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Two kinds of industrially processed onerous fat, extensively utilized in on a regular basis meals similar to bakery merchandise, margarines and spreads, are unlikely to have an effect on coronary heart well being when consumed in ranges achievable in most individuals’s diets.
The examine, led by researchers at King’s School London and Maastricht College and printed within the American Journal of Scientific Vitamin, investigated the well being results of interesterified (IE) fat that are wealthy in both palmitic acid (from palm oil) or stearic acid (from different plant fat).
These fat are sometimes utilized by the meals trade as alternate options to different onerous fat, together with trans fat and animal fat, which have recognized dangers to coronary heart well being.
Within the trial, forty-seven wholesome adults took half in a double-blind randomized crossover trial, which means neither the contributors nor the researchers knew which kind of fats was being examined through the examine interval. Every particular person adopted two completely different diets for six weeks every, which included muffins and spreads made with both palmitic acid-rich fat or stearic acid-rich fat, offering round 10% of their every day power consumption.
Researchers assessed a complete set of cardiometabolic well being markers, together with ldl cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin sensitivity, liver fats, irritation, and blood vessel operate.
The findings confirmed no important variations between the 2 fat in blood ldl cholesterol or triglyceride profiles, together with the ratio of complete to HDL ldl cholesterol, a key indicator of cardiovascular danger.
The examine additionally discovered no opposed results on irritation, insulin resistance, liver fats or vascular operate.
“With the current demonization of everything processed, this research highlights that not all food processing is bad for us,” mentioned Professor Sarah Berry, senior writer and Professor of Dietary Sciences at King’s School London.
“The process of interesterification allows the generation of hard fats in place of harmful trans fats, while also enabling manufacturers to reduce the saturated fat content of spreads and foods. Given the widespread use of the process of interesterification of fats and the fearmongering around food processing, this research is timely.”
The outcomes counsel that each palmitic acid and stearic acid-rich interesterified fat, when consumed in possible quantities, don’t improve short-term danger elements for coronary heart illness.
“Our findings provide reassuring evidence that industrially processed fats currently used in everyday foods, whether rich in palmitic or stearic acid, are unlikely to have harmful effects on cardiovascular health when consumed in amounts that people could achieve in their everyday diets,” mentioned Professor Wendy Corridor, lead writer and Professor of Dietary Sciences at King’s School London.
“This is important given the widespread use of these fats in processed foods such as margarines, pastries, and confectionery.”
Whereas the trial lasted six weeks, which is enough to detect significant adjustments in ldl cholesterol and different cardiovascular danger elements, additional research are wanted to guage longer-term results.
The examine was a collaboration between King’s School London and Maastricht College.
Extra data:
Wendy L Corridor et al, The results of consumption of interesterified fat wealthy in palmitic acid in contrast with stearic acid on middleman markers of cardiometabolic illness danger: a randomized managed trial in wholesome adults, The American Journal of Scientific Vitamin (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2025.09.025
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Processed fat in margarines and spreads present no hurt to coronary heart well being (2025, October 17)
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