Could meat and cheese be good for your heart?

HAMILTON, Ontario (KGO) -- Anyone who enjoys a good steak and a hunk of cheese is going to like this.

A new study claims the saturated fat in meat and dairy appears to "protect" the heart.

RELATED: Where's the beef? Alternative meat burger gets put to the test

Scientists at McMaster University in Canada studied some 220,000 adults.

The early death rates of people who ate 3 portions of dairy and 1.5 portions of meat a day were 25 percent lower than those who consumed less, the researchers found.

RELATED: 'Pure poison': Harvard professor issues warning about coconut oil

They also had 22 percent fewer heart attacks.

Scientists say the findings contradict decades of advice to cut down on full-fat dairy and red meat.