Does saturated fat deserve its bad rap?

Some time ago we posted a blog titled "Cholesterol Controversy".  In recent years a number of doctors have reversed their stance that diets high in saturated fat cause high cholesterol, and in turn lead to heart disease.  And now a large and exhaustive new analysis by a team of international scientists has backed up that point of view.  That study, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, found no evidence that eating saturated fat increased heart attacks and other cardiac events.  Nor did it find less disease in those eating higher amounts of unsaturated fat, including monounsaturated fat like olive oil or polyunsaturated fat like corn oil.

But as we know, almost nothing is black and white and these findings don't necessarily give us a green light to eat steak, butter, and other foods high in saturated fat with guiltless abandon.  Dr. Frank Hu, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, said that looking at individual fats and other nutrient groups in isolation could be misleading, because when people cut down on fats they tend to eat more bread, cold cereal and other refined carbohydrates that can also be bad for cardiovascular health.  Dr. Hu states “I think future dietary guidelines will put more and more emphasis on real food rather than giving an absolute upper limit or cutoff point for certain macronutrients.”

Dr. Dwight Lundell, a heart surgeon with 25 years experience who has performed over 5,000 open-heart surgeries, is one doctor who has changed his opinion of what causes most heart disease.  For many years he believed heart disease resulted from the simple fact of elevated blood cholesterol, and as treatment he prescribed medications to lower cholesterol and a diet that severely restricted fat intake.  The fact is that in spite of this recommended course of treatment, more Americans will die this year of heart disease than ever before.

Just a few years ago, it was discovered that the real cause of heart disease is inflammation of the artery wall.  Without inflammation, cholesterol would move freely throughout the body as nature intended. It is inflammation that causes cholesterol to become trapped.  So what causes this inflammation?  A low-fat, high carbohydrate and sugary diet. 

Scientists now have a better understanding of the complex relationship between saturated fat and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL).  Two types of LDL have been identified, known as LDL pattern A and LDL pattern B.  The LDL pattern B particles are the smallest and densest form of LDL and are more dangerous. These particles are easily oxidized and are more likely to set off inflammation and contribute to the buildup of artery-narrowing plaque.  Furthermore, the smaller, more artery-clogging particles are increased not by saturated fat, but by sugary foods and an excess of carbohydrates. 

So we now know that a low-fat diet that is high in carbohydrates and sugars causes an inflammatory state in the body that in turn causes cholesterol to become trapped rather than move naturally through the body.  And this same type of diet is to blame for an increase in the LDL pattern B, more artery-clogging particles, thus creating a vicious cycle.

The excess consumption of omega-6 vegetable oils like soybean, corn and sunflower that are found in many processed foods also creates an inflammatory response in our bodies.  Omega-6's are essential as they are part of every cell membrane, controlling what goes in and out of the cell.  However, they must be in the correct balance with omega-3's.  The typical American diet has produced an extreme imbalance of these two fats. with the ratio of imbalance ranging from 15:1 to as high as 30:1 in favor of omega-6. When that balance shifts by consuming excessive omega-6, the cell membrane produces chemicals called cytokines that directly cause inflammation.  A 3:1 ratio is generally considered optimal and healthy.

So how do we reverse this inflammatory state?  Return to foods that are closer to their natural state.  To build muscle, eat more protein.  Animal fats contain less than 20% omega-6 and are much less likely to cause inflammation than the supposedly healthy oils labelled polyunsaturated.  Choose carbohydrates that are very complex such as colorful fruits and vegetables.  Reach for foods that come FROM a plant rather than being processed IN a plant.