Saturated Fats, Healthy?
Is it possible that saturated fats aren’t the evil artery-clogging villains that we’ve made them out to be? In fact, could these unsavory bad boys actually be healthy?! That’s the controversial topic of an interesting article in this month’s Men’s Health magazine. You’ve heard all the evidence against saturated fats, so it’s only fair to hear their side of the story.
Here are a few revealing facts that may surprise you:
- We typically eat more than a dozen kinds of saturated fat. Some have zero effect on cholesterol. Some raise bad (LDL) cholesterol, but all of them raise good (HDL) cholesterol to a greater extent. That’s a net gain in heart health.
- The nation’s top health organizations have for decades called saturated fat one of the main culprits for diet-related diseases, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Problem is, this blame stems from research that is now seen as incomplete. For instance, a famous 1953 study took data from six countries, overlooking 16 countries whose numbers provide contradictory evidence. (Like France, for instance, or native cultures in Africa and Canada where high amounts of fat and saturated fat are eaten but heart disease is practically unknown.)
- Since the 1970s, American men have decreased their saturated fat intake by 14 percent and increased their carbohydrate intake by 23 percent–yet rates of obesity and heart disease are increasing. You might say that carbohydrates make people fat, which leads to heart disease. Or that more carbohydrates you eat, the greater your risk for a heart attack.
- But these simple numbers only suggest a cause. To prove something, you need a controlled experiment. There have been many such clinical trials, and not one has shown has shown that cutting back on saturated fat reduces heart disease risk.
- When you look at the effect of saturated fat on health, you must also look at the intake of carbohydrates. Many studies have shown that if you replace carbs with fat, your triglycerides levels go down and your good cholesterol goes up. And your bad (LDL) cholesterol particles get bigger, which means they’re less harmful.
- Here’s a paradox for you: A high saturated fat intake decreases blood levels of saturated fat. How can this be? Here’s how: The saturated fat in your blood comes from both the food you eat and from your liver, which produces saturated fat. The more carbs you eat, the higher your insulin levels climb, which signals your liver to produce saturated fat. If you go on a low-carb diet, your insulin levels drop, and so does production of saturated fat.
And remember, as with most food-related news, moderation is key. Even if saturated fats aren’t all bad, they should only be included as part of a well-balanced overall diet. What do you think? Are we focusing too much on fats, and could the real problem be carbohydrates, instead?
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Tags: arteries, calories, carbohydrates, clogging, diet, fitbuff, heart disease, nutrition, saturated fats
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