Description

A common misperception is that all SFAs are alike in terms of their cardiovascular disease risk. However, research demonstrates that individual SFAs differ in their effects on blood cholesterol levels. In contrast to the predominant long-chain SFAs in the diet that raise blood total and LDL cholesterol levels (i.e., lauric, myristic, and palmitic acids), studies consistently show that stearic acid has a neutral effect on these lipid levels in humans. Less clear are the effects of stearic acid on thrombosis, inflammation, and blood pressure.¹ However, there is no evidence that intakes of stearic acid equal to or slightly higher than amounts typically consumed have any adverse effects on these cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Approximately one-third of the total SFAs in beef is stearic acid. When this is taken into account, the amount of potentially hypercholesterolemic fatty acids is similar for beef, chicken, and fish.⁷ Beef’s relatively high content of stearic acid may help to explain research findings indicating that lean beef is just as effective as chicken or fish in reducing blood total and LDL cholesterol levels in adults fed lowfat diets.^22-25

With increased understanding of the effects of dietary stearic acid on cardiovascular disease risk factors, future dietary recommendations and nutrition labels may be better defined to positively position this unique SFA with health professionals and ultimately the consumer. Separate consideration of stearic acid would place fewer restrictions on foods and allow for more flexibility in planning diets to reduce cardiovascular disease risk. Because there is no practical way to incorporate stearic acid’s neutral effect on blood lipid levels into dietary guidance, current dietary recommendations are for total SFAs without consideration of individual SFAs