"SATURATED FATS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO WEIGHT LOSS"
By Michael Ravensthorpe
In 1953, the American scientist Dr. Ancel Keys published a paper linking high saturated fat intake with heart disease in adult men. Though initially met with skepticism, medical societies, and government bodies eventually embraced Keys’s findings, and the era of fat demonization began – much to the joy of processed food manufacturers.
In 1953, the American scientist Dr. Ancel Keys published a paper linking high saturated fat intake with heart disease in adult men. Though initially met with skepticism, medical societies, and government bodies eventually embraced Keys’s findings, and the era of fat demonization began – much to the joy of processed food manufacturers.
Although
most experts now regard Keys’s research as cherry-picked and
flawed, its conclusions still influence and direct the purchasing
choices of the average consumer. Many people still believe that
saturated fats – even when sourced from nutritious whole
foods, such as eggs and coconut oil – contribute to weight
gain and heart disease, even though the evidence is starting to prove
the exact opposite.
SATURATED FATS INCFEASE LDL CHOLESTEROL SIZE
One
of the biggest fears people have concerning saturated fats is their
alleged ability to raise “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
cholesterol, which is implicated in atherosclerosis and
cardiovascular disease. However, our understanding of cholesterol and
its roles in the body are much more sophisticated than they were in
the middle of the 20th century.
We
now understand, for instance, that only small LDL particles are
associated with heart disease, not large LDL particles – and,
as it happens, saturated fats are proven to increase amounts of the
large subtype of LDL. For example, a study published
in The
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found
that dietary saturated fat intake correlated with increased
concentrations of larger LDL particles in adult men. A later study,
published in the same journal, reached a similar conclusion.
SATURATED FATS INCREASE HDL CHOLESTEROL
Better
still, ongoing research suggests that saturated fat can actually
increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, which is
the “good” cholesterol that transports cholesterol
from the arteries to the liver for reuse or
excretion. Research published
in the journal Arteriosclerosis
and Thrombosis in
1992, for example, found that “all fatty acids elevated HDL
cholesterol when substituted for carbohydrates,” and that these
effects “diminished with increasing unsaturation of the fatty
acids.” These results suggest that contrary to popular belief,
saturated fat intake can actively benefit our cardiovascular health.
SATURATED FATS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO WEIGHT LOSS
Another
belief people have about saturated fat is that eating it makes us
fat. However, this is only a half-truth. Eating saturated fat will
make us fat – if we also eat a diet high in carbohydrates and
refined sugars. A high-fat, low-carb paleo, or ketogenic diet, on the
other hand, is proven to deliver effective weight loss results. For
example, a study published
in the journal Nutrition
& Metabolism showed
that there was “a clear benefit of a [very low-carbohydrate
ketogenic] over [low-fat] diet for short-term body weight and fat
loss, especially in men.”
Moreover,
studies have shown that individual high-fat foods can contribute to
weight loss when taken as a supplement. A Brazilian study published
in the journalLipids in
2009, for instance, found that women who consumed 30 milliliters of
coconut oil daily exhibited a significant reduction in abdominal fat
when compared to the control group. This result has been ascribed to
coconut oil’s large concentrations of medium-chain triglycerides, a
form of saturated fat that our bodies metabolize with unusual
rapidity.
CONCLUSION
Clearly,
there are many reasons to embrace rather than fear saturated fats.
Even mainstream health researchers are beginning to accept the fact
that an omelet cooked with butter, for example, is a far healthier
breakfast than cereal with skim milk. Many of us probably understood
this on an instinctive level while growing up, but it has taken a
long time for science to catch with up common sense. Grandma was
right all along!
Reprinted
from Spiritfoods.