To Beth and all concerned about saturated fats,
I'm printing a part of an article I wrote for our local Puget Consumer
Co-op. There is such confusion about saturated fat and heart disease.
The truth really needs to get out.

The Truth About Fats
Saturated fats were part of human nutrition until the mid- twentieth
century. Then, unexpectedly, we were told to cut fats--particularly
saturated fats--from our diet if we wanted to maintain healthy weight,
good cholesterol, and prevent heart disease. Marketers of low-fat
foods championed this concept in the media. And few people questioned
why foods eaten for centuries were suddenly causing heart disease.
In days of yore, saturated fats were billed as healthy and even
recommended for treating serious medical conditions such as TB. While
the experts claimed, "fats are good," prior to World War II, we heard
just the opposite in the years that followed. But drastically reducing
saturated fats from the modern diet has not solved our health
problems. Statistics show that obesity rates are at an all-time high
as is heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and stroke. And the doctrine of
low-fat eating has lost credibility. It's time to review what actually
changed in the American diet and precipitated a sudden rise in heart
disease.

Saturated Fat—Theory Versus Fact
The anti- fat theory began in the 1950s with the steep rise in heart
disease. While heart disease caused no more than 10 percent of all
deaths in the U.S. prior to the 1920s, by the 1950s it had risen to
more than 30 percent. Researchers began looking for the cause of this
new threat to health.
Some researchers suggested that cholesterol levels were the problem.
Much of the hypothesis of the day was based on a report that examined
the artery plaques found in American soldiers who had died during the
Korean War. With high levels of cholesterol found in their artery
plaques, some researchers started looking at cholesterol levels in
various foods such as meat, shellfish, cheese, eggs, and butter as a
possible cause. Soon a "lipid hypothesis" was formed and the
traditional foods containing saturated fat and cholesterol were "out,"
and the new vegetable oils were "in." Tropical oils, though they
have no cholesterol, were targeted as detrimental because they contain
saturated fats in the form of the health-enhancing medium chain
triglycerides (MCTs). And the public became scared of anything
containing saturated fat.
Was the scientists' hypothesis really true? A number of heart disease
studies that followed indicated differently. The Anti-Coronary Club
Project, launched in 1957 and published in 1966 in the Journal of the
American Medical Association, compared two groups of New York
businessmen, ages 49-59 years. One group followed a "Prudent Diet"
made up of corn oil and margarine instead of butter, cold cereal
rather than eggs, and chicken and fish, instead of beef. A control
group ate eggs for breakfast and meat three times per day. The report
noted that the cholesterol levels of the Prudent Diets were on average
30 points lower than the control group eating eggs and meat, but there
were eight deaths from heart disease in the Prudent Dieters and no
deaths from heart disease in the control group.
In 1965 another study was published in The British Medical Journal,
which involved patients who had already had heart attacks. They were
divided into three groups. One group received corn oil, another olive
oil, and the third group was given saturated animal fats. After two
years, the corn oil group had 30 percent lower cholesterol, but only
52 percent remained alive. The olive oil group fared better with 57
percent alive. But among the group that ate saturated animal fats, 75
percent were still alive.

The Surprising Benefits of Saturated Fats
In addition to their shelf stability, did you know that saturated fats
have many important roles in the body's chemistry? For example:
∑ Saturated fatty acids constitute at least 50 percent of cell
membranes. They give our cells necessary firmness and integrity.
∑ Saturated fats play a vital role in the health of our bones—at least
50 percent of our dietary fats need to be saturated for calcium to be
effectively incorporated into the skeletal structure.
∑ They lower Lp(a), a substance in the blood that indicates proneness
to heart disease.
∑ They protect the liver from the toxic effects of alcohol and certain
drugs.
∑ They enhance the immune system.
∑ They are needed for the proper utilization of essential fatty acids.
Omega-3 fatty acids are better retained in the tissues when the diet
is rich in saturated fats.
∑ Saturated 18-carbon stearic acid and 16-carbon palmitic acid are the
preferred foods for the heart, which is why the fat around the heart
muscle is highly saturated. The heart draws on this reserve of fat in
times of stress.
∑ Short- and medium-chain saturated fatty acids (categorized as
saturated) have important antimicrobial properties. They protect us
against harmful microorganisms in the digestive tract.

The Truth About Saturated Fats, Cholesterol, and Heart Disease
Many researchers have rejected the lipid theory as a cause of heart
disease because more than 60 percent of all heart attacks occur in
people with normal cholesterol levels, and the majority of people with
high cholesterol levels never have heart attacks.
A study conducted at the Wynn Institute for Metabolic Research in
London examined the composition of human aortic plaques. This study
found that the artery clogging fats in those who died from heart
disease were composed of 26% saturated fat and 74% polyunsaturated
fatty acids. They determined no association with saturated fats, but
rather implicated polyunsaturated fatty acids such as those found in
vegetable oils as the primarily contributors to aortic plaque
formation and suggested that current recommendations caution people to
avoid these oils completely.
The American Heart Association has discovered that people with heart
disease all have one thing in common—inflammation Currently,
researchers are focusing on the following contributors to heart
disease: (1) damaged fats—particularly trans fats (found in margarine,
snack foods, and fried foods), (2) the use of oils high in omega-6
fatty acids (polyunsaturated oils), (3) inflammation, (4) blood clots,
(5), high blood pressure and (6) high levels of homocysteine (an
amino acid in the blood).

Historic Changes in Dietary Fats and An Increase Heart Disease
When the Japanese occupied most of the Philippines and the South
Pacific during World War II, supplies of coconut oil were cut off for
several years. Prior to that coconut oil was used for cooking and in
most snack foods. Americans were forced to turn to alternative
sources of cooking oils and polyunsaturated oils became the popular
choice of the day.
After the war, butter consumption declined while the use of vegetable
oils, especially oils that had been hardened to resemble butter by a
process called hydrogenation, increased dramatically. By 1950 butter
consumption had dropped from eighteen pounds per person per year to
just over ten. Margarine filled in the gap, rising from about two
pounds per person at the turn of the century to about eight. And
vegetable oil consumption more than tripled—from about three pounds
per person per year to more than ten.
This huge increase in polyunsaturated oil and margarine consumption is
now believed to have contributed to the rapid rise in heart disease.
But the information concerning the impact of these oils on heath has
crept rather quietly onto the information highway, while the sale of
polyunsaturated oils remains strong.

Make Wise Dietary Choices
∑ When it comes to animal fats, it is still wise to consume them in
small amounts. People have eaten small portions of animal products
throughout history or have primarily eaten them on special occasions,
due to scarcity. Historically, a plant-based diet has been dominant
for most people in most cultures. Organic vegetables are still the
best choice for the bulk of our diet.
∑ Choose organically raised, free-range, and grass-fed beef and lamb
and choose butter over margarine. Grass-fed beef and lamb and dairy
products from grass-fed cows are the only source of conjugated
linoleic acid (CLA). Only grass-fed cows produce (CLA), which has
strong cancer-fighting benefits and builds muscle and prevents weight
gain.
∑ Use virgin coconut oil for cooking and as a spread. Because coconut
oil doesn't have double bonds that can be easily broken, it won't
oxidize (turn rancid) easily, which makes it very desirable for
cooking. It makes a great spread on toast. It tastes great on popcorn
and is one of the healthiest oils you can choose for popping..
Coconut oil is made up of medium chain triglycerides, which
researchers at McGill University discovered use up energy when they
are metabolized and act as weight loss agents. Coconut oil also has
"thermogenic effects," meaning that it raises body temperature, thus
boosting energy and metabolic rate. It has no cholesterol and has not
been shown to raise LDL cholesterol levels (the bad cholesterol) and
many people have reported it has raised their HDL (the good cholesterol).
∑ Use extra virgin olive oil for salad dressings and cold food
preparation. Olive oil is known for its heart-protective effects
thanks to research on the Mediterranean Diet. Be aware, though, that
monounsaturated fats, such as those found in olives and nuts, will put
on weight. Use them sparingly.
∑ Completely avoid polyunsaturated oils such as corn, soy, safflower,
and sunflower. These oils are typically used for cooking and are
found in foods we commonly eat such as snack foods, salad dressings,
mayonnaise, and fried foods. They oxidize easily because the unpaired
electrons located at the double bonds make them highly reactive. When
they are subjected to heat or oxygen, as in extraction, processing,
and cooking, free radicals form. Free radicals are implicated in
heart disease and cancer. Polyunsaturated oils easily turn to trans
fatty acids when processed and heated to high temperatures. They must
be heavily refined and then hydrogenated to become a solid fat like
margarine, which is loaded with toxic trans fatty acids. Many studies
show that these oils lead to modern diseases such as heart disease
that were not common among people eating traditional diets.

In Summary
Saturated fats have a long history of use in traditional cultures
because they are stable fats that do not easily oxidize (turn rancid).
Numerous studies have not implicated them in heart disease. However,
studies have implicated refined polyunsaturated vegetable oils, which
many Americans consume daily. These oils are very unstable and
oxidize easily. Oxidized oils are toxic and can cause widespread
free-radical damage, which is implicated in heart disease and cancer.
Expeller-pressed, vegetable- and seed-based oils have been around for
less than 100 years and their rise in popularity in the 1950s marked a
drastic increase in heart disease.

Cherie Calbom, M.S. is the author of fifteen books including the best
sellers The Coconut Diet (Warner), Juicing for Life (Avery), and The
Ultimate Smoothie Book (Warner). Cherie earned a master degree in
nutrition from Bastyr University, where she now serves on the Board of
Regents. Information in this article is based on the research in her
book The Coconut Diet. For more information, see www.gococonuts.com

The surprising truth about saturated fats
by Cherie Calbom, M.S.

Saturated fats always were considered a healthy part of human
nutrition until the mid-1900s. The experts declared "fats are good"
and even recommended them for treating serious medical conditions such
as tuberculosis and epilepsy. Then suddenly, after World War II, we
were told just the opposite -- to cut fat, especially saturated fat,
if we wanted to maintain healthy weight and prevent heart disease.
Marketers of low-fat foods championed this concept in the media. Few
people questioned why foods eaten for centuries suddenly were blamed
for causing heart disease.
But drastically reducing saturated fats from the modern diet has not
solved our health problems. Obesity is at an all-time high as is heart
disease, cancer, diabetes and stroke. The doctrine of low-fat eating
has lost credibility.
In fact, quality saturated fats are important for good health. It's
time to revisit what changed in the American diet and precipitated a
sudden rise in heart disease.

Saturated fat — theory versus fact
Prior to the 1920s, heart disease caused no more than 10 percent of
all deaths in the United States. By the 1950s it claimed more than 30
percent of all deaths. Researchers began looking for the cause of this
new threat to health. Anti-fat theories began.
Some suggested that cholesterol was the problem. Much of the
hypothesis was based on a study examining arterial plaques in American
soldiers who had died during the Korean War. High levels of
cholesterol were found and some researchers started looking at
cholesterol in foods such as meat, shellfish, cheese, eggs and butter
as a possible cause. Soon a "lipid (fat) hypothesis" was formed and
traditional foods containing saturated fat and cholesterol were "out"
and the new vegetable oils were "in." Tropical oils — though they have
no cholesterol — were targeted as detrimental because they contain
saturated fats. The public became scared of anything containing
saturated fat.
Was the hypothesis true? A number of heart disease studies that
followed indicated differently. The Anti-Coronary Club Project,
launched in 1957 and published in 1966 in the Journal of the American
Medical Association, compared two groups of New York businessmen 49 to
59 years old. One group followed a "Prudent Diet" with corn oil and
margarine instead of butter, cold cereal rather than eggs, and chicken
and fish instead of beef. A control group ate eggs for breakfast and
meat three times per day. The report noted that the cholesterol levels
of those on the Prudent Diet averaged 30 points lower than the control
group eating eggs and meat, but there were eight deaths from heart
disease among the Prudent Dieters and no deaths from heart disease in
the control group.
In 1965 The British Medical Journal published another study that
involved patients who already had heart attacks. One group
incorporated corn oil, another group olive oil, and the third group
consumed saturated animal fats. After two years, the corn oil group
had 30 percent lower cholesterol, but only 52 percent remained alive.
The olive oil group fared better with 57 percent alive. But in the
group that ate saturated animal fats, 75 percent still were alive.
These studies raised new questions, leading to some surprising truths.
(Did the following revelations about saturates follow the BMJ and AMA
reports?) I wouldn't say this because I don't think this is how it
came about. I don't know the time line. I think it's more accurate
to say something like: The truths these studies pointed out were
largely ignored by the mainstream, and the anti-fat theory prevailed,
which disregarded the beneficial role that saturated fats play in our
health and the fact that population studies did not support the theory.

The role of saturated fats
Quality saturated fats have many important roles in body chemistry.
They are essential to good health.

∑ Saturated fatty acids constitute at least 50 percent of cell
membranes. They give our cells necessary firmness and integrity.
∑ Saturated fats play a vital role in the health of our bones — at
least 50 percent of our dietary fats need to be saturated for calcium
to be incorporated effectively into the skeletal structure.
∑ They lower Lp(a), a substance in the blood that indicates proneness
to heart disease.
∑ They protect the liver from the toxic effects of alcohol and certain
drugs.
∑ They enhance the immune system.
∑ They are needed for the proper utilization of essential fatty acids.
Omega-3 fatty acids are better retained in the tissues when the diet
is rich in saturated fats.
∑ Saturated 18-carbon stearic acid and 16-carbon palmitic acid are the
preferred foods for the heart, which is why the fat around the heart
muscle is highly saturated. The heart draws on this reserve of fat in
times of stress.
∑ Short- and medium-chain saturated fatty acids (categorized as
saturated) have important antimicrobial properties. They protect us
against harmful microorganisms in the digestive tract.
Many researchers have (in turn?) recently rejected the "lipid (fat)
theory" as a cause of heart disease. They point out that more than 60
percent of all heart attacks occur in people with normal cholesterol
levels, and the majority of people with high cholesterol levels never
have heart attacks.
A study conducted at the Wynn Institute for Metabolic Research in
London examined the composition of human aortic plaques. This study
found that the artery clogging fats in those who died from heart
disease were composed of 26 percent saturated fat and 74 percent
polyunsaturated fatty acids. They determined no association with
saturated fats, but rather implicated polyunsaturated fatty acids —
such as those found in corn, soy, safflower and sunflower oils — as
the primary contributors to aortic plaque formation. They suggested
that current recommendations caution people to avoid these oils
completely.
The American Heart Association has discovered that people with heart
disease all have one thing in common — inflammation. So, research
today is focused on the following contributors to heart disease: (1)
inflammation, (2) oils high in omega-6 fatty acids (polyunsaturated
oils), which promote inflammation (3) damaged fats — particularly
trans-fats found in margarine, snack foods and fried foods, (4) blood
clots, (5), high blood pressure, and (6) high levels of homocysteine,
an amino acid in the blood.
The facts of history also seem to have played a role, directly or
indirectly

Historic changes and increased heart disease
When the Japanese occupied most of the Philippines and the South
Pacific during World War II, supplies of coconut oil were cut off for
several years. Before then, coconut oil was used for cooking and in
most snack foods. Americans were forced to turn to alternative sources
of cooking oils and polyunsaturates became the popular choice of the day.
After the war, butter consumption declined while the use of vegetable
oils — especially oils that had been hardened to resemble butter by a
process called hydrogenation — increased dramatically. By 1950 butter
consumption had dropped from eighteen pounds per person per year to
just over ten. Margarine filled the gap, rising from about two pounds
per person at the turn of the century to about eight, and vegetable
oil consumption more than tripled — from about three pounds per person
per year to more than ten.
This huge increase in polyunsaturated oil and margarine consumption
now is believed to have contributed to the rapid rise in heart
disease. But the information concerning the impact of these oils on
health has crept rather quietly onto the information highway, while
sales of polyunsaturated oils remain strong.

Wise dietary choices
∑ When it comes to animal fats, it's still wise to consume them in
small amounts. People have eaten small portions of animal products
throughout history or have eaten them primarily on special occasions,
due to scarcity. A portion as big as a deck of cards is all that's
recommended. Historically, a plant-based diet has been dominant for
most people in most cultures. Organic vegetables are still the best
choice for the bulk of our diet.
∑ Choose organic, range-grazed, and grass-fed beef and lamb, and
choose butter over margarine. Grass-fed beef and lamb and dairy
products from grass-fed cows are the only source of conjugated
linoleic acid (CLA). Only grass-fed cows produce (CLA), which has
strong cancer-fighting benefits and builds muscle and prevents weight
gain.
∑ Use virgin coconut oil for cooking and as a spread. Because coconut
oil doesn't have molecular bonds that can be broken easily, it won't
oxidize (turn rancid) easily, which makes it very desirable for
cooking. It makes a great spread on toast. It tastes great on popcorn
and is one of the healthiest oils you can choose for popping. Coconut
oil is made of medium chain triglycerides, which researchers at McGill
University discovered use up energy when they are metabolized and act
as weight loss agents. Coconut oil also has "thermogenic effects,"
meaning it raises body temperature, boosting energy and metabolic
rate. It has no cholesterol and has not been shown to raise LDL (bad)
cholesterol levels and many people have reported it has raised their
HDL (the good cholesterol).
∑ Use extra-virgin olive oil for salad dressings and cold food
preparation. Olive oil is known for its heart-protective properties.
Be aware, though, that monounsaturated fats, such as those found in
olives and nuts, will put on weight. Use them sparingly.
∑ Completely avoid polyunsaturated oils such as corn, soy, safflower
and sunflower. These oils typically are used for cooking and are found
commonly in snack foods, salad dressings, mayonnaise and fried foods.
They oxidize easily because the unpaired electrons located at the
molecular bonds make them highly reactive. When they're subjected to
heat or oxygen, as in extraction, processing and cooking, free
radicals form. Free radicals are implicated in heart disease and
cancer. Polyunsaturated oils easily turn to trans-fatty acids when
processed and heated to high temperatures. They must be heavily
refined and then hydrogenated to become a solid fat such as margarine,
which is loaded with toxic trans-fatty acids. Many studies show that
these oils lead to modern diseases, such as heart disease, that were
not common among people eating traditional diets.

Summary
Saturated fats have a long history of use in traditional cultures
because they're stable fats that do not oxidize easily and turn
rancid. Numerous studies have not implicated them in heart disease.
(yes to numerous, when I added trans fats) Numerous (?) studies,
however, have implicated refined polyunsaturated vegetable oils and
trans fats, which many Americans consume daily. Polyunsaturated oils
are particularly unstable and oxidize easily. Oxidized oils are toxic
and can cause widespread free-radical damage, which is implicated in
heart disease and cancer. (I deleted expeller pressed, as it suggested
it's bad, too, along with oxidized oils. Okay)
Vegetable- and seed-based oils have been around for less than 100
years and their rise in popularity in the 1950s parallel a drastic
increase in heart disease. Heart disease took a giant leap after World
War II, that's irrefutable. What changed was the type of fats we
consume. Reducing saturated fats from our diet has not solved our
health problems. Quality saturates such as unbleached, virgin coconut
oil and grass-fed dairy and meat may be more important than the
conventional wisdom allows.

Cherie Calbom, M.S. is the author of 15 books including the best
sellers "The Coconut Diet," "Juicing for Life," and "The Ultimate
Smoothie Book." Cherie earned a masters degree in nutrition from
Bastyr University, where she now serves on the Board of Regents. For
more information, see www.gococonuts.com.

G Cristakis, "Effect of the Anti-Coronary Club Program on Coronary
Heart Disease Risk-Factor Status,"JAMA, Nov 7, 1966, 198:(6):129-35

Rose GA, Thomson WB, Williams RT. Corn oil in treatment of ischaemic
heart disease. British Medical Journal 1965;i:1531-3.