Posted by Nikoletta Ventseslavova

In “modern” life we’ve practically been programmed to think that fat is bad. In the media there’s a huge attack on saturated fats and we are flooded with advertisements of light and fat-free products. We are accustomed to seeing them on TV, promoted by shills, who tell us only the benefits, without telling us the damage they may cause. I consider this disgraceful, so, I will attempt to put the other side of the argument here.

Why saturated fats have been condemned

Mankind has been consuming saturated fats since God created the Earth (or even earlier than that timeline if you believe Charles Darwin) . In the early 1950s it was  suggested that they cause high cholesterol and other health problems. The scientific backup for this came from only one single study carried out by Ancel Keys. Keys selectively used the data he collected in six countries to low-fat diet prove his conclusion that saturated fats are unhealthy.

The saturated-fat myth was then picked up by the western food industry and governments. Since then they have expounded it even though many studies demonstrate exactly the opposite. Generations of doctors and dietitians have been taught this myth and unwittingly convey it to their clients. An entire industry has been based on the avoidance of saturated fats. Oddly enough, almost nobody seems to see the connection between the  we have been eating and the many health problems which have arisen since the 1950s.

Firstly, take a look at the MYTHS:

• Saturated fat is unhealthy and causes heart disease.
• Saturated fat has no medical benefits.
• A healthy diet includes only unsaturated fats (polyunsaturated). That’s why we should consume Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids as much as possible.
• Saturated fat causes obesity.
• The USDA and other health organizations recommend a diet low in saturated fat and total fat, and higher in “whole grains”. This is the best way to prevent obesity and heart disease.
• Cholesterol and saturated fat have been branded as the biggest dietary villains of all time.

Now let’s see the EVIDENCE:

• Saturated fats are healthier and our body needs them. They have many medical benefits.
• Saturated fatty acids build braincell membrane, protecting the integrity of the cell. Having enough saturated fat in your diet can prevent a stroke.
• Saturated fats are found in the fat around the heart muscle, and are used by the heart as an energy reserve in times of stress. They protect the heart. Moreover, they facilitate the absorption of Vitamin D (which helps incorporate calcium into your bones). Research data shows that for calcium to be incorporated in the bones, at least 50% of our diet should consist of saturated fat.
• Saturated fats protect the liver from alcohol and other toxins. Saturated fats benefit asthma prevention, due to the phospholipids that protect the lungs from collapsing (called lung surfactant with is made from 100% saturated fat). Recent research data shows that when the saturated fatty acids are replaced with polyunsaturated fats the lungs may not work properly causing asthma.
• Saturated fat facilitates the absorption of vitamins A, D, K, and E. Vitamin A is important for the eyes and vitamin E is important for your fertility and sex drive. Research has shown that the absence of butterfat results in a failure to bring out male and female sexual characteristics: a form of “nutritional castration.”
• Polyunsaturated fats have been recently observed to be hazardous in excess amounts. It’s true that both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty-acids are essential and cannot be skipped, but studies have shown that excess omega-6 blocks omega-3 from working. It is even possible that vegetable oils are one of the biggest reasons for the major increase in heart disease since 1920. Experts researched why heart disease increased from about 10% of total deaths to almost 40% since 1920. Information was manipulated in experiments to support the “lipid hypothesis”, with the conclusion that saturated fats were building plaque on arteries. The USDA pushed for lower saturated fat.
• There is no real scientific evidence to back up the claims of the USDA. Research shows the contrary: that fats are essential to your health, and carbohydrates (even whole grains) are the culprits behind fat production in your body.
• Our bodies need the cholesterol. 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, cortisol, and others. Simply put, without cholesterol we would be dead.

History shows the Benefits of Saturated Fat!

• 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 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.

• 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 colleagues 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 purpose 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.

Finally, it’s logical to ask: “What should I do? – Eat only saturated fats and ignore the polyunsaturated and monosaturated ones?”

Stop focusing on the myth about bad saturated fat: It’s essential for your health. Consume all types of natural (unmodified) fats, BUT in moderation. Avoid all processed food and try to keep your diet balanced.

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