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!
