Sometimes you have to take a step back before you can move forward. Lets review the relationship of saturated fats (fats from animal products and palm and coconut oils) to heart disease. Back in the 1950s we were told to eat corn and sunflower oils as healthy alternatives to saturated fat. As our consumption of these polyunsaturated fats rose, so did the rate of heart disease.

Food companies developed new “non-fat” versions of foods that replaced saturated fats (and other fats) with carbohydrates — and heart disease flourished. The net result was a population scared of saturated fat, yet driving themselves to diabetes and heart disease in record numbers by eating an abundance of high glycemic carbohydrates and processed food.

The term “saturated fat” became synonymous with red meat and eggs. But, break red meat down into its components and you will find that most of its fat is oleic acid. This is the same healthy fat in olive oil that we have been encouraged to eat.

Only 35% of the total fat in beef is saturated. Saturated fat has been reported to increase LDL, the “bad” cholesterol, but it also helps increase our beneficial HDL cholesterol. Multiple studies have shown us that elevated HDL is good for our heart and blood vessels.^1-2 It is the factor that most reliably predicts those at risk for heart attacks.

Saturated fats actually increase the beneficial HDL in our bodies, which in turn has a direct function in removing the harmful LDL.

So while saturated fat may influence cholesterol, it may not be as bad as we once thought. In addition, we have several indications that cholesterol may not be as bad a risk factor for heart disease as once believed.^3-5 Cultural studies of Polynesian tribes who consume a diet high in saturated fat show low occurrence of heart disease. The Swiss have higher cholesterol levels than Americans yet suffer fewer heart attacks.

Triglycerides on the other hand, another marker for heart disease, are being found to have more and more importance as a risk factor for heart disease. So what is affecting the triglycerides that are so predictive of heart disease?

The answer may surprise you. Over the past few decades we have replaced the foods that contain saturated fats with foods high in polyunsaturated and omega 6 fats, along with a ton of carbohydrates such as sweets, cereals, breads and pasta.

This diet has accelerated the rates of heart disease and cancer and led to the greatest increase in type 2 diabetes the world has ever seen. A full 65% of diabetics die from heart disease, stroke, and vascular disease. Why? Well it’s not from eating saturated fat — it’s because the high carbohydrate diet that most Americans have adopted is raising their insulin level — the most pro-inflammatory hormone in the body. Insulin stops our cells from burning triglycerides and the LDL that transports them gets oxidized and becomes plaque in our arteries.

So by replacing saturated fats with carbohydrates, you raise insulin and triglyceride levels — and both of these raise heart disease risk.⁶ And while omega 6 fatty acids (found mainly in corn, safflower, and soybean oil) appear to reduce overall cardiovascular risks, some studies suggest that they may contribute to the oxidation of LDL.⁷

The best move for heart disease in the last decade in fact, was identifying the role that trans fats (found in commercial baked goods) have played. When re-evaluating the risk from trans fats versus saturated fats, trans fats were found to raise the risk of heart disease far more.

So here’s the skinny on saturated fats: they increase HDL, they do not raise insulin, and they lower the glycemic effect of carbohydrates. I am not suggesting we slather saturated fats onto everything we eat, but the evidence shows they are not the villains they were made out to be.

In fact, in general, we are slowly moving away from low fat diets. A recent study showed that patients placed on a low fat (18%) diet experienced a 9% reduction in cardiovascular risk while those on a moderate fat (33%) diet enjoyed a 14% reduction in cardiovascular risk.⁸

Food for thought…

References

1. Koro CE, et al. Am Heart J Mar 2006; 151(3): 755.e1-755.e6
2. Gordon DJ, et al. Circulation. 1989 Jan:79(1):8-15.
3. Morito N, et al J Cardiology 2008 Feb;51(1):25-32
4. Agoston-Coldea L, et al Rom J Internal Med 2007;45(3):251-8
5. Longeril M and Salena P. Nutr, Metab and Cardiol Diseases, 2006; 16:387-390.
6. Mensink RP, et al Am J Clin Nutr 2003 May;77(5):1146-55
7. Rustan AC, et al. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciencies; 827 (1): 310-326.
8. Krauss RM, et al Am J Clin Nutr 2006 May;83(5):1025-31

[Ed. Note: Jim LaValle is an educator, clinician and industry consultant in the field of integrative healthcare. He is a licensed pharmacist, board certified clinical nutritionist and doctor of naturopathic medicine with more than 20 years clinical practice experience in the field of natural therapeutics and functional medicine. Named one of the "50 Most Influential Druggists" by American Druggist for his work in natural medicine, LaValle has authored 13 books, including his latest, Cracking the Metabolic Code. For more information, click here.]

For more great articles like this delivered to your inbox, subscribe to our free natural health newsletter!