Saturated Fat

Saturated fat is necessary in your diet. Don't cut it out. Instead, look at the amount of grains you're eating and consider cutting back on those, if not completely eliminating them. (look up Mark's Daily Apple, there are some guides to fats there)

If you'd rather try something other than butter, replace it with organic virgin coconut oil. There's a definite coconut flavor, but it's very good as a butter substitute - even in cooking.

Just caught that part about milk - go to whole milk. Seriously!

And to catch anyone who's tempted to argue about saturated fats - my own physician was appalled that I have switched to a high-fat, low-carb diet, until he saw that over the last 8 months my cholesterols and triglycerides have fallen into exactly where they should be. I am also a Type 2 diabetic (thanks to the typical American diet), and have had my A1C levels drop below 6 due to taking grains out of my diet. Also have dropped (albeit slowly) 47 pounds in those 8 months.

Please read up on it online - there are many people who are doing the leg work for you, bucking the conventional wisdom concerning fats v. grains. Look up Mark Sisson, Robb Wolff, Loren Cordain, and watch "FatHead - the Movie".

For mayo, you might try Hellman's Canola oil Mayo. I can' t tell any difference in the taste but has 1 less gram of saturate fat per 2 Tbs. I've never found anything that tastes as good as butter so I gave it up years ago. I will occasionally use Benecol but mostly I just do without and cook with olive oil.

If you listen to those that tell you to keep eating or increase saturated fat, you'd be wise to get your cholesterol levels checked regularly.

I do.

They're normal.

:drinker:

I use smart balance instead of butter, Kraft olive oil mayo instead of regular and I try not to use cheese too ofter but when I do I use low fat cheese non-processed . It makes a huge difference.

For mayo, you might try Hellman's Canola oil Mayo. I can' t tell any difference in the taste but has 1 less gram of saturate fat per 2 Tbs. I've never found anything that tastes as good as butter so I gave it up years ago. I will occasionally use Benecol but mostly I just do without and cook with olive oil.

If you listen to those that tell you to keep eating or increase saturated fat, you'd be wise to get your cholesterol levels checked regularly.

I do.

They're normal.

:drinker:

Happy to hear it. I was not suggesting that a diet high in saturated fats would definitely raise your cholesterol levels. Everyone should have their cholesterol checked regularly, but there is medical evidence that eating high levels of saturated fat CAN raise your LDL and overall cholesterol, so those following that diet would be wise to keep a professional eye on it.

As someone who is opened minded and always willing to learn, I checked out the links in some of the above posts. I still am not convinced that a large amount of saturated fats can in any way shape or form be healthy. I can find just as much information supporting the fact that saturated fats clog your arteries! So, I guess we can agree to disagree

Actually, evaluation of the fat in artery clogs reveals that only about 26% is saturated. The other 74% is unsaturated, of which more than half is polyunsaturated

The idea that saturated fats are bad for you originated with the lipid hypothesis which claimed two things; (1) saturated fats cause a n increase in cholesterol and (2) cholesterol causes heart disease. Both of these claims have NEVER BEEN PROVEN. All of the evidence (when you look at all of it, not just what they report on) shows that there are just as many people with high cholesterol that eat low fat diets as there are that eat high fat diets. Additionally, there are just as many people with heart disease that have low cholesterol as there are with high cholesterol.

So why are there more studies that support the lipid hypothesis? The answer is $$$MONEY$$$. There have been several doctors and scientists that have challenged this and were rewarded with the revocation of their grants, denial of future grants, and blacklisted in the scientific community. In almost all cases that support the lipid hypothesis the funding is coming from the statin drug companies, vegetable oil companies or the agricultural industry. If you eat less fat products what, by default do you eat more of? Carbohydrates, grains, wheat, flour, oils, etc…

If you want to reduce or avoid your risk of heart disease and obesity reduce your starchy carb intake and replace that with fats, proteins and carbs from fruits and vegetables.

The studies I've read did not show that saturated fat increases cholesterol, but that it causes it to collect in your blood, thus forming clots that clog arteries. Unsaturated fats have been shown to increase your HDLs which prevent the clots. This is why a lot fat diet is not healthy, but a diet low in saturated fat is. Like any eating "rule" there are execeptions. Any medical study that claims to "prove" anything should be discounted, though I've never seen one that did. Studies "suggest" things, and the more studies that suggest the same thing, the more it is generally accepted. There have been many, many studies by many different organizations over many years that have suggested that saturated fat can cause your arteries to clog and unsaturated fats can cause them not too. This is easy to check on the internet by going to reputable medical sites (hospitals, medical universities, American Diabetes or Heart Assoc., etc.)

There are three people alone on this topic that eat high saturated fat diets, all with completely healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels, what does that say for the studies? I have not just read studies to support my views, I used to believe as most people did that saturated fats were bad. But then, instead of only reading articles on the specific topic I began to research the science behind it; at which point the only logical conclusion is that the studies in support of the lipid hypothesis are blatantly wrong and I am willing to bet that in the next 10 years there will be a lot more whistle blowers on this.

As someone who is opened minded and always willing to learn, I checked out the links in some of the above posts. I still am not convinced that a large amount of saturated fats can in any way shape or form be healthy. I can find just as much information supporting the fact that saturated fats clog your arteries! So, I guess we can agree to disagree

Actually, evaluation of the fat in artery clogs reveals that only about 26% is saturated. The other 74% is unsaturated, of which more than half is polyunsaturated

The idea that saturated fats are bad for you originated with the lipid hypothesis which claimed two things; (1) saturated fats cause a n increase in cholesterol and (2) cholesterol causes heart disease. Both of these claims have NEVER BEEN PROVEN. All of the evidence (when you look at all of it, not just what they report on) shows that there are just as many people with high cholesterol that eat low fat diets as there are that eat high fat diets. Additionally, there are just as many people with heart disease that have low cholesterol as there are with high cholesterol.

So why are there more studies that support the lipid hypothesis? The answer is $$$MONEY$$$. There have been several doctors and scientists that have challenged this and were rewarded with the revocation of their grants, denial of future grants, and blacklisted in the scientific community. In almost all cases that support the lipid hypothesis the funding is coming from the statin drug companies, vegetable oil companies or the agricultural industry. If you eat less fat products what, by default do you eat more of? Carbohydrates, grains, wheat, flour, oils, etc…

If you want to reduce or avoid your risk of heart disease and obesity reduce your starchy carb intake and replace that with fats, proteins and carbs from fruits and vegetables.

The studies I've read did not show that saturated fat increases cholesterol, but that it causes it to collect in your blood, thus forming clots that clog arteries. Unsaturated fats have been shown to increase your HDLs which prevent the clots. This is why a lot fat diet is not healthy, but a diet low in saturated fat is. Like any eating "rule" there are execeptions. Any medical study that claims to "prove" anything should be discounted, though I've never seen one that did. Studies "suggest" things, and the more studies that suggest the same thing, the more it is generally accepted. There have been many, many studies by many different organizations over many years that have suggested that saturated fat can cause your arteries to clog and unsaturated fats can cause them not too. This is easy to check on the internet by going to reputable medical sites (hospitals, medical universities, American Diabetes or Heart Assoc., etc.)

There are three people alone on this topic that eat high saturated fat diets, all with completely healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels, what does that say for the studies? I have not just read studies to support my views, I used to believe as most people did that saturated fats were bad. But then, instead of only reading articles on the specific topic I began to research the science behind it; at which point the only logical conclusion is that the studies in support of the lipid hypothesis are blatantly wrong and I am willing to bet that in the next 10 years there will be a lot more whistle blowers on this.

We shall have to wait and see about the 10 yrs. I'm sure there are thousands of people eating a high saturated fat diet that have healthy lipids. Just last week I saw the guy that has eaten a Big Mac everyday for years eat some record breaking number and his lipids are fine. Does that mean Big Macs are healthy? No. All research on saturated fats and lipids is not funded by the vegetable oil industry. That's just silly. Most is funded by government grants to universities or hospital researchers. Most of these researchers would LOVE to have their study show something new because there is nothing a researcher loves more than to publish something debunking other research.

As someone who is opened minded and always willing to learn, I checked out the links in some of the above posts. I still am not convinced that a large amount of saturated fats can in any way shape or form be healthy. I can find just as much information supporting the fact that saturated fats clog your arteries! So, I guess we can agree to disagree

Actually, evaluation of the fat in artery clogs reveals that only about 26% is saturated. The other 74% is unsaturated, of which more than half is polyunsaturated

The idea that saturated fats are bad for you originated with the lipid hypothesis which claimed two things; (1) saturated fats cause a n increase in cholesterol and (2) cholesterol causes heart disease. Both of these claims have NEVER BEEN PROVEN. All of the evidence (when you look at all of it, not just what they report on) shows that there are just as many people with high cholesterol that eat low fat diets as there are that eat high fat diets. Additionally, there are just as many people with heart disease that have low cholesterol as there are with high cholesterol.

So why are there more studies that support the lipid hypothesis? The answer is $$$MONEY$$$. There have been several doctors and scientists that have challenged this and were rewarded with the revocation of their grants, denial of future grants, and blacklisted in the scientific community. In almost all cases that support the lipid hypothesis the funding is coming from the statin drug companies, vegetable oil companies or the agricultural industry. If you eat less fat products what, by default do you eat more of? Carbohydrates, grains, wheat, flour, oils, etc…

If you want to reduce or avoid your risk of heart disease and obesity reduce your starchy carb intake and replace that with fats, proteins and carbs from fruits and vegetables.