For decades, healthcare professionals have been warning patients to avoid saturated fat. The theory has long been touted that this type of fat causes heart disease, obesity, and other chronic illnesses. However, an ever-growing body of research actually asserts exactly the opposite opinion. Could saturated fat actually be healthy?
According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, the answer is a resounding yes! In his recent article, Heart Specialist Calls for Major Repositioning on Saturated Fat, as it’s NOT the Cause of Heart Disease, he provides 6 main points to illustrate that saturated fat is not the villain it has been labeled as.
1. Saturated Fat Does NOT Cause Heart Disesase
Mercola cites “Aseem Malhotra, an interventional cardiology specialist registrar at Croydon University Hospital in London as saying, ‘The mantra that saturated fat must be removed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease has dominated dietary advice and guidelines for almost four decades. Yet scientific evidence shows that this advice has, paradoxically, increased our cardiovascular risks….’”
2. Carbohydrates/Sugar, Not Fat, is the Root of Heart Disease
Dr. Mercola reports that many chronic diseases are caused by overconsumption of processed carbohydrates and sugar. These foods are addictive and cause metabolic dysfunction, leading to high blood pressure, insulin resistance, elevated triglycerides, and visceral fat accumulation.
3. Busting the Calorie Myth
Contrary to popular belief, multiple studies actually prove that eating fat does not make you fat, in spite of its caloric density. Mercola explains that fructose is the most damaging sugar there is, “wreaking havoc on blood pressure, insulin production, and kidney function.”
4. How Government Dietary Guidelines Promote Obesity and Chronic Disease
Mercola states that the current guidelines for a balanced diet are astoundingly wrong. The recommendations are often based on what is profitable to the department of agriculture rather than what is healthful for Americans, and can do more harm than good.
5. Studies Showing Saturated Fat is Not Associated with Increased Heart Disease Risk
In “a 1992 editorial published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, Dr. William Castelli, a former director of the Framingham Heart study, stated” that the more saturated fat and cholesterol one ate, the lower the level of serum cholesterol in the blood. In her article in Men’s Health, Nina Teicholz says, “We’ve spent billions of our tax dollars trying to prove the diet-heart hypothesis. Yet study after study has failed to provide definitive evidence that saturated-fat intake leads to heart disease.”
6. How to Regain Your Health and Avoid Heart Disease
Dr. Mercola suggests that in order to be healthy and avoid chronic disease, one should stay away from sugars, including fructose, as well as grains and processed foods. He recommends eating a diet rich in organic vegetables, high quality protein, and ample amounts of healthful fats.