Saturated Fatty Acids
Saturated fat isn’t as straightforwardly villainous as was once thought - Angela Dowden
image by: Chubby Cheek Cakes
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How Much Saturated Fat Should Be in My Diet?
Before the days when the American snack industry became fixated on “gluten-free” and “non-GMO” labels, there was an equal, if not more rabid, desire to eliminate fat from food. The “Snackwell phenomenon,” it was called—this obsession with low-calorie and low-fat processed food. And Americans were lost in the (0% fat) sauce, consuming these cookies and chips by the boxful because they’d bought into the hype. Experts now say that nutrition advice from those decades was neither accurate nor reliable. Here’s why fat—including the heavily demonized saturated fat—is actually not the devil.
What you’ve heard:
If you were alive in the 1990s, you probably think…
Resources
Once and For All, Saturated Fat is Not the Devil
Cardiologists want you to know this.
Is saturated fat bad for your health?
Saturated fat is not inherently harmful. Compared to carbohydrates and unsaturated fat, it has been linked to an increase in some risk factors for heart disease, but not directly to heart disease itself. As usual, by focusing on a nutrient in isolation, we risk missing the bigger picture: what matters most is your overall diet and lifestyle.
Is the Saturated Fat in Chocolate as Bad as the Fat in Meat?
Chocolate contains a healthier blend of fats than meats do. But don’t go overboard.
The Expert-Approved Guide to Good Fats vs. Bad Fats
Saturated this, unsaturated that—figuring out what's considered good fats vs. bad fats can be straight-up confusing. Here, experts break it down.
The truth about saturated fat
Mainstream science says eating too much saturated fat raises cholesterol and the risk of heart disease, so why are some diet trends encouraging people to eat more of it?
The Vindication of Cheese, Butter, and Full-Fat Milk
A new study exonerates dairy fats as a cause of early death, even as low-fat products continue to be misperceived as healthier.
Is Coconut Oil Good or Bad for You?
Coconut oil is high in saturated fatty acids, and saturated fat has been linked to high cholesterol levels and heart disease...There is little research on the health effects in people of coconut oil, Dr. Lichtenstein said, but “there appears to be no independent benefit of consuming it.” That said, there are different kinds of coconut oil, and virgin coconut oil, which is gently processed, may not have the same harmful effects as highly processed oils, even though the fatty acid composition is similar...
Is eating fat really bad for you? Here's what the science says
It's not how much fat you eat that's important — it's what kinds. As best scientists can tell, trans fats (found in foods like margarine) contribute to cardiovascular diseases, whereas unsaturated fats (found in vegetable oils and fish) actually have the opposite effect — lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. Saturated fats (found in butter and red meat) fall somewhere in between.
It’s not even debatable, saturated fat is bad for you
During the last half century, scientific evidence has identified a dietary pattern that increases the risk of heart attack (coronary heart disease). This diet includes a high intake of trans and saturated fats.
Saturated Fat: Not So Bad or Just Bad Science?
An increasingly consistent message from cardiovascular researchers and health experts is that overall dietary patterns—rather than individual nutrients—hold the key to better health. Katz, who coauthored a 2014 review of dietary patterns that are best for health in Annual Review of Public Health,14 says: "There is no one nutrient that's responsible for all health ills, and there is no one nutrient that will make us healthy. It really is the overall dietary pattern. Dietary patterns consistently associated with good health tend to be low in saturated fat—but not because they focus on saturated fat—rather, it's because they're made up of the most nutritious foods preferentially.
Saturated Fats: Evil, or Misunderstood?
The fat story is not simple... The main reason for the complexity is that different kinds of fats do not occur separately in foods.
The Questionable Link Between Saturated Fat and Heart Disease
The Questionable Link Between Saturated Fat and Heart Disease https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-questionable-link-between-saturated-fat-and-heart-disease-1399070926?tesla=y Are butter, cheese and steak really bad for you? The dubious science behind the anti-fat crusade.
The Saturated Fat-Heart Disease Debate Is Still Unsettled
While the researchers are carrying out new experiments, and arguing over the results of the old, eating a largely plant-based, Mediterranean-style diet is probably safe. We may not know all the mechanisms through which it works, but we do know, at least, that it works.
Viewpoints: is saturated fat really the killer it’s made out to be?
The authors concluded we have been concentrating on reducing one type of fat in our diet when instead we should be promoting a Mediterranean diet, exercise and reducing stress to reduce our chances of heart disease. So, is saturated fat really the killer it’s made out to be.
How Much Saturated Fat Should Be in My Diet?
Bad fat? Nah, just misunderstood.
5 saturated fat foods that are actually good for you
We know fats of the ‘healthy kind’ are good for you, but despite their nutritional benefits, many of us still avoid consuming high calorie foods such as olives, nut spreads and oily fish with a fear of gaining weight
Exposed: The Reason Saturated Fats Are So Damaging to Health
While it's no secret that the "Western diet," filled with saturated fats like fatty meats, lard, and butter can lead to heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes, what has not been understood is why this is so.
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