A Popular Myth About Fatty Foods Debunked
2- 18.08.2026, 12:51
- 1,540
Is cholesterol really that bad for you?
A high intake of fats, including cholesterol, does not increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. Researchers at Al-Faisal University (Saudi Arabia) reached this conclusion following a meta-analysis of 25 studies. The review was published in the journal Nutrients.
The researchers analyzed eight long-term studies and 17 papers in which the diets of people already diagnosed with pancreatic cancer were compared with those of healthy participants.
In the most reliable long-term studies, the researchers found no link between the amount of fat or cholesterol in the diet and the subsequent risk of developing tumors. However, in other types of studies, high cholesterol intake was found to be associated with an approximately 63% increased risk. Every additional 100 mg of cholesterol per day was associated with a 13% increase in risk.
However, the authors note that these results should be interpreted with caution: dietary intake in these studies was assessed after diagnosis, so the data may have been influenced by participants’ memory biases and changes in their diet due to the disease.
At the same time, the researchers did not find a significant overall association between dietary fat and pancreatic cancer in initially healthy individuals in any of the study types.
“In this context, the type of fat may be a more important factor than the amount. Unsaturated fats are found, for example, in fish, nuts, and vegetable oils; saturated fats are found in fatty meats and butter; and trans fats are found in some processed foods and fast food,” the scientists noted.
The authors emphasize that the available data are not yet sufficient to recommend reducing fat or cholesterol intake specifically for the prevention of pancreatic cancer.
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