While President Donald Trump has been finalizing peace deals and trolling “No Kings” demonstrators, his team has been hard at work carrying out other critical aspects of his second-term agenda.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is pushing forward with his Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) objectives. There are plans to significantly alter U.S. dietary guidelines, shifting the emphasis toward whole foods and encouraging a higher intake of saturated fats, such as butter, cheese, and red meat.
Kennedy has argued that Americans need more trans and saturated fats, not less, saying foods like butter, cheese, milk and red meat have been unfairly demonized for decades. The updated guidance could be released as soon as this month.Kennedy has long argued that refined carbohydrates and ultraprocessed foods are the main culprits of an unhealthy diet and that they have largely been ignored in conversations surrounding obesity and inflammation.Currently, U.S. dietary guidelines, which are updated every five years, suggest Americans limit saturated fats to 10 percent of their daily calorie intake. However, the American Heart Association advises keeping that intake under 6 percent.
Of course, establishment “experts” and their media minions are already demonizing this proposal, despite the fact that Americans were far less obese when steak and butter were regularly on the menu. A classic example is from NPR:
If he follows through on this promise, it will cause “substantial chaos,” says Kevin Klatt, a nutrition research scientist at the University of California, Berkeley.Many people still think of the dietary guidelines as synonymous with the food pyramid, which was phased out more than a decade ago in favor of a new graphic called “MyPlate.” In reality, they function primarily as a policy document.
I have long asserted that food science is the most unsettled science of them all. I noted how the sugar industry actually poisoned food science, so that fats were falsely identified as being the cause of many health problems. Red meat is healthier than “settled science” suggests.
The smear against eggs and their impact on cholesterol was bogus. As a reminder of what occurred 10 years ago:
The nation’s top nutrition advisory panel has decided to drop its caution about eating cholesterol-laden food, a move that could undo almost 40 years of government warnings about its consumption.The group’s finding that cholesterol in the diet need no longer be considered a “nutrient of concern” stands in contrast to the committee’s findings five years ago, the last time it convened. During those proceedings, as in previous years, the panel deemed the issue of excess cholesterol in the American diet a public health concern.
Let’s take a look at what recent studies have to say about saturated fat, without the clutter of politics or paid science hacks.
A University of Minnesota study, reviewing data collected from 3,000 participants and published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that very long-chain saturated fatty acids (found in nuts and dairy) may slow cognitive decline over a 20-year period. These particular saturated fats performed similarly to Omega-3 fatty acids in maintaining brain function, suggesting they play a protective role in neurological aging.
The research data was based on the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) Study, in which participants were followed for over 20 years. Each participant provided blood samples at the study baseline to monitor different types of fatty acids, which was used to correlate mid-life fatty acids in blood with changes in cognitive function over time.“Usually people think that saturated fatty acids are bad for your health,” Dr. Li said. “That’s why people avoid fats and have concerns about saturated fatty acids, but our study actually shows that those very long-chain saturated fatty acids are good for cognitive function.”Dr. Li says saturated fatty acids are very abundant in the body and work as building blocks for cell membranes and energy sources.
A 2025 meta-analysis in the Japan Medical Association Journal concluded that reducing saturated fat intake does not significantly decrease cardiovascular disease or mortality risk. The review of nine major trials that included data from over 13,000 participants indicated that blanket restrictions on saturated fats may not be justified without considering individual metabolic profiles and the types of replacement nutrients.
The study findings indicate that the evidence available from RCTs [Randomized Control Trials} does not support SFA [Saturated Fatty Acid] restriction for the prevention of CVDs. Specifically, regarding statin administration, only 1 RCT showed no significant difference in CVD [Cardiovascular Disease] events and LDL-C levels between the intervention and control groups. To maintain the recommendation for SFA reduction in CVD prevention and LDL-C level improvement, further clinical trials are needed to evaluate its effects alongside statin administration. In such trials, researchers should address the sex-related differences, which would address the knowledge gaps that have contributed to the controversies.
Finally, in 2025, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that full-fat and low-fat dairy consumption are neutrally associated with cardiovascular disease risk, meaning dairy fat may not harm heart health as once thought. Milk, yogurt, and cheese—regardless of fat content—showed no clear link with higher CVD rates. Furthermore, there could be adverse health consequences on the ability to take up fat-soluble vitamins if there is too much SFA reduction.
It is increasingly recognized that overall dietary patterns have a greater relevance to cardiovascular health than SFA intake alone [13,70]. Broad recommendations to reduce SFA intake may also result in a lower intake of key nutrients such as vitamin D, calcium, iodine, and vitamin B12 if implemented without appropriate replacement strategies.
As much as I love pyramids, I am very happy to see the toxic food pyramid topple.
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