in Canadian adults suggest that intake of SFAs from low nutritive value foods, but not total SFA intake, is captured by an index of healthy eating that does not account for SFA intake.