Saturated Fats – Myth Busted : Why Saturated Fat is Good For You In the pic : Cooking Butter
Regardless of following a diet regimen or not, the debate of “which fat is the good fat” hasn’t stopped. There are people who ardently believe in saturated fats, there others who believe that unsaturated fats are healthy and there’s a category of people stuck in the saturated fats vs. unsaturated fats phenomenon, confused about which one is right.
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ANCEL KEYS’ SATURATED FATS HYPOTHESIS
This is not a recently erupted confusion, but has been persisting since the 1950’s, after the seven countries study by an American physiologist – Ancel Benjamin Keys – was published. Many middle aged men were succumbing to heart attacks in the 1950’s, but the cause of the prevalence of heart attacks was unknown. Keys proposed the seven countries study, which stated that saturated fats from dairy and meat have adverse effects on the cardiovascular health and are the culprits that cause deaths due to heart attacks. His study concluded that unsaturated fats in vegetable oils were healthy that made the AHA (American Heart Association) promote low fat diets among its people. But that clearly wasn’t the right decision.
Well, there have been several criticisms stating that the seven country study is flawed. Firstly, Keys cherry-picked only 7 countries those would support his hypothesis out of the 22 countries he had worked on. Secondly, Keys had completely eliminated other factors affecting people’s health like lifestyle and physical activities from the picture and concentrated only in portraying saturated fat as the villain. Another important criticism about this theory is that Keys had not taken the consumption of sugar of the people into account. People who consumed a significant amount of saturated fats had consumed sugar equally. Therefore, many researchers have been claiming that sugar is the actual culprit and saturated fats are not to be blamed.
People who consumed a significant amount of saturated fats had consumed sugar equally. Sugar is the actual culprit.
WHICH OILS ARE ACTUALLY UNHEALTHY?
So, to clear your confusion and enhance your health we are going to explain why saturated fats are actually healthy and what type of saturated fats you need to choose.
We have always been told to stay away from foods rich in saturated fats like eggs, meat, cream etc. as they are known to cause heart attacks. Bam! That’s completely untrue.
74% of fatty acids clogging the arteries are actually unsaturated fatty acids and 41% are polyunsaturated. Fats are vital for energy, overall growth and development, but in the process of dreading about cardiovascular diseases and other ailments we eliminate them from our diet.
Vegetable Oils are unhealthy & you should stop them right now!
It is important to consume healthy fats from natural sources to maintain good health. Vegetable oils or hydrogenated fats are unnatural and are chemically altered, making them completely unhealthy. Another important factor about fats is their bonds. An increased amount of double bonds in a fatty acid makes it highly reactive. Monounsaturated fats have one double bond and polyunsaturated fats have more than two double bonds. Therefore, when you consume an excessive amount of vegetable oils, the polyunsaturated fats react with oxygen that permanently sit on the cell membranes and cause harmful oxidative chain reaction that alter vital structures including DNA.
Vegetable oils are the primary cause for several health ailments including obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and depression. Most of them account to the presence of Trans fats in vegetable oils. Saturated fats on the other hand are not only completely natural and harmless, but also aid in enhancing your health.
WHY SATURATED FAT IS GOOD FOR YOU
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Safeguards your Heart
Several researches have proved that consumption of saturated fats on a regular basis can reduce the risk of heart attacks and several cardiovascular diseases. Saturated fats monitor the level of lipoprotein that increases the risk of heart diseases. Having a diet rich in saturated fats reduce the level of lipoprotein that reduces the risk of any probable heart disease
Helps you cut those extra kilos
Saturated fat melts those extra fats clinging onto your body. When you follow a diet rich in saturated fat, not only the fat you eat, but the ones residing in the body also get burned to meet your energy requirements. Saturated fats also improve satiety and prevent unwanted binging that tends to increase your waistline.
Improves immunity
Saturated acids are vital for a healthy immune system. Lauric and myristic acids present in butter and coconut oil are required by the body to ward off bacteria and viruses that induce infections. Lack of essential fatty acids will hamper the ability of the body to detect harmful invaders.
Strengthens bones
Calcium is crucial for healthy bones. Saturated fats ensure that calcium is effectively absorbed by the bones. Studies have concluded that lesser consumption of fats, has led to weaker bones and lower bone density. Therefore, it is time you consumed more saturated fats.
Improves brain function
Brain is composed of Saturated fats. Nerves in the brain are protected by sheaths made of cholesterol and saturated fats. Therefore, an ideal amount of saturated fats strengthens the nerves and efficiently transmits signals to and from the brain. This improves cognition and prevents mental disorders.
Protects the liver
Saturated fats eliminate the fats stored in the liver. They also protect your liver from any damage caused by alcohol and other drugs and painkillers. Consumption of foods rich in saturated fats like coconut oil and butter help to reverse any damage caused in the liver.
CONCLUSION
Most studies concluded that Saturated Fats and Heart diseases are not directly connected. Cutting out refined and excess carbs from the diet may aid in improving health and preventing heart diseases. So, it’s time to make the healthy swap by embracing saturated fats to witness miraculous improvement in your overall health.
Connect with our nutritionist to help you get started on adding the right fats in the right quantities for optimal health.
