To keep heart disease in check, WHO says 'eat less fat'

For years we were told to cut down on butter and full cream milk... Then experts said they were healthy.

In new explicit advice, the first since 2002, the World Health Organisation has weighed in.

They say adults and children should consume a maximum of 10 percent of their daily calories in the form of saturated fat such as meat and butter and one percent from trans fats, to maintain a healthy heart.

Dr Francesco Branca, director of WHO's Department of Nutrition for Health and Development said: "Dietary saturated fatty acids and trans-fatty acids are of particular concern because high levels of intake are correlated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases."

Trans fats occur naturally in meat and dairy products. But the predominant source for modern humans is contained in foods like fries and doughnuts, snacks, and partially hydrogenated cooking oils and fats often used by restaurants and street vendors.

WHO said that excessive amounts of saturated fat and trans fat should be replaced by polyunsaturated fats, such as fish, canola and olive oils.

Does this mean we need to drastically reduce the amount of dairy we consume?

Not necessarily: Your daily recommended amount of fat could be found in 50 grams of butter, 130-150 grams of cheese with 30 percent fat, a litre of full fat milk, or in 50 grams of palm oil.

An active adult needs about 2,500 calories per day, Branca said.

"So we are talking about 250 calories coming from saturated fat and that is approximately a bit less than 30 grams of saturated fat," he said.

So, you might want to quit those doughnuts, but you should be able to continue to have butter on your toast every day.