sourceAs a follow up to my saturated fats post yesterday, I was asked to write a post about the different kinds of saturated fats. While I was digging up a little information, I came across an excellent article in Men’s Health Magazine that I think EVERYONE reading right now should go check out! It’s a little lengthy but explains in great detail about the studies testing diet, saturated fat intake, and heart disease risk. Some of the findings will definitely surprise you! Click HERE.
sourceBefore the 1950′s, there appeared to be very few cases of heart disease in the United States and diets were high in saturated fat from things like butter, meat, coconut oil, and lard (I’m NOT talking about Crisco either!!). It wasn’t until after World War II that rate of heart disease soared. This also happened to be the time when the Japanese took over the South Pacific and Philippines, cutting off our supply of coconut oil and Americans were forced to think of an alternative for cooking. Polyunsaturated fats started to be manufactured and used more regularly and heart disease rates began to increase (due to an Omega-6:Omega-3 ratio imbalance perhaps?).
What many people don’t know is that saturated fat actually serves a purpose:
- keeps cell membranes firm and strong
- is the most stable fat used in cooking
- protects the liver from toxins produced from alcohol and certain drugs
- increases immunity
- is needed for calcium to be drawn in to the bones
- allows the retention of omega-3′s in tissues
Also, while there are dozens of forms of saturated fat, Americans consume mainly three: stearic acid, palmitic acid, and lauric acid.
source- Stearic acid: Cocoa butter, shea butter, and animal fats contain stearic acid, which research has found to have zero effect on cholesterol levels. It’s even converted to the monounsaturated fat oleic acid in the liver (the same fat found in olive oil!).
- Palmitic acid: Fish oils, milk fats, vegetable fats, cottonseed and palm oil, and certain animal fats all contain palmitic acid. While this fat has been shown to increase total cholesterol, it raises LDL and HDL levels equally. Because LDL lays down plaque and HDL picks it up, consuming this fat decreases the proportion of “bad” cholesterol. Palmitic acid was found to have the most detrimental effects when diets were also high in trans fat!
- Lauric acid: Found in coconut oil, palm kernal oil, cinnamon oil, cow and goat’s milk, this fat is converted into monolaurin in the body, which demonstrates antivirus, antifungal and antibacterial qualities.
As you can see, these types of saturated fats are not necessarily disruptive to our body! The most important thing to remember is that we must choose QUALITY sources.
Avoid any fats that have been hydrogenated (and there ARE hydrogenated coconut oils), choose grass-fed OR organic animal products whenever possible to increase your omega-3 intake and decrease your omega-6 intake (and just get a better quality product!), and stop with the fat-free, low-fat, gimick-y processed foods, as they are loaded with fake ingredients! It’s time we start getting REAL!
*Fish oils are an excellent way to increase your omega-3 intake! Check out this website for an excellent supplement; http://www.fishoil.com/
- We ALL should be!
QUESTION: Do you fear the fat?
@ Lauren,
You want to be careful not to consume too much peanut butter. I did so on a daily basis for decades and it eventually caused problems due to the high omega-6 content. http://theconsciouslife.com/omega-6-friend-or-foe.htm
@ Tiff,
Dairy fat supports thyroid function. http://www.nutrition.org/asn-blog/2009/08/the-milk-debate/
@ Meri,
Some people seem to be biochemically configured to thrive on a low-fat diet. http://www.anapsid.org/aboutmk/biochem.html
@ Michelle,
Omega-9 is a monounsaturated oil. Omega-6s are polyunsaturates. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgU3cNppzO0
@ The Candid RD,
Despite the obvious benefits of omega-3 supplements, one researcher warns against excessive intake of all forms of polyunsaturated fats. http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/unsaturatedfats.shtml
I am still mindful of fat but I don’t fear it. I know healthy fats like avocado, olive oil, and peanut butter are essential to a healthy body. I did not know all of those benefits of saturated fat! Thanks for the knowledge boost!
As always, informative and thought provoking post. Thanks Erin!!!! I no longer fear the fat at all, I just fear too much of it! Hope your week is going well.
Never fear the fats! Just eat yourself some REAL food.
I used to be afraid of fat, but now I know that it is an essential part to a healthy lifestyle. And Peanut Butter just tastes too good.
THANK YOU ERIN!! Awesome post here. I second everything you said. I will add, however, that these fats are even more favorable if you also increase your omega-3. You may have mentioned that, but I wanted to say it again. And clearly it’s best, like you said, to get these fats from better sources, like coconut and even lean grassfed or non-grassfed beefs, rather than junk and shortening!!!
ooh i love this! everyones always whining about coconut oil being too faty and saturated but i love seeing posts like this that address its good properties too! its whole food! baby its allllllllllllll good! <3 what isnt good are snackwells and frankenfoods. but you already know that!
real food puhhhlease and thank you! mwah!
In college when I was running cross country I avoided fat at all costs. I got low fat pb, sugar free pudding, low fat EVERYTHING!! But not anymore. I no longer fear fat like I used to. I learned that lots of lower fat foods are just loaded with more sugar(as the case with pb). I am a vegetarian, so I don’t get alot of fats. Also, I run a ton still so I never get low fat. Some fat is good!!
I agree with Kelly!!
Also…I saw the latest study about how saturated fats are not as bad as everyone thinks!!! It’s the partially hydrogenated ones, like you are saying!!
I get my fats from plant sources and fatty fish mainly…I lost my fat phobia a long, long time ago!!!
I find this confusing at times, not your post, but rather the pursuit of all things healthy. ….Fats are tricky! I went through a phase where I FEARED fat, now I’m warming up to it and realizing that it is a part of a healthy diet. SOOOO much to learn!
So I definitely learned a lot by reading this! Whole foods are SO much better!
I don’t fear fat anymore, especially after visiting Europe. I eat full-fat cheese, cream, butter, whole eggs, and even choose full-fat yogurt when I do eat it (I tend to digest it better)! I rarely drink milk, but when I do I try to choose full-fat organic. I choose leaner meats, but that’s mostly because I want more meat for my money! Haha!
It’s really sad how the American culture criminalizes saturated fat. I mean, sure eating too much of anything is bad, including fat, but I don’t believe at all that a healthy balanced diet can’t include full-fat dairy, whole eggs, or LARD, even.
I think it helps when we stop looking at food as only nutrients (ie. looking at a chia seed and immediately seeing omega-3s and calcium, or looking at a brisket and seeing saturated fat) and just choosing to eat real food!
I’ll also point out that omega-3s are polyunsaturated fats (which lower both LDL and HDL), and omega-6s are monounsatured fats (the primary fat in olive oil). I think both serve their purpose, and it can be too easy to criminalize a bunch of food just based on the type of fat they contain.
What an interesting post. I’ve always been a vegetarian so I have never really feared the fat, until my dad got heart disease that is. At that point I started to think all saturated fat was bad, and it took a few years to realize that its not. The problem for me now is getting enough fat that isn’t hard for me to digest. Things like butter, peanut butters, and full fat dairy tend to give me a crazy stomachache. Any ideas?
It depends. For instance, I eat full-fat or part-fat cheese, but I always opt for fat-free milk and fat-free yogurt. Lean meats are good, but I eat the entire egg. I have my own rhymes n’ reasons, but it probably just boils down to what tastes good to me.
i learned a lot fro this post!! i defs dnt fear the fat but i do pick my fats wisely! only from plant sources mainly!
I always use full fat things because I think you can use less and and get the same affect as when using no-fat or low-fat AND it is natural without all those chemicals. I mean if you are removing the fat then you are replacing it with something and usually something artifical.