Stop Running From Saturated Fats

Written by Evelyn Hamnett, BSc. R.D.

Our ancestors since time began have relied on saturated fats. It is only recently that it was thought that they are bad for you. Subsequent research has now proven, however, that there is no link between saturated fats and an increased propensity for heart disease.

Here is why you need to include them in your diet.

Saturated Fats Help To Make Bad Cholesterol Less Harmful

Cholesterol is something that we need for a healthy life. It is necessary for every cell in the body and is the basis for a number of different hormones as well. Without it we would die. As a result, the body has developed a highly efficient manufacturing system to ensure that we never run out. It is not the cholesterol itself that is the problem but rather its carrier, LDL, that can increase the chances of us developing cardiovascular disease.

We have recently discovered that there are two kind of LDL. Dense, small LDL is small enough to make it through the walls of the arteries. Large LDL: These are large and their form prevents them from passing through arterial walls. Large LDL is not as clearly associated with heart disease.

Cholesterol levels are indeed increased by saturated fats in small amounts but it is the large type whose amount escalates. And the large version is not the one that you should be worried about.

They Also Elevate HDL Cholesterol

HDL cholesterol is considered the "good" kind of cholesterol and guess what? Saturated fats increase this as well. HDL moves the cholesterol out of the arterial system and into the liver for recycling or excretion. The more HDL you have, the lower your chances of contracting cardiovascular disease.

There is No Link Between Saturated Fats and Heart Disease

One study set out to review a massive collection of results obtained from multiple studies covering almost 350,000 participants. No link between heart disease and saturated fat was established. This has also been borne out by a number of other reviews. Conventional wisdom has once again been dealt a blow.

You Could Reduce your Chances of Having a Stroke

Stokes result from blood clots that cut off blood supply to certain areas of the brain and is one of the top causes of death and disability in the Western world. Strokes come second only heart disease as a cause of death in first world countries.

A number of studies have indicated that eating saturated fat may reduce your chances of having a stroke.

Saturated Fats Tolerate High Temperatures Well

When it comes to volatility, saturated fats are a lot more stable and less prone to oxidation. The problem with fats that are not saturated is that the number of bonds that they contain make them more likely to become oxidized. When these fats do oxidize, they become toxic and putrid. So if you need to cook over high heat, coconut oil, which is high in saturated fat, is a far better bet.

Foods Containing Saturated Fats Have A Lot of Nutrients

There are a number of healthy foods around that have high levels of saturated fat. They generally have high levels of the fat soluble vitamins that we need. The most nutritious of these are unprocessed animal products such as beef and dairy, where the animals have been raised naturally - free range and eating grass.

Saturated Fats Can Help You To Lose Weight

This flies in the face of conventional wisdom which holds that diets high in fats cause obesity. Consider the source of the information though - most studies that came to that conclusion were studying people who ate a typical Western diet, high not only in saturated fats but in refined sugars as well. It is the sugar and carbs that actually cause weight gain.

Eating a diet that is full of real food, low in carbs and high in healthy saturated fats can boost fat loss and improve all health markers in the body as well. For additional help losing weight, try garcinia cambogia - a natural product which blocks the formation of body fat as well as suppressing appetite.

Our Take Away On Saturated Fats

Nutrition is a key element which contributes to our overall health. As more research is done on saturated fats, it seems unwise to cut them out of our diets. Indeed, eating a balanced diet comprised of different types of food is recommended to provide our bodies with the essential nutrients it needs to function properly.