Fat Facts - Saturated Fats Versus Unsaturated Fats: Have We Got it All Wrong

Fats and oils are simply essential to optimal health. They are important building blocks for the cells of your body, a source of energy and they provide a variety of hormones.

The respected medical journal ‘The Lancet’ (v339, 3/21/93) comments that low-fat diets are associated with increased rates of depression, psychological problems, fatigue, violence and suicide (3).

So why all the bad publicity? Let’s take a brief look at the history of dietary fats and heart disease.

Before 1920 Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) was rare in America, but by the mid fifties it was the leading cause of death among Americans (this corresponds with most Western countries). So what had changed?

In 1953 American doctor Ancel Keys believed that high-fat food was the culprit. He set out to prove this by comparing death rates from CHD and the amount of fats eaten in certain countries to suggest a positive correlation. However it seems Dr. Keys was very selective as to which countries he chose. Out of the possible 22 countries with available data he chose only 6 that supported his hypothesis, which ultimately painted a very different picture.

Dr. Uffe Ravnskov in his book ‘The cholesterol myths’- exposing the fallacy that saturated fat and cholesterol cause heart disease’ shows Dr. Keys selected graph with only 6 countries and as a comparison the complete picture with all 22 countries that shows no correlation at all.

However Dr. Keys proved to be very persuasive at the time and so the ‘diet/heart’ hypothesis was born. How, with such a dramatic flaw, could this hypothesis recommending a reduction in saturated fats and cholesterol have further continued and gathered strength one may ask? Proponents of the ‘diet/heart’ hypothesis point the finger at the beneficiaries. The main beneficiaries of the research that found fault with competing traditional foods were the vegetable oil and food processing industries, who consequently then began promoting and funding further research designed to support the ‘diet/heart’ hypothesis.

Out of the ‘diet/heart’ hypothesis came several large-scale, long-term, human intervention studies to be set up in many parts of the world. These involved thousands of subjects and hundreds of doctors and scientists costing billions of dollars to prove that a fatty diet caused heart disease.

The most influential and respected investigation of heart disease was carried out by the Harvard University Medical School and called the Framingham Heart Study. This study was influential in determining our current dietary fat recommendations – such as reduce saturated fats and cholesterol – and involved measuring cholesterol and saturated fat intake with subsequent blood cholesterol levels. However after 22 years, the researchers concluded:

“There is, in short, no suggestion of any relation between diet and the subsequent development of CHD in the study group” (1). So why are we still being told this you may ask? Good question!

Nathan Pritikin is cited for being instrumental in the low-fat diet movement. His weight-loss programs proved to be very successful at first. One component included reducing fat. However he also advocated eliminating sugar, white flour and all processed foods and replacing them with fresh, whole foods and a strenuous exercise program, which obviously makes it difficult to single out any one factor. Unfortunately the low fat and fat free diets proved to be very difficult to maintain and over a length of time, as many clients suffered from low energy, depression and weight gain (2).

The World Health Organisation’s European Coronary Prevention Study published in 1983 again proved no correlation between fats and heart disease. The study reduced saturated fats to only 8% of the calorie intake daily, yet in the UK section those subjects who ate more saturated fat died later (1).

So what is the real culprit? Here are some ‘interesting’ facts:

Between 1910 and 1970: animal fat consumption decreased from 83% to 62%

Butter consumption decreased from 18 pounds to 4 pounds per year

Margarine, shortening and refined oils consumption increased 400%

The fatty acids found in arterial clogs are mostly unsaturated (74%) of which 41% are polyunsaturated (Lancet 1994, 344:1195) (3)

Today, CHD causes at least 40% of all US deaths

Let us now have a closer look at fats for a better understanding of their differences. Fatty Acids are classified in the following ways:

Saturated Oils

All carbon bonds are occupied by a hydrogen atom. They are highly stable, solid at room temperature, and normally do not go rancid, even when heated. E.g. coconut oil, butter and lard.

Monosaturated Oils

One double bond in the form of two carbon atoms, double-bonded to each other, and therefore lack two hydrogen atoms. They tend to be liquid at room temperature and like saturated fat are relatively stable, not going rancid easily and therefore can be used in cooking. E.g. olive, almond and peanut oil as well as avocados.

Polyunsatured Oils

Have two or more pairs of double bonds and therefore lack four or more hydrogen atoms. They remain liquid, even when refrigerated, go rancid easily and must be treated with care. These oils should never be heated or used in cooking. E.g. sunflower, soy, corn and safflower oil.

So, currently most western governments and dieticians recommend reducing saturated fats. However, saturated fats play many important roles in the body. They constitute at least 50% of all cell membranes. They enhance the immune system and protect us from harmful micro organisms entering into the digestive track (2).

Excess consumption of polyunsaturated oils (which are highly recommended by the government) has shown to cause many health problems like heart disease, cancer, immune system dysfunction, liver damage and weight gain (2). Which leads us to that recurring question: why does the government persist in recommending them? The short answer is the government listens to it’s advisors who look to the research and sometimes the research is flawed and influenced by whichever industry funds the study eg the grain, beef, or dairy industry…. Knowing where the money came from is always a good indication of how reliable the information is.

The main reason why the polyunsaturated fat can be harmful is because they become oxidized or rancid when subjected to heat. Rancid oils are characterized by free radicals, which attack the cell membranes and red blood cells. New evidence links free radicals to premature aging and an assortment of diseases including cancer.

Now for the really bad guys: hydrogenated, transfatty acids.

Hydrogenation turns polyunsaturated oils that are normally liquid at room temperature into solids, like margarine and shortenings.

Transfatty (from trans formation): one hydrogen atom of the pair is moved to the other side so that the molecule straightens. Most of these manmade transfatty acids are toxins to the body. But unfortunately your digestive system does not recognise them as such. In the end transfatty acids are structurally closer to plastic than fat – seriously! (4)

Here are the steps to making hydrogenated transfatty acids:

- Begin with a cheap, polyunsaturated oil (e.g. sunflower, soy, corn and safflower oil)

- Mix with tiny metal particles

- Subject this to hydrogen gas in a high pressure, high temperature reactor

- Add soap-like emulsifiers to give better consistency

- Steam clean at high temperature to remove unpleasant odour

- Add dyes and strong flavours

- Compress and pack in blocks and tubs as health food

A long way from being a ‘true’ health food in my opinion!

The popularity of margarine over butter is a true test of the power of advertising. How else could a product with such questionable health risks grow in sales by over 400%?

In summary when viewing all the research, the current recommendations for fat consumption reads like a comedy of errors or, perhaps considering that we have not made a dent in the statistics for preventable diseases, a horror movie. I know for many of you this may all seem too far-fetched which is why I encourage you to not blindly believe what I say, but check your references (starting with those listed below) and dig deeper to formulate your own opinion, which will lead to true empowerment for your health and that of your family and friends

Your 3d Coach
Craig Burton

References
(1) The Cholesterol Myth Part 2, http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/choleserol_myth_2.html
(2) Nourishing Traditions, Sally Fallon, 2001, NewTrends Publishing
(3) The Weston A. Price Foundation website www.westonaprice.org
(4) How to eat, move and be healthy, Paul Chek, 2004, C.H.E.K Institute Publication
(5) Total health, Dr. Mercola, 2004, www.mercola.com
(6) Know your fats: The complete primer for understanding the nutrition of fats, oils and cholesterol, Mary Enig, Ph.D., 1999
(7) The Cholesterol Myth- Exposing the fallacy that saturated fat and cholesterol cause heart disease, Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PHD, 2000, NewTrends Publishing