Are All Saturated Fats Bad For You? | Plant Based Synergy

Are All Saturated Fats Bad For You?

Benefits of coconutsMany years ago, the media and majority of healthcare officials stated that saturated fats are bad for the health and these can lead to certain negative consequences such as obesity, heart disease, elevated cholesterol and many other life threatening diseases. With passage of time, several studies were conducted and it was found out that not all saturated fats are bad for you.

 

There have been lots of contradictor evidences and confusions regarding saturated fats. However, it is not right to say that saturated fats are the real health villain. Taking for instance the coconut oil, this is made up of almost 90% of saturated fat, but it is known for enormous health benefits it provides.

 

The Wrongly Accused Saturated Fat

After many years of bashing and criticizing a saturated fat, the medical community was astounded with the result of a study undertaken in 2010. In the research analysis, researchers have found out that there is no sufficient proof linking saturated fat to stroke or heart disease.

 

As a matter of fact, this is not the very first time that saturated fats were vindicated. The research analysis, however, is considered thorough and big.  Thousands of individuals were involved in more than twenty studies. Many have assumed that proofs against saturated fats are wrong.

 

Many researchers said that there are even earlier clues telling that saturated fats do not really deserve to be recognized as one of the leading dietary villains. The concept that these fats are bad for the heart is just merely based on short trials and animal-based studies. These studies are just good for making hypotheses and not for creating valid widespread recommendations.

 

Reasons why some Saturated Fats are Good for You

There are many different kinds of fats and all these are not created equal, so it is not right to make general conclusions and recommendations about saturated fats. Despite the emergence of false accusations, many studies conducted attested that not all saturated fats are bad for you. In fact, some have shown loads of healthy and positive effects to the body such as:

 

Immunity
Saturated fats especially found in coconut aid white blood cells in recognizing and destroying bacteria and viruses.

 

Liver Health
Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, which is known as a medium-chain fatty acid. It is often recommended to people with liver disease and chronic pancreatitis because it is more easily digested and often causes no symptoms in people with chronic pancreatitis.

 

Hormones
Consuming saturated fat helps in increasing the levels of free testosterone. This plays an essential role in preserving muscles, repairing tissues as well as improving sexual function.

 

Coconut Oil -The Truth about this Oil and its Benefits

The truth about coconut oil seems obvious to those individuals who have studied and observed the health of individuals living in tropical and traditional cultures where coconuts have been a staple food for many years. During the past decades, it has been found out that their diets have positive effects on dental and overall health.

 

Diets that are rich in coconut products were trim and healthy despite higher concentration of fats in their diet. Heart diseases were also considered as rare. There have been studies conducted on particular populations wherein coconuts are the main caloric energy sources.

 

Results show that the population displayed positive vascular health. No proof exists showing that intake of naturally occurring saturated fat had harmful effects on the population.

 

Maybe, some individuals did not expect this result. Since saturated fats have earned negative impressions from individuals for many years, they would naturally expect a population with a heart disease, clogged arteries and obesity. It might be surprising for individuals to know that naturally-occurring saturated fats in coconut oil have enormous benefits including the following:

 

  • Promoting heart health and weight loss
  • Supporting the immune system
  • Promoting healthy metabolism
  • Keeping the skin youthful and healthy
  • Providing immediate source of energy
  • Supporting digestive health

These are just few of the many benefits of coconut oil. Coconut oil is also best known for its amazing anti-bacterial and anti-fungus benefits and many other proven health benefits. Coconut oil might be highly criticized during the earlier years due to its saturated fat content, but studies were made to oppose this.

 

Coconut oil has become one of the richest saturated fat sources known to man with almost 90% of saturated fats in it. Coconut oil also contains plenty of medium chain triglycerides that are metabolized differently with proven therapeutic effects on brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s’ disease.

 

The Secret Ingredient of Coconut Oil

Due to its incredible benefit, coconut oil is now classified as a “super food”. The unique blend of fatty acids has positive profound effects on health. This might include better functioning of the brain, fat loss and many other amazing health benefits. About 50% of fat content in coconut oil are types of fats that are rarely found. This is referred to as lauric acid.

 

The body usually converts this ingredient to monalaurin that has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. Monalaurin pertains to a monoglyceride that can destroy lipid-coated viruses like:

  • Herpes
  • Influenza virus
  • Measles
  • Several pathogenic bacteria
  • Protozoa like Giardia Lamblia

Lauric acid is said to be a powerful virus and bacteria destroyer. Coconut oil is a rich source of lauric acid. Capric acid, which is another fatty acid found in coconuts with smaller amounts, has been added to the list of antimicrobial properties of coconut oil. This is one of the primary reasons why individuals should consume coconut oil since there are no major monolaurin sources in diets. However, the benefits of coconut oil do not really end here.

 

For more information about amazing health benefits of coconut including coconut oil, read the Secret of Amazing Health Benefits-Coconut Flour and Coconut Oil. (http://optimalhealthsolutions.ca/the-secret-of-amazing-health-benefits-coconut-flour-and-coconut-oil/)

Now, it has been proven that some saturated fats are good for you. Here is an even more appealing fact: recent studies suggest that the saturate fat in dairy products is actually heart protective. The type of saturate fats that you should limit is the saturate fat in animal fat such as the fatty skin of the poultries and high fat meat products.

 

So there is no reason to avoid this at all cost. You might be clinging to wrong beliefs about saturated fats for many years and now is the best time to rectify this. As you can see, there are several studies that can prove that some saturated fats are good for the health especially those naturally occurring saturated fats present in coconut oil.

Quote: “Let thy food be thy medicine and medicine should be the food.” ~ Hippocrates

 

About the author

Lucy Liu

Lucy Liu is the founder of http://optimalhealthsolutions.ca. She is a Registered Dietitian, Holistic Health Practitioner, Amazon Bestselling Author and speaker. Lucy’s passion is to help others achieve a happier, healthier and more fulfilled life. In addition, Lucy is also a Master Hypnotist, Master NLP Practitioner, Life Coach, and she has in-depth knowledge in Chinese medicine including energy medicine.

 

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Wally
 

Hello, My name is Wally and this is my plant based diet blog. I started a plant based diet 3 years ago and lost 70 pounds, and have kept it off. I want to help you start and thrive on a plant based diet too.