Saturated Fats

I recently came across an excellent article discussing fat consumption. It contains an in depth explanation as to why saturated fat (and a host of other fats) and cholesterol are actually good for you, as well as why we have ended up with such misguided dietary guidelines.

I particularly enjoyed the following image:

On the top right graph, we see the 6 countries selected for Ancel Keys study on fat intake and coronary heart disease, a study that is foundational for the widely accepted view that fat is bad for you and part of the basis for most of the Western world's dietary recommendations. There seems to be a fairly strong positive relationship. That is, as fat intake increases, so too does CHD risk. However, the other two graphs show data from other countries in the study. The left one showing about the opposite relationship to the one Keys selected, and the bottom right showing an even stronger negative relationship than the countries used in his study! For those selected countries, more fat in the diet was correlated to dramatically fewer instances of CHD deaths. Interesting.

The article goes on to discuss the nutritional superiority of pastured eggs and grass-fed animal meat. While most fat, even saturated fat, isn't the enemy, we still want to get our fats from good quality sources. There are much better omega-3 to omega-6 ratios in grass-fed animal products, and this provides a host of health benefits itself.

In conclusion: don't demonize saturated fats or foods that are higher in cholesterol. Fat and cholesterol intake are not linked to increased CHD in most of the normal population. At the same time, try to get fats from quality sources such as pastured eggs and grass-fed beef or wild game. Coconut oil is another excellent source of saturated fats that can improve your HDL ("good") cholesterol levels. For other fats, olive oil, fish, and avocados are fantastic sources.

Oh, and if you were wondering the credentials of the author: "Donald Miller is a cardiac surgeon and Professor of Surgery at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle."

- Jonathan