Excessive consumption of saturated fat could raise health risks: study

High levels of saturated fat in the blood could make an individual more prone to inflammation and tissue damage, according to a new study published Thursday by the Imperial College London (ICL).

Researchers from ICL studied mice that have an unusually high level of saturated fat circulating in their blood. They find that the presence of saturated fats resulted in monocytes -- a type of white blood cell -- migrating into the tissues of vital organs.

The researchers believe that the newly arrived monocytes could worsen tissue damage because they may exacerbate ongoing or underlying inflammation, but this aspect is still under study.

"The mice we studied were treated with a drug that caused them to accumulate extremely high levels of fat in their blood. Although it is unusual, humans do sometimes have measurements approaching those levels, either from an inherited condition, or through eating fatty foods," said Dr Kevin Woollard, who led the study.

Modern lifestyles seem to go hand-in-hand with high levels of fat in the blood. This fat comes from the food and drink that people consume daily.

"We think that maintaining a relatively high concentration of saturated fats for example by constantly snacking on cakes, biscuits, and pastries could be causing monocytes to migrate out of the blood and into surrounding tissues," Woollard added. Endit