More on Saturated Fats

I just read a nutritionist from Carmichael Systems (Lance’s coaching group) that was spouting off more industry jibberish about Saturated fats being bad

Here is more on the subject:

WHY SATURATED FAT IS GOOD FOR YOU

Although we don’t normally consider saturated fat as an essential nutrient, it is just as essential to good health as the essential polyunsaturated fatty acids. We need saturated fat for proper digestive function, growth, and a host of other processes. In fact, saturated fat is an essential component of every single cell in our bodies. It is so important to proper function and good health that nature has incorporated saturated fat into almost all of the foods we eat both of animal and plant origin. Even the so-called polyunsaturated oils like safflower oil, corn oil, and even flaxseed oil contain saturated fat. The World Health Organization and even the American Heart Association recommends that we get saturated fat in our diet to maintain optimal health. This type of information is usually ignored because saturated fat is considered a health hoodlum lurking in our food just to cause problems, and the less we eat the better. But this is simply not true. Nature doesn’t put saturated fat in vegetables, mother’s milk, and other foods for kicks. It’s there for a reason.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), two international committees, recommend a polyunsaturated to saturated fat ratio (P:S) of 0.6:1.0. Or almost twice as much saturated fat as polyunsaturated fat in the diet. The membrane of our cells preferentially chooses saturated and monounsaturated fat for incorporation into its structure. Only in a few specialized structures are the polyunsaturated fats preferentially selected over saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids.

Saturated fat has been tagged a dietary monster, sneaking into our foods to cause untold health problems. Isn’t it interesting that saturated fat has been a staple part of the human diet for thousands of years and yet only recently has it turned bad, or so they say. In reality, saturated fat isn’t as bad as it has been portrayed; most of this negative publicity is profit motivated.

Cholesterol and saturated fat have been tagged as the biggest dietary villains of all time. Scientists are now discovering that cholesterol is not as bad as it has been made out to be. It is, in fact, vital to good health. Cholesterol is so important to the basic operations of life that without it, every cell in our body would become dead masses of fat and protein. Cholesterol is found in all body tissues and comprises an integral part of the cell membrane. Nine-tenths of all the body’s cholesterol is located in the external and internal membranes of cells. It is essential in the production of nerve and brain tissue. It is used by the body to make bile acids necessary for digestion of fats and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K). Our bodies transform cholesterol into a variety of important hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, cortisol, and others. Simply put, without cholesterol we would be dead.

As knowledge of dietary cholesterol has increased, its status as a troublemaker has fallen. As a result, more heat has been placed on saturated fat, which is now considered a much more serious problem. According to the cholesterol theory, coronary artery disease is caused by cholesterol buildup in arteries, so why is saturated fat condemned? Saturated fat is attacked because our bodies can turn it into cholesterol. We get more cholesterol from saturated fat than we do from the cholesterol in our food. But this native cholesterol, which is made by our liver, is the naterial used to build healthy cells and is not the “oxidized” or damaged cholesterol that finds its way inside artery walls. So eating saturated fat contributes little, if anything, to the development of atherosclerosis and heart disease. Since ordinary cholesterol is not a factor in the development of heart disease, saturated fat, likewise, is not the problem it is made out to be.

History has proven this fact. Our ancestors lived on a diet rich in grease, lard, and butter. Those were the only oils they ever used. It wasn’t until the 20th century that vegetable oils became widely available. Use of oils rich in saturated fat have declined over time while vegetable oils have skyrocketed. Along with the greater use of vegetable oil and the decreased use of saturated fat has come a plague of degenerative diseases that the world has never known before. To blame cholesterol and saturated fat for the heart disease, cancer, and other degenerative diseases does not fit the facts and is inconsistent with the historical record.

There have been many studies that demonstrate that saturated fat is not nearly as bad as it has been made out to be. If saturated fat consumption caused heart disease then eliminating it from the diet would prevent the illness. The Lancet reported a study of 2,000 men who went on a low saturated fat diet to see how that would affect cardiovascular health. The study found that those participants who went on diets low in saturated fat didn’t experience any reduction in heart attack death risk over a two year period. If eliminating saturated fat didn’t stop heart disease from developing, it is logical to assume there is another cause.

Researchers have shown in animal studies that saturated fatty acids actually help to prevent stroke rather than cause it. In particular, Dr. Yamori reported decreased stroke incidence among rats fed a high-fat, high cholesterol diet. In addition, Dr. Ikeda demonstrated a decreased stroke risk among rats fed a diet high in milk fat.

Two ecological studies in the 1980s from Japan found correlations between increased fat intake and decreased death from ischemic stroke in humans. In another cohort study of Japanese men living in Hawaii, intake of both total fat and saturated fat was inversely associated with all stroke mortality, after adjustment for multiple risk factors. These studies were generally ignored because they were contrary to the prevailing belief that saturated fat promotes ischemic stroke rather than protects us from it.

On December 24, 1997, headlines around the world proclaimed that saturated fat lowers rate of strokes. This pronouncement came after the publication of a 20-year study performed by Dr. Matthew Gillman and coleagues at Harvard Medical School and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study involved 832 men aged 45 through 65 years of age who were initially free of cardiovascular disease. The results of the study raised howls of protest from health experts who had spent years telling us to eat less saturated fat. Yet many researchers familiar with fat metabolism and cardiovascular disease were not surprised at the results of this study.

The pupose of the Harvard study was to examine the association of stroke incidence with intake of fat and type of fat during 20 years of follow-up among middle-aged men participating in the Framingham Heart Study. In conformity with other studies performed in Japan, intakes of saturated fat were associated with reduced risk of ischemic stroke in men. The study also showed that the highest incidence of stroke was associated with the most polyunsaturated fat consumption.

When you take into account the above facts saturated fat becomes a relatively harmless food if eaten in moderation. In some cases it can even promote better health.

Much of the chemical properties of fats are determined by their molecular size. Individual fat molecules are called fatty acids. Small fat molecules (or fatty acids) have a different effect on us than larger ones. The smaller molecules are referred to as medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA). The larger as long-chain fatty acids. Researchers have discovered a multitude of health benefits associated with the medium-chain saturated fatty acids. Unfortunately these fatty acids are relatively rare in the foods we eat. The richest source of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) is found in coconut oil. For this reason, coconut oil has been emerging as the premier dietary oil.

Some of the main benefits researchers have discovered from the fatty acids in coconut oil are described below:

Digestion

Most all fats in our diet are absorbed directly into the blood stream where they are distributed throughout the body. MCFA, however, are not. Because of their small size digestive enzymes are not necessary to break them down and they are transported directly to the liver where they are, for the most part, burned as fuel much like a carbohydrate. In this respect they act more like carbohydrates than they do fats.

Because of the ease of digestion, coconut oil has been a lifesaver for many people. It is used medicinally in special food preparations for those who suffer digestive disorders and have trouble digesting fats. For the same reason, it is also used in infant formula for the treatment of malnutrition. Since it is rapidly absorbed, it can deliver quick nourishment without putting excessive strain on the digestive and enzyme systems, and helps conserve the body’s energy that would normally be expended in digesting other fats. Coconut oil is one of the major ingredients in most infant formulas commonly used today.

MCFA can also improve the absorption of other nutrients. The absorption of calcium and magnesium and also amino acids has been found to increase when infants are fed a diet containing coconut oil. Coconut oil has been used to enhance absorption and retention of calcium and magnesium when a deficiency of these minerals exist. This is especially true in the case of rickets which involves a vitamin D deficiency and the demineralization of the bones. For those who are concerned about developing osteoporosis as they get older, coconut oil may be useful in helping to slow down this degenerative process by improving mineral absorption.

Weight Reduction

One of the remarkable things about coconut oil is that it can help you lose weight. Yes, there is a dietary fat that can actually help you take off unwanted pounds. That fat is coconut oil. Coconut oil can quite literally be called the world’s only low-fat fat.

Unlike other fats, MCFA in coconut oil are converted to energy rather than packed on the body as fat tissues. So when you eat coconut oil it provides energy, much like a carbohydrate, and does not contribute to body fat.

Coconut oil also has fewer calories than any other fat. Because of the small size of MCFA, coconut oil supplies slightly fewer calories than other fats. Coconut Oil is truly a low-fat fat.

The most remarkable effect coconut oil has in regards to weight loss is that it stimulates the metabolism. The faster the metabolism the more calories are burned and the less calories available to be converted into body fat. By eating coconut oil you rev up your metabolism and thus burn more calories. You can eat more and weigh less.

Cardiovascular Health

All of the criticism that has been aimed at coconut oil is based solely on the fact that it is primarily a saturated fat and saturated fat is known to increase blood cholesterol. No legitimate research, however, has ever demonstrated any proof that coconut oil consumption raises blood cholesterol levels.

The MCFA of coconut oil are burned almost immediately for energy production and so are not converted into cholesterol and do not affect blood cholesterol levels. Numerous studies have demonstrated that coconut oil has a neutral effect on cholesterol levels.

An even more important factor in relation to cardiovascular health is the blood’s tendency to form clots. Special proteins in the blood called platelets cause clotting when they become sticky. Numerous studies have demonstrated that all dietary fats — beef fat, lard, butter, vegetable oil, and even canola and olive oils — promote platelet stickiness. The more you eat, the stickier the blood gets, and the greater the risk of developing blood clots. The omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in fish oil, are an exception. They have the opposite effect on blood platelets. This is the main reason why they have been recommended for those at risk of heart disease. Too much, however, which is easy to do with dietary supplements, can interfere with normal blood clotting, and that can be just as dangerous. When this happens, blood vessels weaken and can rupture with the slightest degree of stress. Twenty-five percent of all strokes are caused by excessive bleeding within the brain.

Another group of fats that don’t promote platelet stickiness are the MCFA. These fats are burned up immediately after consumption and, therefore, do not affect platelet stickiness either one way or the other. Of all the dietary fats, MCFA are the most benign.

People who traditionally consume large quantities of coconut oil as apart of their ordinary diet have a very low incidence of heart disease and have normal blood cholesterol levels. This has been well supported by epidemiological observations recorded in many studies. Those populations who consume large quantities of coconut oil have remarkably good cardiovascular health. Absent are the heart attacks and strokes characteristic in Western countries. After analyzing all available studies and reviewing epidemiological evidence, author and coconut researcher, P.K. Thampan, concludes that there is absolutely no correlation between coconut oil consumption and heart disease. If anything, coconut oil consumption is heart healthy.

The native populations of the Polynesian islands are high coconut consumers and derive most of their energy from coconut. In a study of the native populations of two islands, Pukapuka and Tokelau, it was observed that the male population of the two groups 35.2 percent and 55.7 percent, respectively, of their energy requirements mostly from coconut. In both groups, the female population had a comparatively high intake of fat calories. The levels of blood cholesterol among the Pukapukans were low, ranging from 170 mg/dl to 176 mg/dl, despit a high fat intake. Among the Tokelauans, whose fat intake was higher than that of the Pukapukans, the blood cholesterol levels were somewhat higher ranging between 208 mg/dl and 216 mg/dl. The prevalence of coronary heart disease among the two populations covered in the study was extremely low and has remained low.

In Sri Lanka coconut has been the chief source of fat in the diet for thousands of years. The average consumption in the island country has been reported to be 90 coconuts per capita annually. When the consumption of coconut oil is also taken into consideration, the total consumption in terms of coconut is 120 annually. Their heart disease rate is far lower than that of noncoconut-eating populations.

In the state of Kerala, in India, where large quantities of coconuts and coconut oil have traditionally been consumed, an average 2.3 out of 1,000 people suffered from coronary heart disease in 1979. A campaign against the use of coconut oils on the grounds that it is an “unhealthy” saturated fat decreased coconut oil consumption during the 1980s. Vegetable oils replaced it in household use. As a result, the heart disease rate shot up to 7 per 1,000 people by 1993. By substituting vegetable oils for coconut oil, the heart disease rate tripled! In Delhi where the consumption of coconut products is negligible, 10 out of 1,000 people had heart disease in the same time period. In Western countries where vegetable oil is the main source of fat, heart disease accounts for nearly half of all deaths. It seems that if you want to protect yourself from heart disease, you should replace your polyunsaturated vegetable oils with coconut oil.

Immune System Support

One of the unique characteristics of coconut oil is its antimicrobial properties. Coconut oil is, in essence, a natural antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal food. Coconuts grow in warm tropical climates where bacteria and other organisms live in abundance. Coconuts have developed a natural resistance to this swarm of potentially harmful microorganisms by using nature’s own antimicrobial defense force — medium-chain fatty acids.

Human breast milk and the milk of other mammals also contain MCFA. These fatty acids protect the newborn baby from harmful germs at its most vulnerable time in life while its immune system is still developing. Another reason coconut oil is added to infant formula is that it helps protect them from infections.

MCFA strengthens and supports the immune system. The antimicrobial and antiparasitic properties of the MCFA aid in reducing the stress that would otherwise be placed on the immune system. The immune system wages a constant battle with disease causing microorganisms. Coconut oil provides artillery to help fight these invading organisms, thus reducing stress on the immune system which allows the immune system to function more efficiently. Studies with coconut oil have shown it to improve immune response to pathogenic bacteria. Coconut oil is ideal for immune supressed individuals. Oil researcher, Dr. Mary Enig, has proposed giving coconut and palm kernel oils to AIDS patients to help protect them against infections.

(C) Copyright 1999 Piccadilly Books, Ltd. All rights reserved.

Saturated Fats Good?

In the late 80’s upon the loss of my parents I was convinced it was the food they/we ate. Just like Steve Martin in the Jerk screamed at the oil cans…”he hates the cans” as the sniper fired on….I fired at fat and believed the low fat myth because it was all based on flawed science. Low fat is actually quite good for the 1/3 of people who are carb nutritional types (not me). Unfortunately it wasn’t very good for me and it cause my hair to dry, nails to crack and appearance to look gaunt (who knows what was happening inside!).

My passion for nutritional study eventually realized that fat was not the evil it was being made out to be (after telling a trainer of mine who told me to take a spoon of olive oil a day…he was the devil). Yes… there are some vitamins (like, A E D K) critical to bone, skin formation that MUST HAVE FAT to be synthesized.

HOWEVER, part of the low fat myth persists today as it relates to saturated fat. We fundamentally believe it will increase our risk of heart attacks - clogging arteries faster than crisco in a kitchen sink. In 2002 the “expert” Food & Nutrition Board gave the following misguided statement: “Saturated fats and dietary cholesterol have no known beneficial role in preventing chronic disease and are not required at any level in the diet.”

This is myth rather than fact and it has been harming our health for the last 30 or 40 years. This confusion stems from the fact that our body is capable of synthesizing saturated fats that it needs from carbohydrates, and these saturated fats are principally the same ones present in dietary fats of animal origin. HOWEVER, not all saturated fatty acids are the same. There are subtle differences that have profound health implications, and avoiding ALL saturated fats has health consequences. There are in fact more than a dozen different types of saturated fats yet we predominantly consume only three: stearic acid, palmitic acid and lauric acid.

It’s already been well established that stearic acid (found in cocoa and animal fat) has zero effect on your cholesterol levels, and actually gets converted in your liver into the monounsaturated fat called oleic acid (what we need to effectively make hormones in our body). The other two, palmitic and lauric acid, do raise total cholesterol. However, since they raise “good” cholesterol as much or more than “bad” cholesterol, you’re still actually lowering your risk of heart disease. What does this say? Eating dietary cholesterol has absolutely NO EFFECT on your cholesterol level!

WHY DO WE NEED SATURATED FATS?

Saturated fats from animal and vegetable sources provide a concentrated source of energy in your diet, and they provide the building blocks for cell membranes and a variety of hormones and hormone like substances. When you eat fats as part of your meal, they slow down absorption so that you can go longer without feeling hungry. In addition, they act as carriers for important fat-soluble vitamins. Dietary fats are also needed for the conversion of carotene to vitamin A, for mineral absorption, and for a host of other biological processes.

Saturated fats are useful because…

• The preferred fuel for your heart, and also used as a source of fuel during energy expenditure
• Useful antiviral agents (caprylic acid)
• Effective as an anticaries, antiplaque and anti fungal agents (lauric acid)
• Useful to actually lower cholesterol levels (palmitic and stearic acids)
• Modulators of genetic regulation and prevent cancer (butyric acid)

HOWEVER, there is some association between fat and heart disease. The problem lies in the fact that most studies make no effort to differentiate between saturated fat and trans fat. Trans fats are EVIL. These are the free radicals in food that actually CREATE INFLAMMATION! There is no secrete that heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and many other commonly occurring MAJOR diseases today are inflammatory diseases.Trans fat is known to increase your LDL levels, or “bad” cholesterol, while lowering your levels of HDL, known as “good” cholesterol, which, of course is the complete opposite of what you need in order to maintain good heart health. It can also cause major clogging of arteries, type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems. Unfortunately, many food companies STILL USE trans fat instead of oil because it reduces cost, extends storage life of products and can improve flavor and texture.

Your body needs some amount of saturated fat to stay healthy. It is virtually impossible to achieve a nutritionally adequate diet that has no saturated fat. What you don’t need, however, are trans fats. DO NOTE that the FDA seems to favor the manufacturers of food such that many food companies get around the labeling requirements for trans fats if it has less than 500 mg trans fat per serving; decreasing serving size to the point that the ratio of trans fat falls below 500 mg. So….AVOID products that have serving sizes that instantly demand you have too many to even get a taste!

For me…

Coconut Oil is the best saturated fat around. Never denatures when heated or held. Denatured oils and fats become trans fat like in that they promote an inflammatory response in the body. Eat up! With a little salt it tastes like butter!

Desire

Had someone remind me yesterday that…

If you are thinking about tomorrow, you are not happy with today (a desire for something more/different).  If you desire something more than what you have, be happy with what you have foremost.  Desire is like a merry-go-round, once you get on and achieve one location…you loop back around just having desire again…for something else beyond where you are now.  A wise practicioner at Canyon Ranch has told me they see this time and time again with the guests/patients (who are the top 1% of the income class); people with unbelieveable physical resources who constantly have an unfullfilled desire.

Desire for more money only creates desire for more once you get it.

Be present with what you have.  be grateful for what/who you are.

Cholesterol Strategies

Did you know that you need Cholesterol to process hormones.  In fact your body cannot produce hormones without this little essential element.  Fact two, your body produces some cholesterol (some more than others) yet you often do not get enough except by what you eat.

According to a new study from researchers at Texas A&M University involving 55 men and women between the ages of 60 and 69 who exercised three days a week for 12 weeks found a significant association between dietary cholesterol and change in strength. It was found that lower cholesterol levels reduced muscle gain that occurred with exercise, while those with higher cholesterol intake also had the highest gains in muscle strength.

So the researchers quoted: “Our findings show that the restricting of cholesterol — while in the process of exercising — appears to affect building muscle mass in a negative manner.”

The fact that your body naturally makes some cholesterol, and uses it for producing cell membranes, hormones, vitamin D, and the bile acids that help you digest fats, among many other things, it is a major clue that cholesterol is necessary and beneficial for your health.   So rather than focusing on how to get your cholesterol levels lower, focus on eating the right foods for your nutritional type while avoiding sugar and grains. (And by all means do not get caught up in the hype that you need to take dangerous statin cholesterol-lowering drugs!)

It seems to me that these researchers perhaps should study endocrinology 101.   I’ve read that weight training increases HDL and decreases LDL and triglycerides (or bad cholesterol).  Might exercise be a better approach than trying to reduce cholesterol levels with drugs?

Its within all of us

My yoga instructor is a subtle sage; I often will do about 1.5 hours of yoga before I meet her each week. She has an amazing way to put me in new positions by tricking my body into the pose, relaxing and going deeper. But beyond the asanas (poses) she is teaching me real yoga. Real yoga is realizing that asanas are a way to just get to a deeper state of being. We hold so much emotion, habits, ways of thinking in tissues that prop us up, hold us together. I began to describe a few experiences I’ve had were sage people offered insight that caused me to have new realizations. Kitty was brilliant in offering a very simple statement; “Lisa, its within you. The answers are all within us.” It was simple and pure. We don’t need to go looking for the doctor who can fix us. We don’t need to find the sage that tells us who we are. We find those answers within us, yet we can use people like Kitty to point them out; to create the awareness.

Zen Saying…

“Before I was enlightened, I chopped wood and carried water.   Now that I’m enlightened…I chop wood and carry water.”  This is to say that once you have created a special awareness of yourself, you do the same things but your mind body state is different.  The way you connect energetically with the world changes such that chopping wood and carrying water energizes you.

MBM

Mind body medicine is powerful (MBM).  A dear friend of mine just told me today that he has prostrate cancer.  Oddly, I sensed within him that something in his emotional state, his subconscious anxiety bore a sleeping giant.  In other words, I could see his mind state soon to affect his body state.  Energetically the mind has absolute control to heal and hurt the physical body.  When we are down our shoulders slump our body drags, we get sick we are constipated, etc.  When we are alive, happy and present our skin glows and people can read it.  When we are angry, sad, anxious…that energy good or bad has to concentrate somewhere.  I watched my mother 15 years ago kill her body with her emotional thoughts of wanting to be with my father.  The doctors gave her 6 months to live and she made it 4 days.  POWERFUL! Our mind has incredible power to HEAL before it destroys.  Understand your thoughts; keep them present, keep them real.  Our mind likes to wander in places that are not real; not present.

Silence Opened My Eyes

I recently purchased some art from a very neat website at etsy.  Its a great place for artist to self promote there work.  I would also say there is some great stuff on this site you will not find anywhere sitting in some kitchy store near you.  I actually purchased an ashtanga wrap bracelet and a Lotus Necklace; symbols (reminders really) of things I want to continue to grow in my life.  Even better was two small paintings from a New York artist.  One painting had an image with the words “Silence Opened My Eyes.”  Powerful.  I’m exploring meditation right now and personally experienced a bliss (euphoria really) on how the time in silence allows you to see things you can not see otherwise.  Its almost as if you begin to see using all your other senses.  It doesn’t happen instantly, but if you are aware in connecting yourself to an energetic force outside of yourself, you tap into a power that is so much bigger.  Try it sometime and open your eyes wider than you imagined.

Restorative

I engaged in a vision session with a client this past week. There is an amazing flowing creek on the property that attracts all kinds of wildlife. A designer suggested that we do restoration (the act of restoring). Then the landscape artist in the group said. “we should look at being restorative here,” (which is the power to restore). Brilliant! This is basically granting the power to the self or nature to restore itself rather than making it an exogenous force (where man fixes nature). Like nature we are not static object but fluid dynamic beings. I like to think that the things I do, my thoughts, and the elements I eat as empowering me to restore; being fully nad completely restorative;

Opening Reception

I’ve up the ante on blogging for me. I’m officially moving over to word press and a greater level of sophistication. Its the slicker newer me with its official web address, so welcome. This blog will really be about my journey; marked by discovery and change. I intend to observe the world around me with unfettered sight. I will write about core lessons in my experience. This will mostly focus on ways I have made life more poignant, rich and therefore fun for myself.