Saturated Fats are GOOD for you

Barneystinson

Did you refer to the links to the studies in that wikipedia article?? The reduced incidence of CHD varies between 5-25% by substituting Saturated Fats with MUFA and PUFA.

I couldn't open the pdf link but the History of the Framingham clearly mentions increased cholestrol as a risk and if you study Fat Metabolism and Cholestrol Synthesis in Human Body, you can understand the role of saturated fats in that.

Elevated cholesterol levels, and I know you know this having a medical background are not ONLY raised by the amount of saturated fat in one's diet. I'd be much more concerned with the at-risk low HDL / high LDL profiles the Framingham study describes in the provided tables to demonstrate the higher risk of CHD and other heart problems.

I mean, by that logic, my own would be off the chart, but it remains below 200. My other health markers are normal. I do not full ydisagree with you here despite my snark and genuinely do follow my own health. However, as I've found, my BEST health has been provided by upping my fat intake with whole fats - namely from animal (whole butter, beef, fatty fishes), vegetable (avocado / coconut), and nut sources and avoiding processed starches and sugars. I've also maintained normal blood sugar levels with few spikes. If my health should take a poor turn or my cholesterol elevate to dangerous levels, then I suppose I'll eat my words.

Zeromilediet

As per the RDA. <33% of your total fat should be saturated. Rest should be unsaturated. That's the point i have been trying to make all along. More Unsaturated fat, less saturated fat. I never said don't eat saturated fat or just eat unsaturated fat but still don't know why are people being so hostile.

OK ... well, that's what I personally take issue with--the RDA recommended by the government--and perhaps that's what's running through the contentions for others posting on this thread. No hostility intended.

drasr

I think its just futile to explain that both Nutrition and Medicine and a lot of other degrees [Registered Nurse, PA, Pharmacy etc] fall under a broad category called Life Sciences and share the same basic principles.

I don't object to anything. Please pardon me for trying to express my views on the topic.

drasr

Elevated cholesterol levels, and I know you know this having a medical background are not ONLY raised by the amount of saturated fat in one's diet. I'd be much more concerned with the at-risk low HDL / high LDL profiles the Framingham study describes in the provided tables to demonstrate the higher risk of CHD and other heart problems.

HDL and LDL are the transport forms of cholestrol. Lipids are hydrophobic, so they form complexes with proteins. HDL takes cholestrol from tissue[adipose, blood vessels etc] to Liver where it is metabolized. That's why it is called GOOD cholestrol. LDL, VLDL take cholestrol from liver to adipose, blood vessels etc where it is stored. That's why it is called BAD cholestrol. If you think in a normal individual LDL, VLDL, HDL levels are independent of cholestrol levels including the amount you eat, then you are mistaken. There is a negative feed back mechanism. Try taking a blood sample an hour after a high fat meal, it's milky/yellowish in color.

Whether you eat fats or not, processed starches and sugars are anyways to be avoided. Nobody advocates eating that. I don't know why you keep bringing that.
Cholestrol levels under 200 are considered to be normal. It used to be 180 a few years back. If you were to try a normal fat diet following the RDA [NOT LOW fat diet] and keep everything else in your diet same, what do you think would happen to your cholestrol levels and other markers?? That's the point i have been trying to make.
But i give up.

P.S. - I don't think it's wise to advocate people to eat high fat diet or diet rich in saturated fats unless it is backed by solid research. But then it's just my opinion.

Grokette

What's with you guys??? According to RDA, 33% of the total fat should be saturated fat and it is recommended exactly because it is needed. Did i ever say in this entire post that our diet should have no saturated fats at all??

less than 33% is too low and PUFA's (vegetable oils) are awful for us, which is what you are pushing................

drasr

What's with you guys??? According to RDA, 33% of the total fat should be saturated fat and it is recommended exactly because it is needed. Did i ever say in this entire post that our diet should have no saturated fats at all??

less than 33% is too low and PUFA's (vegetable oils) are awful for us, which is what you are pushing................

Don't make it sound like a fact. It's just your opinion. And it may NOT necessarily be right.
BTW both the essential fatty acids [which body requires but can't synthesize on its own] are PUFA - Linoleic and Alpha Linolenic Acid. And this is a fact. You can look it up online or refer to any book on nutrition.
But still if you want to eat more saturated fat and aviod PUFA, nobody is holding you back. Please go ahead.

End6ame

During the polio epidemic there were studies done to try and determine the cause. One popular study at the time saw a rise in polio during the summer months and started to correlate the data with other things that saw a rise during the same months, one of them was ice cream sales. So for a while, ice cream was considered a contributing factor to polio. This was spread via the news and parents were preventing children from eating ice cream. When ice cream sales began to drop as a result, there was no corresponding drop in polio.

While this is absurd today, it is something that we “knew” back then. Unfortunately, our hypotheses in the medical community are still made in a similar way by only considering portions of information; and since our news media is much more wide spread today the bad information lingers in the public mind set for longer periods of time. The studies on saturated fats have been/are conducted in the exact same way; so you have to ask yourself, what will we “know” tomorrow?

dleithaus

The unfortunate way of classifying a fat as saturated, unsaturated, monosaturated plays right to the lack of knowledge and understanding by the general public of what fats really are. All fats are composed of varying amounts of fatty acids with different carbon chain lengths and saturation of those chains. Just because it is "saturated" does not mean that it is bad..... the predominant fat in beef, composed of stearic fatty acids (C18) has been found to actually lower LDL concentrations....

^ Hunter, J. Edward; Zhang, Jun; Kris-Etherton, Penny M. (January 2010). "Cardiovascular disease risk of dietary stearic acid compared with trans, other saturated, and unsaturated fatty acids: a systematic review". Am. J. Clinical Nutrition (American Society for Nutrition) 91 (1): 46–63. doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.27661. ISSN 0002-9165. PMID 19939984.

I attribute much of this ignorance to an unwillingness to try to understand the chemistry of what food is composed of. Like the four letter word "math", many people simply say that chemistry is beyond their understanding because they did not do well in high school chemistry. Chemistry can be fun and informative!

A useful reference to better understand what fats are made of would be this classic reference...

Bailey's Industrial Oil and Fat Products, Volumes 1-6 (6th Edition)
http://www.knovel.com/web/portal/browse/display?_EXT_KNOVEL_DISPLAY_bookid=1432

drasr

As far as polio is concerned, the observation was right. It is more common in summer because water and food play a big role in its transmission. So you won't agree with something that we know today because that will change tomorrow, why would you believe something that we may know tomorrow knowing there is going to be a day after tomorrow and that might change as well. That's like predicting the future and excuse me but the idea is just absurd.

End6ame

As far as polio is concerned, the observation was right. It is more common in summer because water and food play a big role in its transmission. So you won't agree with something that we know today because that will change tomorrow, why would you believe something that we may know tomorrow knowing there is going to be a day after tomorrow and that might change as well. That's like predicting the future and excuse me but the idea is just absurd.

Understood. My point is that the "common knowledge" should continuously be challenged, not blindly accepted.

And yes while the observation of the spike in polio during summer months was correct, the initial conclusion was based upon incomplete information, and therefore incorrect.

Grokette

What's with you guys??? According to RDA, 33% of the total fat should be saturated fat and it is recommended exactly because it is needed. Did i ever say in this entire post that our diet should have no saturated fats at all??

less than 33% is too low and PUFA's (vegetable oils) are awful for us, which is what you are pushing................

Don't make it sound like a fact. It's just your opinion. And it may NOT necessarily be right.
BTW both the essential fatty acids [which body requires but can't synthesize on its own] are PUFA - Linoleic and Alpha Linolenic Acid. And this is a fact. You can look it up online or refer to any book on nutrition.
But still if you want to eat more saturated fat and aviod PUFA, nobody is holding you back. Please go ahead.

It is a fact. I don't expect you to understand as you are so immersed in the Conventional Wisdom and thinking that is ingrained in the majority of the public eyes.

I no longer believe the conventional books on nutrition. I will believe my naturopathic doctor who is also a naturopathic nutritionist before I believe anything in a conventional book on nutrition.

Canola oil and other vegetable oils will never be allowed in my house ever again. They are rancid and are inflammatory in nature.

LuckyLeprechaun

Its not my fault that you find my attitude condescending. It actually reflects a lot about your attitude.

he said, condescendingly.


ironic much :laugh:

hamton

I decided to give high saturated fat diet a try. I have high cholesterol and was on vytorin for 2 years and lost roughly 35 lbs through various diet and exercise. I was off my cholesterol drug for 6 months and tested my cholesterol and it is still high. Even while taking the drug my calcium score went up. When I went back to the Dr, he prescribed Crestor (another statin drug). I took one pill and it diminished my strength and energy during my workout the next day, so I stopped taking them. I then did research on raising my HDL thinking if I can't lower my LDL, maybe I can raise my HDL to counter it. With days of research, I concluded I needed to eat a lot more saturated fat especially coconut oil. I've read many people with 100+ HDL and under 50 triglycerides. I once thought people with 100+ HDL were pure lucky freaks, but it appears it is a common thing when consuming high saturated fat.

Here are few interesting sites that I found interesting:
http://www.ajcn.org/content/80/5/1102.long
http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/archives/2006/08/ill_have_mine_w.html
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig10/mercola44.1.html

A few testimonies:
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=3204
http://www.coconutdiet.com/cholesterol.htm
http://freetheanimal.com/2009/03/new-lipid-panel.html

I'm going to try this for 6-8 weeks. Then I'll get my cholesterol checked again. If things look good, I'll continue and test it again in 3 months. Now I just need to figure out the best way to consume 4 tablespoon of coconut oil a day.

TAMMY_76

I'm sorry but i dont want something called saturated fats clogging up my body no thank you..think of what saturate means...i know i dont want no saturated fats drenching my organs no ty

Grokette

I'm sorry but i dont want something called saturated fats clogging up my body no thank you..think of what saturate means...i know i dont want no saturated fats drenching my organs no ty

Have you even done any research? If not, why would you comment on a subject you don't have the knowledge to engage in discussion?

TAMMY_76

I'm sorry but i dont want something called saturated fats clogging up my body no thank you..think of what saturate means...i know i dont want no saturated fats drenching my organs no ty

Have you even done any research? If not, why would you comment on a subject you don't have the knowledge to engage in discussion?

come on saturated fats good for u? every thing i have read says that no its not..so yes im going to go by that..if you wanna put that crap in your body go right ahead..

TAMMY_76

and also I live in the united states and have a right to my opinion so i have every right to "ENGAGE" in any topic i want..just because u dont like to hear the real truth don't tell someone they dont have the right..telling people they should have a high saturated fat diet is wrong weres ur doctor degree to prove that..

drasr

What's with you guys??? According to RDA, 33% of the total fat should be saturated fat and it is recommended exactly because it is needed. Did i ever say in this entire post that our diet should have no saturated fats at all??

less than 33% is too low and PUFA's (vegetable oils) are awful for us, which is what you are pushing................

Don't make it sound like a fact. It's just your opinion. And it may NOT necessarily be right.
BTW both the essential fatty acids [which body requires but can't synthesize on its own] are PUFA - Linoleic and Alpha Linolenic Acid. And this is a fact. You can look it up online or refer to any book on nutrition.
But still if you want to eat more saturated fat and aviod PUFA, nobody is holding you back. Please go ahead.

It is a fact. I don't expect you to understand as you are so immersed in the Conventional Wisdom and thinking that is ingrained in the majority of the public eyes.

I no longer believe the conventional books on nutrition. I will believe my naturopathic do
ctor who is also a naturopathic nutritionist before I believe anything in a conventional book on nutrition.

Canola oil and other vegetable oils will never be allowed in my house ever again. They are rancid and are inflammatory in nature.

The problem with you is that you believe only that information which complements your thinking and ignore everything else, no matter how correct that maybe. For e.g. you conveniently ignored the fact that the only two essential fatty acids required by the body are PUFA. Rest all the body can synthesize on its own including all the saturated ones. Not that I wasn't expecting it.
And nobody is telling you or asking you what to eat. You are free to do whatever you want.

Grokette

What's with you guys??? According to RDA, 33% of the total fat should be saturated fat and it is recommended exactly because it is needed. Did i ever say in this entire post that our diet should have no saturated fats at all??

less than 33% is too low and PUFA's (vegetable oils) are awful for us, which is what you are pushing................

Don't make it sound like a fact. It's just your opinion. And it may NOT necessarily be right.
BTW both the essential fatty acids [which body requires but can't synthesize on its own] are PUFA - Linoleic and Alpha Linolenic Acid. And this is a fact. You can look it up online or refer to any book on nutrition.
But still if you want to eat more saturated fat and aviod PUFA, nobody is holding you back. Please go ahead.

It is a fact. I don't expect you to understand as you are so immersed in the Conventional Wisdom and thinking that is ingrained in the majority of the public eyes.

I no longer believe the conventional books on nutrition. I will believe my naturopathic do
ctor who is also a naturopathic nutritionist before I believe anything in a conventional book on nutrition.

Canola oil and other vegetable oils will never be allowed in my house ever again. They are rancid and are inflammatory in nature.

The problem with you is that you believe only that information which complements your thinking and ignore everything else, no matter how correct that maybe. For e.g. you conveniently ignored the fact that the only two essential fatty acids required by the body are PUFA. Rest all the body can synthesize on its own including all the saturated ones. Not that I wasn't expecting it.
And nobody is telling you or asking you what to eat. You are free to do whatever you want.

For the record, I don't have a problem.............I used to think like you, but no more. I am not the closed minded person here.........

I am tired of people trying to advocate to others that they should be eating vegetable oils and such when in fact by the time they reach the grocery store they are oxidized and rancid.

We should not be putting that stuff in our bodies.

I used to believe the nonsense that we are supposed to be ingrained to think. My mind opened and through research, reading and trial and error I now know the truth.

Grokette

and also I live in the united states and have a right to my opinion so i have every right to "ENGAGE" in any topic i want..just because u dont like to hear the real truth don't tell someone they dont have the right..telling people they should have a high saturated fat diet is wrong weres ur doctor degree to prove that..

I know the truth. I don't need a doctor's degree to know what is right and wrong...............saturated fats are natural occurring and the whole thing about saturated fats being bad for us was a big fat lie (pun intended) to fit the agenda of pushing soy, corn and canola oils that are rancid and oxidized by the time they reach the grocery store.

We should not be eating rancid and oxidized products. Saturated fats do not oxidize nor do they go rancid so the stability and the shelf life is way better than those vegetable oils that conventional wisdom has you thinking.

I don't particularly care where you live. I would never comment on a subject in an internet forum made above without having researched and read so I could intelligently engage in conversation.