Rethinking the Risk of Saturated Fat

By James LaValle, R.Ph, ND, CCN

Sometimes you have to take a step back before you can move forward. Lets review the relationship of saturated fats (fats from animal products and palm and coconut oils) to heart disease. Back in the 1950s we were told to eat corn and sunflower oils as healthy alternatives to saturated fat. As our consumption of these polyunsaturated fats rose, so did the rate of heart disease.

Food companies developed new "non-fat" versions of foods that replaced saturated fats (and other fats) with carbohydrates -- and heart disease flourished. The net result was a population scared of saturated fat, yet driving themselves to diabetes and heart disease in record numbers by eating an abundance of high glycemic carbohydrates and processed food.

The term "saturated fat" became synonymous with red meat and eggs. But, break red meat down into its components and you will find that most of its fat is oleic acid. This is the same healthy fat in olive oil that we have been encouraged to eat.

Only 35% of the total fat in beef is saturated. Saturated fat has been reported to increase LDL, the "bad" cholesterol, but it also helps increase our beneficial HDL cholesterol. Multiple studies have shown us that elevated HDL is good for our heart and blood vessels.^1-2 It is the factor that most reliably predicts those at risk for heart attacks.

Saturated fats actually increase the beneficial HDL in our bodies, which in turn has a direct function in removing the harmful LDL.

So while saturated fat may influence cholesterol, it may not be as bad as we once thought. In addition, we have several indications that cholesterol may not be as bad a risk factor for heart disease as once believed.^3-5 Cultural studies of Polynesian tribes who consume a diet high in saturated fat show low occurrence of heart disease. The Swiss have higher cholesterol levels than Americans yet suffer fewer heart attacks.

Triglycerides on the other hand, another marker for heart disease, are being found to have more and more importance as a risk factor for heart disease. So what is affecting the triglycerides that are so predictive of heart disease?

The answer may surprise you. Over the past few decades we have replaced the foods that contain saturated fats with foods high in polyunsaturated and omega 6 fats, along with a ton of carbohydrates such as sweets, cereals, breads and pasta.

This diet has accelerated the rates of heart disease and cancer and led to the greatest increase in type 2 diabetes the world has ever seen. A full 65% of diabetics die from heart disease, stroke, and vascular disease. Why? Well it's not from eating saturated fat -- it's because the high carbohydrate diet that most Americans have adopted is raising their insulin level -- the most pro-inflammatory hormone in the body. Insulin stops our cells from burning triglycerides and the LDL that transports them gets oxidized and becomes plaque in our arteries.

So by replacing saturated fats with carbohydrates, you raise insulin and triglyceride levels -- and both of these raise heart disease risk.⁶ And while omega 6 fatty acids (found mainly in corn, safflower, and soybean oil) appear to reduce overall cardiovascular risks, some studies suggest that they may contribute to the oxidation of LDL.⁷

The best move for heart disease in the last decade in fact, was identifying the role that trans fats (found in commercial baked goods) have played. When re-evaluating the risk from trans fats versus saturated fats, trans fats were found to raise the risk of heart disease far more.

So here's the skinny on saturated fats: they increase HDL, they do not raise insulin, and they lower the glycemic effect of carbohydrates. I am not suggesting we slather saturated fats onto everything we eat, but the evidence shows they are not the villains they were made out to be.

In fact, in general, we are slowly moving away from low fat diets. A recent study showed that patients placed on a low fat (18%) diet experienced a 9% reduction in cardiovascular risk while those on a moderate fat (33%) diet enjoyed a 14% reduction in cardiovascular risk.⁸

Food for thought…

References

1. Koro CE, et al. Am Heart J Mar 2006; 151(3): 755.e1-755.e6
   
2. Gordon DJ, et al. Circulation. 1989 Jan:79(1):8-15.
   
3. Morito N, et al J Cardiology 2008 Feb;51(1):25-32
   
4. Agoston-Coldea L, et al Rom J Internal Med 2007;45(3):251-8
   
5. Longeril M and Salena P. Nutr, Metab and Cardiol Diseases, 2006; 16:387-390.
   
6. Mensink RP, et al Am J Clin Nutr 2003 May;77(5):1146-55
   
7. Rustan AC, et al. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciencies; 827 (1): 310-326.
   
8. Krauss RM, et al Am J Clin Nutr 2006 May;83(5):1025-31

[Ed. Note: Jim LaValle is an educator, clinician and industry consultant in the field of integrative healthcare. He is a licensed pharmacist, board certified clinical nutritionist and doctor of naturopathic medicine with more than 20 years clinical practice experience in the field of natural therapeutics and functional medicine. Named one of the "50 Most Influential Druggists" by American Druggist for his work in natural medicine, LaValle has authored 13 books, including his latest, Cracking the Metabolic Code. For more information, click here.]

Healthy Nutrition: Do Vegetarian Diets Live Up to the Hype? By Laura LaValle, RD, LD

Are vegetarian diets the best way to lower all disease risks and maintain a low body weight?

According to media reports they are. Vegetarian diets are also endorsed by a group called the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine; this group and many others believes that a vegetarian diet is the diet for all mankind.This is despite the fact that the diets of various native and indigenous cultures all include animal foods.The same is true of our ancient ancestor -- Paleolithic man.

To find the right answer, people like to compare our diets and intestinal tracts to other species in the animal kingdom for an indication of how we were meant to eat according to nature. They find that we fit best into the category called omnivores -- animals that eat both plants and animals. So, no help there.

My experience is that many people try vegetarian diets but few are able to stick with them long term. A survey done in the UK showed that about 1 in 10 people adhere to a vegetarian diet in that country, and 8% report they have tried being vegetarian but went back to eating meat.¹

Studies on vegetarians do find consistently lower rates of high blood pressure, and some studies suggest that vegetarian diets may lead to consistently lower body weight for individuals following them.^2-3 But does this mean that we should all migrate en masse to vegetarian diets? In my opinion -- no.

What is REALLY overlooked in the research to date on vegetarian diets is that it is conducted on the small percentage of people who choose vegetarian diets and are able to stick with them. So we don't know yet if some people are better suited to low animal protein intake or not -- though that may be the case.

The biggest health problems facing the world today are problems related to insulin resistance,⁴ and it has been shown that people with insulin resistance do not respond well to high carb, low protein diets -- which is exactly what a vegetarian diet is.

One study looked at vegetarian diets in comparison to low fat diets that included animal protein.⁵ The subjects in this study were overweight or obese women with insulin resistance. They were permitted to choose whether they preferred to eat animal protein or not. Both diets were higher carb (both lower in calories and fat), with one that included animal protein and one that didn't.

In the end, neither group had any significant changes in their lipids, triglycerides, or insulin -- despite the fact that their lower calorie intake did lead to some weight loss in both groups. So, there was no magic in the vegetarian diet for the overweight and insulin resistant -- like you would think there would be from reading the headlines.

The bottom line, from my perspective, is that all diets should include plenty of healthy plant foods. Whether you eat animal protein or not is a matter of preference; so far though, if you are overweight and insulin resistant, you are probably better off in the low carb higher protein category.

References

1. http://www.vegsoc.org/info/statveg.html
2. Appleby PN, et al. Pub Health Nutr 2002 Oct;5(5), 645-54.
3. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2003 Jun;27(6):728-34.
4. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/11/health/11diabetes.html?pagewanted=print
5. Burke LE, et al. Am J Clin Nutr 2007, 86 (3), 588-596.

[Ed. Note: Laura B. LaValle, RD, LD is presently the director of dietetics nutrition at LaValle Metabolic Institute (formerly part of Living Longer Institute).She offers personal nutritional counseling at LMI for clients who need help with their diet in relation to illness or disease. Laura also provides educational services in the areas of health promotion, wellness, and disease prevention.To learn more, click here.]

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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs [Issue 06-17-08] which offers alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/