One type of food eaten by millions of Brits could be causing lasting damage to peoples' hearts and bodies - even if it’s not causing weight gain, scientists have warned.
New research has shown that eating a diet rich in saturated fat could significantly increase the risk of potentially deadly diseases, although participants seemed healthy on the outside.
The study, which was funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in London this year, found that people regularly eating saturated fats had higher levels of fat in the liver and higher cholesterol levels after just 24 days.
Saturated fats are in many commonly enjoyed foods such as butter, fatty meats, cakes, pastries and biscuits. As part of the study, 24 participants were asked to follow a diet high in either saturated fat or polyunsaturated fat for up to 24 days, the BHF explained.