Fat

Fats

There is considerable confusion about fats, which are good for us, which are not so good for us and those we should avoid if at all possible. Below are links to many excellent articles and references that I urge all visitors to read to enable you to make your own informed decisions. When reading these articles these are some key points to remember.

Modern degenerative diseases that include diabetes, arthritis, cancers and obesity are unknown in native tribes eating their traditional diets. The natural diet of these people is fundamentally animal based. Their fat source is fats from the animals they consume. There were no processing plants to remove the oil from oilseed crops using industrial processes.
Figure 1 illustrates percentage variations of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in the various fats. Note that Human Milk is 4th on the list of saturated fat. Note also how low the polyunsaturated fats are in human milk and in human body fat. By comparison note how high the polyunsaturated fats are in the commonly used vegetable oils.
All carbohydrates, whether these are in sugar, jam, bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, fruit or vegetables are all exactly the same as far as your body is concerned: they are all ultimately converted to the blood sugar, glucose. Insulin takes the glucose out of the bloodstream. It is converted first into a form of starch called glycogen which is stored in the liver and in muscles. But as the body can store only a limited amount of glycogen in this way, all other excess glucose is stored as body fat. This is the process of putting on weight. [1]

Figure 1 - Comparative fatty acid composition of common fats [2]

comparative fat content

Watch this presentation given by Gary Taubes to The Stephens Institute of Technology

Polyunsaturated Fats Suppress The Immune System	Myth: One High-Saturated Fat Meal Can Be Bad
UK Food Standards Agency Shows their Ignorance	Is High Cholesterol The Cause of Heart Disease? An Interview with Uffe Ravnskov MD, PhD.
Fats Explained	Polyunsaturated Oils Increase Cancer Risk
The Importance of Saturated Fats for Biological Functions	Fats and Oils: The significance of temperature
Cholesterol Chemistry	Confused about fats
Are Saturated Fats Heart Healthy	You Tube - Interview with Gary Taubes
Healthy food: Should we be eating more fat?	Optimal Diet - Fat
Dismantling a Myth - the role of fat and carbohydrates in our diet	Eggs
Discussions between members Winter 2006 - The Low-Fat diet	The Skinny on Fats
The Soft Science of Dietary Fat?	What if its all been a Big Fat Lie?
Saturated Fat and Coronary Heart Disease	Healthy Fats
Saturated Fat Attack	An example of Junk Science
Myths and Truths	Why the Low Fat Diet is Stupid and Potentially Dangerous
Native Indian Diet	Are Saturated Fats Healthy?
Misinformation about Linoleic acid, Ulcerative Colitis and Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Dr. Uffe Ravnskov's conlcusion on discussions on Low-Fat-Diet:
What is particularly shocking is that the effect of the low-fat diet on clinical events was never tested before it was recommended to the public. To get a drug into clinical practice demands that it has been shown to be harmless or at least without serious side effects, first in various laboratory animals, then in healthy voluntary test subjects, and finally its therapeutic value must have been proven in a number of clinical trials. But dietary advices are given to millions of people based on speculation only.

Return to Nutrients Index Page

[1] - Full article: Obesity: A 'healthy' diet increases body weight

[2] - Data taken from Table 5.1: Fatty Acid compositions of selected fats in Chapter 5 - Fats: from tonic to toxic, in Trick and Treat

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