Saturated oils

I don't need to tell you that saturated fat is bad. Chances are that you've come across many vocal groups proclaiming polyunsaturated fats as 'good' and saturated fats as 'bad'. This is too simplistic. Any fat in excess is bad, especially polyunsaturated.

Saturated fat has been labelled a dietary monster causing {inset favourite disease here} and other untold health problems. Yet saturated fat has been a staple part of human diets for thousands of years but only recently had negative publicity – most probably profit motivated by those selling polyunsaturated products. Our ancestors lived on a diet rich in grease, lard and butter. It wasn't until the 20^th century that vegetable oils (polyunsaturated) became widely available and with that has come a plague of degenerative diseases.

Polynesians and saturated fats

A study done on two populations of Polynesians, namely Pukapukans and Tokelauans on the effects of their dietary saturated fats showed some startling revelations. Pukapukans were getting 26-30% of their total calories from fats whereas Tokelauans were getting 47-49% of their total calories from fats.

Now since the Tokelauans were obtaining around seven times more calories from saturated fats than the 7% current 'healthy' guidelines recommend, one would have expected them to perish from strokes and coronary heart disease. However, contradictory to this the investigation found that vascular disease was uncommon in both populations. No evidence of high saturated fat intake having a harmful effect was found in these populations. Interestingly the rest of the Tokelauans' diet consisted of no refined sugars, no cereals and certainly no Mc Donald's – they were not eating junk!

Reference: Nigel Kinbrum's eBook and a whole host of links to great articles can be found here

Should you wish to read up on the study it can be found here

Health benefits of saturated oils

Saturated fat is needed for proper digestive function, growth, and is an essential component of every single cell in your body. Nature has infused this fat into almost all of the foods we eat, both plant and animal. Even polyunsaturated vegetable oils contain at least some saturated fats.

Lauric acid, the main fatty acid found in coconut oil has many viral and bacterial properties. It's also great for the skin when rubbed in.

Short and medium chain fatty acids may promote weight loss. They are metabolised rapidly without passing through the liver to provide a quick source of energy.

Health dangers of saturated oils

The most recognised danger of saturated fats is that it elevates your LDL (bad) cholesterol. It does also elevate your HDL (good) cholesterol but the net effect of the two is still negative. This cholesterol will block arteries, making it harder for blood to flow ultimately causing heart attacks (simplified extremely). Cholesterol is not the only thing that makes saturated fat less healthy. It has a bad effect on blood glucose levels and may cause diabetes. It also causes inflammation, which as Dr. Art Ayers blogs about causes many diseases.

Recommendation

In moderation and coupled with anti-oxidants I see no reason discourage the use of saturated fats. My personal favourite is extra virgin coconut oil which is not refined, bleached or deodorised.