ProPower
Trainer Locator
Find a Trainer
Nationwide Trainer Locator
Workout Calendar
Weights-Plates
For the best prices on all Troy Products call DrSquat.com for quote 800 732-2004
YouTube VCut
Navigation
Studies regarding saturated fat.....
Sun, 12/18/2011 - 1:26pm — tgmuller
Need a little help here. Much of what i've been reading regarding healthy nutrition seems to discredit the mind set of the 90's, ie saturated fat is the leading cause of heart disease, margarine is healthier than butter, reduce dietary intake of red meats, egss are bad, etc etc. Through my daily readings of this website and a few others, I have gained a more progressive mindset regarding nutrition. As such, in my house we consume real butter, eat red meat (not grass fed yet, but soon), i cook with coconut oil, butter, and olive oil, we consume lots of veggies and fruit and cereal and pop tarts are but a distant memory.
So here my issue. I am trying to convince a family memeber, who is in the medical field, that saturated fat may not be so bad afterall. I spoke of how vegetable oils and margarine have high levels of omega6 fats as opposed to omega 3, causing inflammation in the body. How many studies now show that refined carbohydrates may be bigger culprit in heart disease.
Well, this morning my email was filled with several studies showing saturated fats cause heart disease. The main journal i found to support my theories is the one most cited in articles on the internet from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in March 2010, a meta analysis showing saturated fat may not be linked to heart disease. My family member is a nurse practisioner (sp?). Does anyone know of any furhter studies that may help me sway a health professional? Are members of the fitness community really that far ahead of the medical community in nutritional matters? Btw, guess how many nutriton classes were offered in this program by a very well respected college in michigan? yup, zero.
-I am not necessarily looking for articles that promote eating bacon every day and drinking the grease. Thank you in advanced for any replies
Proudly Sponsors
ISSA Certifications
Privacy/Return Policy
Newsletters
Sign up for Free Newsletters
Most studies that conclude
Most studies that conclude that diets high in saturated fats are culprits in heart disease are typically high in carbohydrate intake as well, so be careful about taking conclusions of such studies at face value...
As to studies, indicating the efficacy of eating fat, I suggest you follow Dr.Michael Eades on Twitter. He's constantly posting links to research he comes across indicating that fat is in fact healthy. His blog is worth a read too, as is his excellent book, Protein Power.
great, thanks. i also found
great, thanks. i also found some great links to journals at poliquins website. great resource
I've listened to a few
I've listened to a few lectures by professors at UCSF (search "uctelevsion" on youtube), one a biochemist and the other a dietetian, and both confidently claim that saturated fat should be fine when consumed with adequate fiber. Fiber is protective. They cited studies, which should be easy to find. This came off as anything but a fringe view.
This perspective wouldn't justify the view that saturated fat is fine full-stop, but it counts against the idea that saturated fat is terrible no matter what.
The ratios between saturated
The ratios between saturated and unsaturated fats in farmed animals is most likely the problem. Farmed animals are fed a diet that brings up the saturated fat. Nuts, avocado, olive oil, ect have some saturated fat but are still good for us. Also, eating too many starchy carbohydrates with saturated fat does'nt help either.
Theres a rumor that Robert Atkins died of a heart attack. They said he slipped on ice and hit his head. They caught NYC Mayor Bloomberg on camera saying "thats bullshit". He was chuckling over a plate of spaghetti. Atkins was'nt picky about where his fats were coming from. He used to eat meatballs stuffed with cheese.
Perpetuating The Myth
More Crap
Animal Saturated Fats are NOT the problem.
There's a Rumor...
And individuls such as yourself continue to perpetuate the myth that Atkin's died of a heart attack.
So, What?
He did NOT.
Even if he did, does that automatically mean it was from consuming Saturated Fats from "farmed animals."
If so, then everyone who dies of a heart attack is because they consumed too much Saturated Fat from "farmed animals."
Glad you cleared that up for us.
Carbohydrates...Starchy Foods
Well, you got that part right.
Kenny Croxdale
I guarantee it will never work if you never try it.
Whats your problem? I said
Whats your problem? I said it was a rumor, thats it. If fat is'nt causing heart attacks then what is? Everybody I know of that had bypass heart surgery ate a lot of bacon, eggs, cheese, hamburgers, hotdogs, etc with starchy foods. Some people that followed Atkins type diets had heart attacks too.
Sorry, I have no studies for
Sorry, I have no studies for you. I'm not into that stuff these days.
If you really want to look at studies, it would be a good bet to start by actually reading them thoroughly and looking at the methods used in the studies in order for people to draw their conclusions from. Ask yourself it its real science. Studies that look for links aren't real science. Because correlation doesn't equal causation.
Speaking of causation, that really is part of the backbone of real science. You have to identify a cause and affect relationship in order to figure out what does what. And doing so doesn't require a bunch of pointless studies. The requirement is to have a full understanding of how things work.
With that being said, I wish you lots of luck. Personally I wouldn't want to take the time to dig through so many studies even if I did have the spare time. I have better things to do with my life.
My bet however is that such diseases are not caused by any singular type of food; instead they are caused by abusing food. I don't need a bunch of studies to tell me that. The proof is all around us. People who abuse food and continue to be gluttons inevitably end up having some sort of health problems sooner or later. Let that be high blood pressure, trouble breathing and walking down the street, knee problems, a heart attack, a stroke, clogged arteries, etc..
Does the word "moderation" mean anything to anyone? People who know it know that it isn't going to hurt to have an ice cream or what ever once in a while. Because they aren't eating the whole box. Heck, I have even known skinny folks who probably don't eat large regular meals, but they snack on too much candy, and while they aren't suffering from any of the serious health problems listed above, they still have a beautiful set of rotten teeth.
What ever happened to common sense and being rational? You get plenty of fat from the meats you eat. I can't see the point why people would want to go and add extra oils into their diets on top of it. Its nothing but extra calories in concentrated form. To me, adding extra oils to your diet isn't any different than drinking a glass of kool aid. Such things aren't going to hurt you if its just once in a while and not in abusive amounts, but for the most part you don't need it.
It's all about the profit
It's all about the profit sadly. Heart attack was 1 in 100,000 in the last century and people only had access to saturated fat....common sense when you think of it...but truly i didn't lol until i read a study on it. The biggest selling drug is a cholesterol lowering drug. $$$$$ After an 8 year trial there was no decrease in heart attack or stroke rates on those who took the cholesterol lowering drug. Profit over patient safety. Check out homocysteine. ~Atty. Phillip S. Sargent, injury lawyer
I agree, corn raised beef
I agree, corn raised beef supposedly clogs the colon more then free range grass raised. They feed them the corns and soy because they grow quicker and fatter. The Mad Cowboy book started a huge lawsuit when Oprah had the author from Montana on the show and Beef sales dropped. Texas cattle rancers claimed their free range non corn fed cattle didn't have the same health risks and took Oprah to court. I never heard the outcome.
Once I start earning more money I am going with organic free range meats.
I have read a lot lately
I have read a lot lately about how inflammation in the body causes plaque to form in the arteries more so than the amount of saturated fat one consumes. There is a marker in the body called c-reactive protein that indicates the amount of inflammation present. The lower the better. Red krill oil and regular omega 3 fish oil lower c-reactive protein, along with turmeric (curcumin). A lot of experts say that inflammation in the arteries will cause cholesterol to form plaque instead of being eliminated through the liver.