Are Saturated Fats Bad For You?

Are saturated fats bad for you? Many doctors, nutritionists, weight-loss coaches, pharmaceutical companies, TV commercials and government sources advocate that saturated fats lead to chronic disease and early death.

But whale-blubber-loving Eskimos eat a diet comprised of 75 percent saturated fat. The Maasai in Kenya eat beef, drink cattle blood and lots of milk; two-thirds of this tribe’s traditional diet comes from saturated fat.

Neither the Inuit Eskimos nor the Maasai have developed heart disease or any other chronic health problems (as long as they don’t start eating Western-style junk food).

Yet, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Dietary Guidelines  recommend that the average U.S. adult consume no more than 10 percent of total calories in the form of saturated fat.

That amounts to, on average, 20 grams per day.

The American Heart Association recommends even less saturated fat: a total of seven percent of total calories. (Don’t think the AHA is serious about cutting out saturated fat? Check out their animated feature on their website.)

Why do some experts say “saturated fat is bad” if other societies thrive on it?

In the late 1950’s, the University of Minnesota’s Ancel Keys and other researchers conducted the so-called ‘Seven Countries’ study, which concluded that high levels of saturated fatty acids predicted higher rates of coronary heart disease.

It would seem that a half-century later, Keys’ study has left an indelible impression on modern medicine.

Critics of the study, including Dr. Neil W. Hirschenbein, of the La Jolla Institute of Comprehensive Medicine, allege that Keys’ study ignored data from 20 other countries that showed no correlation between saturated fat intake and heart disease.

“There is politics in everything, including medicine. When you’ve been teaching something for over 50 years, it’s hard to go back and say you’ve made a mistake,” Dr. Hirschenbein tells Mother Nature Network.

Hirschenbein adds, “A lot of the studies that comes out linking saturated fat to heart disease doesn’t control for the quality of saturated fat or important lifestyle factors. There is no distinction in the studies, for example, between very healthy, 100-percent grass-fed beef versus meat that is raised in ways we shouldn’t be eating that make the cows as fat as possible as quickly as possible, force-feeding them grains, and pumping the U.S. population with way too many inflammatory-inducing Omega-6 fatty acids (which is an unsaturated fat).”

Are there any medical studies that prove saturated fat doesn’t lead to heart disease?

An editorial, titled, “Saturated fat prevents coronary artery disease? An American paradox,” published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, concludes: “…a high-fat, high–saturated fat diet is associated with diminished coronary artery disease progression in women with the metabolic syndrome.”

One study of 347,747 subjects, also published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, concluded, “Intake of saturated fat was not associated with an increased risk of CHD (coronary heart disease), stroke, or cardiovascular disease (CVD).”

“The science that saturated fat alone causes heart disease is non-existent,” says Hirschenbein.

What about LDLs, the so-called ‘bad’ cholesterol. Doesn’t saturated fat raise LDL levels?

If so, Demetra Vagias, M.D., and a practicing Naturopathic Doctor, believes this is a good thing.

“HDL brings cholesterol back to the liver for recycling; LDL brings cholesterol back to the circulation for repairing tissues, so if LDL is up temporary in one of my patients, I tell them that they are in a healing mode,” says Vagias, who counsels her patients to eat a diet rich in saturated fat, especially raw dairy sources.

What are the benefits of saturated fats?

Among other benefits, saturated fats play a vital role in:

·         forming cell membrane walls

·         initiating the building blocks of hormones

·         carrying fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K)

·         converting carotene to Vitamin A

·         absorbing trace minerals

Should I go on an all bacon cheeseburger diet if saturated fats are not bad?
Not quite. But meat, dairy product and fat-lovers in general can take solace in a study of approximately 100,000 female nurses that observed no association between meat, dairy products, cholesterol, or fat intakes and the risk of pancreatic cancer; though the study does note that cooking methods and processed meats may be a contributor to pancreatic cancer.

Even Harvard’s School of Public Health now acknowledges that saturated fat isn’t the evil nutrient other sources claim it is. But the school does recommend “…cut[ting] back on red meat and dairy products, [and] replac[ing] them with foods that contain healthy fats—fatty fish like salmon, nuts and seeds, plant oils, avocadoes—not with foods that are high in refined carbohydrates.”

Coconut oil benefits

One tablespoon of coconut oil contains 12 grams of saturated fat. Nearly 60 percent of the 115 calories in one tablespoon comes from saturated fat. The remaining 40 percent is unsaturated fat. Coconut oil is 100 percent fat and lacks any vitamins or common minerals.

If you’ve been consuming coconut oil regularly, should you call your cardiologist?

Or, are there some healthy coconut oil benefits that aren’t readily apparent from reading the nutrition label on the jar? Is coconut oil harmful, harmlessly neutral, or healthy? Let’s take a look…

1. Coconut oil raises LDL cholesterol: Stop the presses! Isn’t LDL the ‘bad’ cholesterol? Some medical papers warn that tropical oils like coconut oil increase the body’s level of LDL, also known as low-density lipoprotein. But are higher LDL levels unequivocally a bad thing? Some research goes against popular conceptions. One smallstudy of non-exercisers who were put through a rigorous workout determined that those who gained the most muscle mass also had the highest levels of LDLs. At least one doctor commented on this study, suggesting that LDL cholesterol and muscle function has a direct correlation.

2. Coconut oil is high in saturated fat but won’t make you fat: Again, contrary to public opinion, the fact that coconut oil is high in saturated fat but is considered a health food by many might confound people. But not all fat is created equally; some forms are easily absorbed and utilized by the body (specifically medium and short-chain fats; coconut oil is medium chain). In other words, consuming non-hydrogenated (processed), natural forms of saturated fat will not make you fat, necessarily. One study published in the journal Lipids concluded, “It appears that dietetic supplementation with coconut oil does not cause dyslipidemia [high blood cholesterol levels] and seems to promote a reduction in abdominal obesity.”

3. Coconut oil increases HDL cholesterol: Similar to the popular notion that LDL cholesterol is ‘bad,’ HDL cholesterol is generally regarded as good. Although some researchers claim that cholesterol is cholesterol; it’s neither good nor bad, virtually every doctor encourages healthy HDL levels. Coconut oil was both vilified and lauded by Harvard School of Public Health’s, Walter Willett, M.D. Willett says in a Harvard Health Letter that coconut oil raises both LDL and HDL levels. “What's interesting about coconut oil is that it also gives ‘good’ HDL cholesterol a boost. Fat in the diet, whether it's saturated or unsaturated, tends to nudge HDL levels up, but coconut oil seems to be especially potent at doing so,” Willett concludes.

4. Coconut oil has anti-microbial properties: An abstract of a study in the Journal of Medicinal Food concluded: “It is noteworthy that coconut oil was active against species of Candida at 100 percent concentration compared to fluconazole. Coconut oil should be used in the treatment of fungal infections in view of emerging drug-resistant Candida species.”

A research paper on the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community website by Dr. Jon Kabara, professor emeritus at Michigan State, states that coconut oil was recognized for its “extraordinary health properties” 4,000 years ago by the Ayurveda medicinal community in ancient India. “The medium chain fatty acids and monoglycerides found primarily in [coconut oil has] miraculous healing power. It is rare in the history of medicine to find substances that have such useful properties and still be without toxicity or even harmful side effects.” (p.1)

5. Coconut oil may help prevent heart disease: The Coconut Research Center claims a large number of studies prove a direct correlation between chronic infections and heart disease. Pathogenic organisms are killed by medium-chain fatty acids found in coconut oil. Therefore, says the Center, coconut oil can reduce the risk of heart disease.

One of the studies the Center points to is one published in the journal, Lipids, which concludes, “[P]olicies that prioritize the reduction of SFA [saturated fatty acid] consumption without specifically considering the replacement nutrient may have little or no effects on [cardiovascular] disease risk, especially as the most common replacement in populations is often [carbohydrates].” In other words, at the very least, some research proves that saturated fat is not necessarily bad for heart health and a diet high in carbohydrates could be much worse.

Do you eat enough healthy fats?

As a weight-loss coach, I’m astounded by the number of people I consult who still think eating fat is bad for their health. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Healthy fats are crucial for a variety of reasons, including:

• Maintaining steady energy
• Vitamin absorption
• Promoting healthy-looking skin
• Reducing inflammation
• Staving off heart disease
• Minimizing risk of developing cancer and Alzheimer’s

Certain healthy fats, like flaxseed oil, even help metabolize dietary fat.

 

I always thought that fats should be called by their more scientific name, "lipids." Perhaps then, a fat-phobic, yo-yo dieter wouldn’t be afraid of consuming 5 grams of lipids in one sitting.

 

Stroll through any supermarket and you’ll notice a preponderance of low-fat and non-fat items. Is it a coincidence that the national obesity rate has skyrocketed as a consequence? I think not. People who avoid healthy fats tend to consume more carbohydrates, which metabolize into sugar, and ultimately get stored as body fat.

 

Dietary fat is, per gram, denser than its protein and carbohydrate counterparts. There are nine calories in one gram of dietary fat versus four calories per gram for both carbs and protein.

 

The good news about there being more calories in a gram of fat is that it will help you feel fuller longer. Just as there are healthy and non-healthy carbohydrates (good: vegetables; bad: baked goods), there are healthy and non-healthy fats.

 

Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids (EFA)

Perhaps the most touted of the healthy fats are Omega 3 fatty acids. Many products, from eggs to cereals to mayonnaise, market their products as healthy because they contain Omega 3, but fortified Omega 3 products don’t contain the most potent and beneficial compounds. The best sources are cold-water oily fish, such as:

• salmon
• sardines
• mackerel
• albacore tuna (pregnant women and children should minimize because of mercury contamination risk)
• herring

Why are these fats essential?

EFAs are necessary for peak health because our bodies don’t produce them on our own; we need to acquire it from dietary sources. There are three forms of Omega 3 acids: ALA, EPA and DHA. The cold water fish listed above contain EPA and DHA, which have been proven scientifically to:

• reduce blood pressure and fat in the blood
• lower triglyceride levels (a more important marker for heart disease than cholesterol)
• reduce risk of sudden cardiac death
• inhibit development of coronary heart disease

The American Heart Association recommends those with heart disease to consume at least one gram of Omega 3 EFAs per day. (Preferably in the form of cold water fish or a high-quality EPA/DHA supplement.)

 

Healthy fats for vegetarians?

Opt for vegetable sources of Omega 3s (the ALA form). These include:

• flaxseed oil
• soybean oil
• canola oil
• walnuts
• broccoli
• beans

Some researchers argue that ALA is not as beneficial as EPA and DHA, so vegetarians are advised to take Omega 3 EFA supplements.

 

Saturated fat: avoid like the plague?

Mainstream dietary professionals continue to vilify saturated fat as a major contributor to heart disease.

 

Some researchers, however, contend that a modest amount of natural sources of saturated fat like butter and dairy and other animal sources offer numerous nutritional benefits. Some even go a step further suggesting that a major culprit for heart disease is not saturated fat, but polyunsaturated vegetable oils turning rancid during the cooking process as well as hydrogenated oils used in processed foods, which are also commonly known as trans fats—the worst type of dietary fat to consume.

 

A dab of coconut oil or butter are examples of healthy saturated fats, especially for cooking. Saturated fats when exposed to heat do not chemically change easily like vegetable oils. Olive oil, a monounsaturated vegetable oil and a very healthy fat, is the exception to this rule.

 

Conclusion

Consume at least a little amount of healthy fats at every meal, if you want to enjoy steady energy throughout the day and get optimum nutrition benefits. Opt for Omega 3 cold-water fish sources two-four times per week. Include monounsaturated sources like olive oil, avocados and most nuts. Avoid cooking with polyunsaturated fats like soybean and safflower and corn oil. Saturated fat is ok in moderation as long as it’s from a natural source and hasn’t been overcooked.

Are Saturated Fats Really Dangerous For You?

Judd's note: Unless otherwise indicated, I have written all the posts on this wellness blog. This is one of those exceptions. I feel that only a medical doctor has the credibility to comment on cholesterol. This article is written by Stephen Byrnes, PhD, RNCP

Myth: Saturated fats and dietary cholesterol cause heart disease, atherosclerosis, and/or cancer, and low-fat, low-cholesterol diets are healthier for people. This, too, is not a specific vegetarian myth. Nevertheless, people are often urged to take up a vegetarian or vegan diet because it is believed that such diets offer protection against heart disease and cancer since they are lower or lacking in animal foods and fats. Although it is commonly believed that saturated fats and dietary cholesterol "clog arteries" and cause heart disease, such ideas have been shown to be false by such scientists as Linus Pauling, Russell Smith, George Mann, John Yudkin, Abram Hoffer, Mary Enig, Uffe Ravnskov and other prominent researchers (49). On the contrary, studies have shown that arterial plaque is primarily composed of unsaturated fats, particularly polyunsaturated ones, and not the saturated fat of animals, palm or coconut (50).

Trans-fatty acids, as opposed to saturated fats, have been shown by researchers such as Enig, Mann and Fred Kummerow to be causative factors in accelerated atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, cancer and other ailments (51).

Trans-fatty acids are found in such modern foods as margarine and vegetable shortening and foods made with them. Enig and her colleagues have also shown that excessive omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake from refined vegetable oils is also a major culprit behind cancer and heart disease, not animal fats.

A recent study of thousands of Swedish women supported Enig's conclusions and data, and showed no correlation between saturated fat consumption and increased risk for breast cancer. However, the study did show,as did Enig's work, a strong link between vegetable oil intake and higher breast cancer rates (52).

The major population studies that supposedly prove the theory that animal fats and cholesterol cause heart disease actually do not upon closer inspection. The Framingham Heart Study is often cited as proof that dietary cholesterol and saturated fat intake cause heart disease and ill health. Involving about 6,000 people, the study compared two groups over several years at five-year intervals. One group consumed little cholesterol and saturated fat, while the other consumed high amounts. Surprisingly, Dr William Castelli, the study's director, said:

In Framingham, Mass., the more saturated fat one ate, the more cholesterol one ate, the more calories one ate, the lower the person's serum cholesterol ... we found that the people who ate the most cholesterol, ate the most saturated fat, [and] ate the most calories, weighed the least and were the most physically active. (53)

The Framingham data did show that subjects who had higher cholesterol levels and weighed more ran a slightly higher chance for coronary heart disease. But weight gain and serum cholesterol levels had an inverse correlation with dietary fat and cholesterol intake. In other words, there was no correlation at all (54).

In a similar vein, the US Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT), sponsored by the National Heart and Lung Institute, compared mortality rates and eating habits of 12,000+ men. Those who ate less saturated fat and cholesterol showed a slightly reduced rate of heart disease, but had an overall mortality rate much higher than the other men in the study (55).

Low-fat/cholesterol diets, therefore, are not healthier for people. Studies have shown repeatedly that such diets are associated with depression, cancer, psychological problems, fatigue, violence and suicide (56). Women with lower serum cholesterol live shorter lives than women with higher levels (57). Similar things have been found in men (58).

Children on low-fat and/or vegan diets can suffer from growth problems, failure to thrive, and learning disabilities (59). Despite this, sources from DR Benjamin Spock to the American Heart Association recommend low-fat diets for children! One can only lament the fate of those unfortunate youngsters who will be raised by unknowing parents taken in by such genocidal misinformation.

There are many health benefits to saturated fats, depending on the fat in question. Coconut oil, for example, is rich in lauric acid, a potent antifungal and antimicrobial substance. Coconut also contains appreciable amounts of caprylic acid, also an effective antifungal (60). Butter from free-range cows is rich in trace minerals, especially selenium, as well as all of the fat-soluble vitamins and beneficial fatty acids that protect against cancer and fungal infections (61).

In fact, the body needs saturated fats in order to properly utilize essential fatty acids (62). Saturated fats also lower the blood levels of the artery-damaging lipoprotein a (63); are needed for proper calcium utilization in the bones (64); stimulate the immune system (65); are the preferred food for the heart and other vital organs (66); and, along with cholesterol, add structural stability to the cell and intestinal wall (67).

They are excellent for cooking, as they are chemically stable and do not break down under heat, unlike polyunsaturated vegetable oils. Omitting them from one's diet, then, is ill-advised.

With respect to atherosclerosis, it is always claimed that vegetarians have much lower rates of this condition than meat eaters. The International Atherosclerosis Project of 1968, however, which examined over 20,000 corpses from several countries, concluded that vegetarians had just as much atherosclerosis as meat eaters (68). Other population studies have revealed similar data. (69)

This is because atherosclerosis is largely unrelated to diet; it is a consequence of aging. There are things which can accelerate the atherosclerotic process such as excessive free radical damage to the arteries from antioxidant depletion (caused by such things as smoking, poor diet, excess polyunsaturated fatty acids in the diet, various nutritional deficiencies, drugs, etc), but this is to be distinguished from the fatty-streaking and hardening of arteries that occurs in all peoples over time.

It also does not appear that vegetarian diets protect against heart disease. A study on vegans in 1970 showed that female vegans had higher rates of death from heart disease than non-vegan females (70). A recent study showed that Indians, despite being vegetarians, have very high rates of coronary artery disease (71). High-carbohydrate/low-fat diets (which is what vegetarian diets are) can also place one at a greater risk for heart disease, diabetes, and cancer due to their hyperinsulemic effects on the body (72). Recent studies have also shown that vegetarians have higher homocysteine levels in their blood (73). Homocysteine is a known cause of heart disease. Lastly, low-fat/cholesterol diets, generally favored to either prevent or treat heart disease, do neither (74).

Studies which conclude that vegetarians are at a lower risk for heart disease are typically based on the phony markers of lower saturated fat intake, lower serum cholesterol levels and HDL/LDL ratios. Since vegetarians tend to eat less saturated fat and usually have lower serum cholesterol levels, it is concluded that they are at less risk for heart disease. Once one realizes that these measurements are not accurate predictors of proneness to heart disease, however, the supposed protection of vegetarianism melts away (75).

It should always be remembered that a number of things factor into a person getting heart disease or cancer. Instead of focusing on the phony issues of saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, and meat-eating, people should pay more attention to other more likely factors.

These would be trans-fatty acids, excessive polyunsaturated fat intake, excessive sugar intake, excessive carbohydrate intake, smoking, certain vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and obesity. These things were all conspicuously absent in the healthy traditional peoples that Dr. Price studied.