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SkinnyPupp · 05-28-2009, 09:26 PM

Here's some info from modern doctors, who aren't going by decades old information. Please read it, you will become a better person for it. At least read it. I made a few comments in italics. I bolded some important parts too

Asking about saturated fat is like asking about the war in Iraq: The answer you get completely depends on who you ask.

Since you asked me, I'll tell you my opinion, but rest assured that if you ask a Stepford Wife Dietitian (that would be the AHA people you referred to) you'll get an entirely different answer. Of course, if you were the type to listen to those idiots, you probably wouldn't be reading my column (please read it anyway. You may not be an idiot for much longer).

For years and years the main rap against saturated fat is that it raises cholesterol, which in turn "causes" heart disease. But the importance of cholesterol as a major risk factor for heart disease is beginning to be questioned. And the fact is that saturated fat sometimes raises cholesterol and sometimes doesn't, and ultimately it may not even matter.

In 2008, The American Society of Bariatric Physicians in conjunction with the Metabolism Society presented an entire two day conference in Arizona entitled: "Saturated Fat and Heart Disease: What's the Evidence"? I attended that conference, in which some of the smartest researchers investigating this issue participated, and I can sum up the answer to the question "What's the evidence?" for you in two words: Not much.

In my opinion, the "fate" of saturated fat in the body depends completely on what else is eaten. If you're eating a high-carb diet, the effect of saturated fat may indeed be deleterious, but if you're eating a low-carb diet it's a whole other ballgame. (like I said, insulin is the problem, not fat)

Hold the hashbrowns

"If carbs are low, insulin is low and saturated fat is handled more efficiently," said Jeff Volek, PhD, RD and one of the major researchers in the area of diet comparisons. "When carbs are low, you're burning that saturated fat as fuel, and you're also making less of it."

So, eat way less carbohydrates and way less sugar, and it may not matter how much saturated fat you eat.

One reason that saturated fat has been demonized, in my opinion, is that much of the research on diet and disease has lumped saturated fat together with trans-fats. Trans-fats weren't even a health issue until relatively recently, and for decades researchers didn't distinguish between the two when doing studies of diet patterns.

Why does this matter? Because manmade trans-fats really are the Spawn of Satan. They clearly raise the risk for heart disease and stroke, and, according to Harvard professors Walt Willett and Alberto Ascherio, are responsible for 30,000 premature deaths a year.

Another reason saturated fat has such a bad reputation is that much of the saturated fat people consume comes from really crummy sources. Fried foods are not a great way to get fat in your diet. Neither is processed deli meats nor hormone-treated beef. But the saturated fat from healthy animals — like grass-fed beef or lamb — or the saturated fat in organic butter or in egg yolks is a whole different story.

I've never seen one convincing piece of evidence that saturated fat from whole food sources like the ones I just mentioned has a single negative impact on heart disease, health, or mortality, especially when it's part of a diet high in plant foods, antioxidants, fiber and the rest of the good stuff you can eat on a controlled carbohydrate eating plan!

So what's the verdict? Though there may be certain cases where saturated fat could be a problem — i.e. those with the ApoE4 gene making them more susceptible to Alzheimer's seem to benefit from avoiding too much saturated fat — for most people a healthy diet of moderate calories that's low in sugar shouldn't have any problem with saturated fat from whole food sources.

Of course that won't stop the diet dictocrats from continuing to tell us how "a low-fat diet prevents heart disease," but inconvenient facts have never stopped the American Dietetic Association!

05-28-2009, 09:26 PM	#134
SkinnyPupp Hacked RS to become a mod Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Sunny Hong Kong Posts: 55,118 Thanked 25,920 Times in 9,111 Posts Failed 1,574 Times in 720 Posts Member's Picture Albums	Here's some info from modern doctors, who aren't going by decades old information. Please read it, you will become a better person for it. At least read it. I made a few comments in italics. I bolded some important parts too Asking about saturated fat is like asking about the war in Iraq: The answer you get completely depends on who you ask. Since you asked me, I'll tell you my opinion, but rest assured that if you ask a Stepford Wife Dietitian (that would be the AHA people you referred to) you'll get an entirely different answer. Of course, if you were the type to listen to those idiots, you probably wouldn't be reading my column (please read it anyway. You may not be an idiot for much longer). For years and years the main rap against saturated fat is that it raises cholesterol, which in turn "causes" heart disease. But the importance of cholesterol as a major risk factor for heart disease is beginning to be questioned. And the fact is that saturated fat sometimes raises cholesterol and sometimes doesn't, and ultimately it may not even matter. In 2008, The American Society of Bariatric Physicians in conjunction with the Metabolism Society presented an entire two day conference in Arizona entitled: "Saturated Fat and Heart Disease: What's the Evidence"? I attended that conference, in which some of the smartest researchers investigating this issue participated, and I can sum up the answer to the question "What's the evidence?" for you in two words: Not much. In my opinion, the "fate" of saturated fat in the body depends completely on what else is eaten. If you're eating a high-carb diet, the effect of saturated fat may indeed be deleterious, but if you're eating a low-carb diet it's a whole other ballgame. (like I said, insulin is the problem, not fat) Hold the hashbrowns "If carbs are low, insulin is low and saturated fat is handled more efficiently," said Jeff Volek, PhD, RD and one of the major researchers in the area of diet comparisons. "When carbs are low, you're burning that saturated fat as fuel, and you're also making less of it." So, eat way less carbohydrates and way less sugar, and it may not matter how much saturated fat you eat. One reason that saturated fat has been demonized, in my opinion, is that much of the research on diet and disease has lumped saturated fat together with trans-fats. Trans-fats weren't even a health issue until relatively recently, and for decades researchers didn't distinguish between the two when doing studies of diet patterns. Why does this matter? Because manmade trans-fats really are the Spawn of Satan. They clearly raise the risk for heart disease and stroke, and, according to Harvard professors Walt Willett and Alberto Ascherio, are responsible for 30,000 premature deaths a year. Another reason saturated fat has such a bad reputation is that much of the saturated fat people consume comes from really crummy sources. Fried foods are not a great way to get fat in your diet. Neither is processed deli meats nor hormone-treated beef. But the saturated fat from healthy animals — like grass-fed beef or lamb — or the saturated fat in organic butter or in egg yolks is a whole different story. I've never seen one convincing piece of evidence that saturated fat from whole food sources like the ones I just mentioned has a single negative impact on heart disease, health, or mortality, especially when it's part of a diet high in plant foods, antioxidants, fiber and the rest of the good stuff you can eat on a controlled carbohydrate eating plan! So what's the verdict? Though there may be certain cases where saturated fat could be a problem — i.e. those with the ApoE4 gene making them more susceptible to Alzheimer's seem to benefit from avoiding too much saturated fat — for most people a healthy diet of moderate calories that's low in sugar shouldn't have any problem with saturated fat from whole food sources. Of course that won't stop the diet dictocrats from continuing to tell us how "a low-fat diet prevents heart disease," but inconvenient facts have never stopped the American Dietetic Association!