SATURATED FAT- WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT IT-min

SATURATED FAT- WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT IT

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There are many controversial health topics, and saturated fat is one of them. While some nutritionists deem it unhealthy, some think it’s healthy and should be included in a normal, well-rounded diet.

Saturated fat is one of the three types of fats, apart from unsaturated and trans-fats. Some experts think it’s unsafe and consuming it even in the smallest proportion is harmful. Therefore, they suggest unsaturated fats and highly processed vegetable oils as a replacement. Still, other health experts say that while saturated fat seems to have a connection with heart disease and other lifestyle conditions, not all of them are bad. In fact, they think that it should form part of a typical diet. Treat this article as your informant and learn about what contemporary research says about this controversial topic.

The basics about saturated fat and why it has a bad reputation

Fats are compounds made up of oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon. There are three types of fats depending on the molecular structure, including saturated, trans, and unsaturated fats. While saturated fats only have single bonds connecting carbon molecules and are hydrogen-saturated, unsaturated fats have at least a single double bond between the carbon molecules. Consequently, saturated fats are solid at room temperature, while unsaturated ones are liquid. Cheese, coconut, palm oil, and animal fats in meat and milk are saturated fat examples.

Over the years, saturated fats have been misunderstood and rapped as bad. In fact, they have been classified in the same category as trans fats, which are detrimental to health. Many health experts have claimed that these fats directly connect to heart disease and have recommended that their usage be kept at a minimum and that instead of using them, the highly processed vegetable oils be used. Interestingly, people have applied these recommendations, but heart disease, obesity, and diabetic cases have only risen. This shows that there is more about saturated fats than meets the eye and that for lifestyle improvement, a holistic approach and analysis are needed. In fact, it has also become clear that the fact that there are many types of saturated fats based on chains (short, medium, long, and very long) means that each will have different effects on the body.

Saturated fat consumption and heart disease risk

The main reason behind the bad rap saturated fats have accrued majorly has to do with heart disease. Many observational studies and reviews claim that consuming saturated fats increases one’s risk of heart disease. However, the studies are far from conclusive, and while it’s true that the fats might increase some heart disease risk factors, there is no proof that they directly increase one’s chances of suffering from heart disease.

Saturated fats may increase heart disease risk factors, but not heart disease

Heart disease is a global killer with many risk factors, including blood clots, stroke, increased bad cholesterol, excess weight, and apolipoprotein B (apo B). Different studies have shown that consuming saturated fats increases each of these, and there is no doubt. Yet, LDL moves cholesterol to the heart, blocking it while apo-B is the main protein in LDL, boosting its stability. Therefore, increased levels of any of these are a predictor of heart disease and show high chances of getting it.

Furthermore, studies have established that consuming saturated fats increases the ratio of bad (LDL) to good (HDL) cholesterol, another risk factor for heart disease. While HDL is protective to the heart, LDL has damaging effects, and its increased amounts mean a person’s increase risk of heart disease. Even with these results, no single study has established any link between saturated fat consumption and heart disease. Rather, they’ve focused on heart disease risk factors. In fact, more than 34 studies in 18 countries and with close to 1 million people have found no connection between saturated fats and heart disease.

Moreover, one study doubted whether omega-6 polyunsaturated fats currently recommended for the diet are really safe, especially after determining that their consumption increased the risk of heart disease and exacerbated the disease, making it progress further. Admittedly, the study results are mixed and not conclusive. Therefore, there is a need for future studies to dig deep into this controversial topic and shed light further. This is also necessitated by the fact that there are different types of saturated fats based on the chains, and each likely has its effect, which is different from the other.

Other concerns behind saturated fat’s bad rap

Of course, the link between saturated fat and heart disease and its risk factors has been widely studied like no other concern. Still, other factors give saturated fat the bad rap it has. For instance, recent studies have confirmed that its consumption promotes inflammation, another cause of chronic illnesses. In one research, a lady used palm oil (saturated) and hazelnut oil (unsaturated) at different times, and when the inflammatory agents were compared for the two periods, the palm oil consumption period had more inflammatory agents.

As of now, research has not explained this observation. However, it’s closely linked to the assumption that the fats could be copying lipopolysaccharides, which have immunostimulant action and often cause inflammation. Like heart disease, the studies on the relation between saturated fats and inflammation are inconclusive. In fact, 2018 research established no association between the two, raising further doubts and confusion. Some studies also claim that saturated fats could adversely affect appetite, cognitive ability, and metabolism, but the findings are inconclusive and call for further investigation.

Should saturated fat be included in the diet?

While most studies label saturated fats as bad, not all are bad, especially because there are several fats with different chains; hence varied effects. Besides, the form of food also matters. For instance, eating highly processed and fast foods with saturated oil will likely increase one’s risk of lifestyle disease more than a wholesome diet with plant saturated fats like palm or coconut oil. In addition, grass-fed meat or whole milk yogurt from grass-fed cows have saturated fats but are healthy and safe for consumption. Lastly, there is a need to have holistic studies that examine everything about diet and not macronutrients only.

Conclusion

Although saturated fats have had a bad rap for a long time, study results are not all-conclusive. They confirm that saturated fats have everything to do with heart disease risk factors but not the disease itself. Therefore, there is a need for more research, especially holistic ones, which examine a whole diet instead of macronutrients. In addition, the form of saturated fats also matters. While saturated fats in highly processed foods might be dangerous, grass-fed meat or whole dairy products with saturated fats may not be harmful.

Ksenia Sobchak

Ksenia Sobchak, BA (Hons) Fashion Communication: Fashion Journalism, Central Saint Martins

Ksenia Sobchak enjoys blogging on fashion, style, lifestyle, love and CBD areas. Prior to becoming a blogger, Ksenia worked for a renowned fashion brand. Ksenia is a contributing author to leading fashion, lifestyle and CBD magazines and blogs. You can bump into Ksenia at her favourite cafe in South Kensington where she has written most blogs. Ksenia is a staunch advocate of CBD and its benefits to people. Ksenia is also on the panel of CBD reviewers at CBD Life Mag and Chill Hempire. Her favourite form of CBD are CBD gummies and CBD tinctures. Ksenia is a regular contributor at leading fashion, lifestyle as well as CBD magazines and blogs.

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