Saturated Fat Research Facts and Figures
Saturated Fat Research Facts and Figures Core Wellness Institute Dr. Steve Hoffman www.gettoyourcore.com www.corewellnessinstitute.com
The Framingham Heart Study is often cited as proof of the lipid hypothesis. This study began in 1948 and involved some 6,000 people from the town of Framingham, Massachusetts. Two groups were compared at five-year intervals-those who consumed little cholesterol and saturated fat and those who consumed large amounts. After 40 years, the director of this study had to admit: "In Framingham, Mass, the more saturated fat one ate, the more cholesterol one ate, the more calories one ate, the lower the person's serum cholesterol. . . We found that the people who ate the most cholesterol, ate the most saturated fat, ate the most calories, weighed the least and were the most physically active."3 Castelli, William, Arch Int Med, Jul 1992, 152:7:1371-1372 >>>>>>>>>>>>>> In a multi-year British study involving several thousand men, half were asked to reduce saturated fat and cholesterol in their diets, to stop smoking and to increase the amounts of unsaturated oils such as margarine and vegetable oils. After one year, those on the "good" diet had 100% more deaths than those on the "bad" diet, in spite of the fact that those men on the "bad" diet continued to smoke! But in describing the study, the author ignored these results in favor of the politically correct conclusion: "The implication for public health policy in the U.K. is that a preventive program such as we evaluated in this trial is probably effective. . . ."5 Rose G, et al, Lancet, 1983, 1:1062-1065 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The Lipid Research Clinics Coronary Primary Prevention Trial (LRC-CPPT), which cost 150 million dollars, is the study most often cited by the experts to justify lowfat diets. Actually, dietary cholesterol and saturated fat were not tested in this study as all subjects were given a low-cholesterol, low-saturated-fat diet.
Instead, the study tested the effects of a cholesterol-lowering drug. Their statistical analysis of the results implied a 24% reduction in the rate of coronary heart disease in the group taking the drug compared with the placebo group; however, nonheart disease deaths in the drug group increased—deaths from cancer, stroke, violence and suicide.7 Even the conclusion that lowering cholesterol reduces heart disease is suspect. Independent researchers who tabulated the results of this study found no significant statistical difference in coronary heart disease death rates between the two groups.8 However, both the popular press and medical journals touted the LRC-CPPT as the long-sought proof that animal fats are the cause of heart disease, America's number one killer. "The Lipid Research Clinics Coronary Primary Prevention Trial Results. I. Reduction in Incidence of Coronary Heart Disease," JAMA, 1984, 251:359 Kronmal, R, JAMA, April 12, 1985, 253:14:2091 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Grass Fed Beef Slanker's Grass-Fed Meats 100% Grass-Fed Beef Chuck Steak Fatty Acid Analysis by Utah State University Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences Skaggs Nutrition Laboratory September 16, 2003 Fatty Acid
% Composition
Butyric Acid (C4:0)
0.00
Caproic Acid (C6:0)
0.00
Caprylic Acid (C8:0)
0.00
Capric Acid (C10:0)
0.00
Lauric Acid (C12:0)
0.00
Myristic Acid (C14:0)
3.68
Myristoleic Acid (C14:1)
0.85
Pentadecanoic Acid (C15:0)
0.88
Palmitic Acid (16:0)
24.18
Palmitoleic Acid (C16:1)
3.94
Heptadecanoic Acid (C17:0)
1.51
cis-10Heptadecenoic Acid (C17:1)
0.84
Stearic Acid (C18:0)
21.20
trans-11 Octadecenoic Acid (C18:1)
5.26
Oleic Acid (C18:1n9c)
33.77
Linoleic Acid (C18:2n6c)
0.99
Gamma-Linolenic Acid (C18:3n6)
0.02
Alpha Linolenic Acid (C18:3n3)
1.08
Total C18:3
1.10
cis-9, trans-11 CLA (C18:2)
1.21
trans-11 cis-12 CLA (C18:2)
0.25
*Total CLA
1.46
cis-11,14-Eicosedienoic Acid (C20:2)
0.11
cis-8,11,14-Eicosatrienoic Acid (C20:3n6)
0.04
cis-11,14,17-Eicosatrienoic Acid (C20:3n3)
0.02
Arachidonic Acid (C20:4n6)
0.04
cis-5,8,11,14,17-Eicosapentaenoic Acid (C20:5n3)
0.02
cis-7,10,13,16-Docosatetraenoic Acid (C22:4n6)
0.00
cis-7,10,13,16,19-Docosapentaenoic Acid (C22:5n3)
0.09
cis-4,7,10,13,1 6,19-Docosahexaenoic Acid (C22:6n3)
0.01
**Total Omega-3
1.22
***Total Omega-6
1.08
Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio
0.89 to 1.00
* Total CLA = Sum of cis-9, trans-11 CLA (C18:2) and trans-11 cis-12 CLA (C18:2) fatty acids ** Total Omega-3 = Sum of C18:3n3, C20:3n3, C20:5n3, C22:5n3, and C22:6n3 fatty acids. *** Total Omega-6 = Sum of C18:2n6c, C18:3n6, C20:3n6,C20:4n6, and C22:4n6 fatty acids.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> In 1998 the University of Guelph, in Guelph, Ontario, Canada published their study on the effects of forage versus grain feeding on the fatty acid composition of cattle. Cattle fed grain for 120 days had Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratios of 11 to one. Forage-fed (alfalfa hay) cattle had Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratios of 3 to one. Additional studies by others clearly show that the longer cattle are fed grain, the greater the fatty acid imbalance. For instance, after 200 days in the feedlot grain-fed cattle have Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratios that exceed 20 to one! Many cattle are fed 200 days or more in the United States. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> EGGS
Organic eggs from hens allowed to feed on insects and green plants can contain omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in the beneficial ratio of approximately one-to-one; but commercial supermarket eggs can contain as much as nineteen times more omega-6 than omega-3!37
Of Eggs and Bison “In 1986, we published our findings on purslane, indicating that it is the richest source of Omega-3 fatty acids of any green leafy vegetable yet examined. “On the Ampelistra farm in Greece, purslane is plentiful and grows wild; the chickens make a feast of it, along with insects and lots of fresh green grass, supplemented with fresh and dried figs, barley flour, and small amounts of corn. We were therefore interested in the Omega-3 fatty acid content of the eggs from these hens. As we expected, the eggs contained substantial amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids.” The Greek egg had a Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio of 1.3 to one whereas the “supermarket egg” had a ratio of 19.4 to one. The article went on to describe how modern agriculture's emphasis on increased production has led to the development of chicken feed that is being reflected in the out-of-balance ratio of fatty acids in the “supermarket egg.” North Dakota State University conducted a study on the nutritional differences between grass-fed and grain-fed bison. The results of that study closely followed that of the egg studies. The grass-fed bison had Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratios of 4.0 to one, and the grain-fed bison had ratios of 21 to one. Simopoulos, A P, and Norman Salem, Am J Clin Nutr, 1992, 55:411-4
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> High levels of omega-3 fatty acids, present in unprocessed rapeseed oil, don’t pose a problem either when the diet is high in saturates. A 1998 study indicates that diets with adequate saturated fats help the body convert omega-3 fatty acids into the long-chain versions EPA and DHA, which is what the body wants to do with most of the 18-carbon omega-3s.21 Conversion is reduced by 40-50 percent in diets lacking in saturated fats and high in omega-6 fatty acids from commercial vegetable oils (particularly soybean oil). In the animal studies on canola oil, dietary saturated fats mitigated the harmful effects of omega-3s. 21. H Gerster. Can adults adequately convert alpha-linolenic acid (18:3n-3) to eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3)? International Journal of Vitamin and Nutrition Research 1998;68(3):159-73.
Modern Oil Processing Madness
Modern oil processing is a different thing. The oil is removed by a combination of high temperature mechanical pressing and solvent extraction. Traces of the solvent (usually hexane) remain in the oil, even after considerable refining. Like all modern vegetable oils, canola oil goes through the process of caustic refining, bleaching and degumming -- all of which involve high temperatures or chemicals of questionable safety.
And because canola oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which easily become rancid and foulsmelling when subjected to oxygen and high temperatures, it must be deodorized. The standard deodorization process removes a large portion of the omega-3 fatty acids by turning them into trans fatty acids. Although the Canadian government lists the trans content of canola at a minimal 0.2 percent, research at the University of Florida at Gainesville, found trans levels as high as 4.6 percent in commercial liquid oil.24 The consumer has no clue about the presence of trans fatty acids in canola oil because they are not listed on the label. S O'Keefe and others. Levels of Trans Geometrical Isomers of Essential Fatty Acids in Some Unhydrogenated US Vegetable Oils. Journal of Food Lipids 1994;1:165-176.
The Framingham Heart Study is often cited as proof of the lipid hypothesis. This study began in 1948 and involved some 6,000 people from the town of Framingham, Massachusetts. Two groups were compared at five-year intervals-those who consumed little cholesterol and saturated fat and those who consumed large amounts. After 40 years, the director of this study had to admit: "In Framingham, Mass, the more saturated fat one ate, the more cholesterol one ate, the more calories one ate, the lower the person's serum cholesterol. . . We found that the people who ate the most cholesterol, ate the most saturated fat, ate the most calories, weighed the least and were the most physically active."3 Castelli, William, Arch Int Med, Jul 1992, 152:7:1371-1372 >>>>>>>>>>>>>> In a multi-year British study involving several thousand men, half were asked to reduce saturated fat and cholesterol in their diets, to stop smoking and to increase the amounts of unsaturated oils such as margarine and vegetable oils. After one year, those on the "good" diet had 100% more deaths than those on the "bad" diet, in spite of the fact that those men on the "bad" diet continued to smoke! But in describing the study, the author ignored these results in favor of the politically correct conclusion: "The implication for public health policy in the U.K. is that a preventive program such as we evaluated in this trial is probably effective. . . ."5 Rose G, et al, Lancet, 1983, 1:1062-1065 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The Lipid Research Clinics Coronary Primary Prevention Trial (LRC-CPPT), which cost 150 million dollars, is the study most often cited by the experts to justify lowfat diets. Actually, dietary cholesterol and saturated fat were not tested in this study as all subjects were given a low-cholesterol, low-saturated-fat diet.
Instead, the study tested the effects of a cholesterol-lowering drug. Their statistical analysis of the results implied a 24% reduction in the rate of coronary heart disease in the group taking the drug compared with the placebo group; however, nonheart disease deaths in the drug group increased—deaths from cancer, stroke, violence and suicide.7 Even the conclusion that lowering cholesterol reduces heart disease is suspect. Independent researchers who tabulated the results of this study found no significant statistical difference in coronary heart disease death rates between the two groups.8 However, both the popular press and medical journals touted the LRC-CPPT as the long-sought proof that animal fats are the cause of heart disease, America's number one killer. "The Lipid Research Clinics Coronary Primary Prevention Trial Results. I. Reduction in Incidence of Coronary Heart Disease," JAMA, 1984, 251:359 Kronmal, R, JAMA, April 12, 1985, 253:14:2091 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Grass Fed Beef Slanker's Grass-Fed Meats 100% Grass-Fed Beef Chuck Steak Fatty Acid Analysis by Utah State University Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences Skaggs Nutrition Laboratory September 16, 2003 Fatty Acid
% Composition
Butyric Acid (C4:0)
0.00
Caproic Acid (C6:0)
0.00
Caprylic Acid (C8:0)
0.00
Capric Acid (C10:0)
0.00
Lauric Acid (C12:0)
0.00
Myristic Acid (C14:0)
3.68
Myristoleic Acid (C14:1)
0.85
Pentadecanoic Acid (C15:0)
0.88
Palmitic Acid (16:0)
24.18
Palmitoleic Acid (C16:1)
3.94
Heptadecanoic Acid (C17:0)
1.51
cis-10Heptadecenoic Acid (C17:1)
0.84
Stearic Acid (C18:0)
21.20
trans-11 Octadecenoic Acid (C18:1)
5.26
Oleic Acid (C18:1n9c)
33.77
Linoleic Acid (C18:2n6c)
0.99
Gamma-Linolenic Acid (C18:3n6)
0.02
Alpha Linolenic Acid (C18:3n3)
1.08
Total C18:3
1.10
cis-9, trans-11 CLA (C18:2)
1.21
trans-11 cis-12 CLA (C18:2)
0.25
*Total CLA
1.46
cis-11,14-Eicosedienoic Acid (C20:2)
0.11
cis-8,11,14-Eicosatrienoic Acid (C20:3n6)
0.04
cis-11,14,17-Eicosatrienoic Acid (C20:3n3)
0.02
Arachidonic Acid (C20:4n6)
0.04
cis-5,8,11,14,17-Eicosapentaenoic Acid (C20:5n3)
0.02
cis-7,10,13,16-Docosatetraenoic Acid (C22:4n6)
0.00
cis-7,10,13,16,19-Docosapentaenoic Acid (C22:5n3)
0.09
cis-4,7,10,13,1 6,19-Docosahexaenoic Acid (C22:6n3)
0.01
**Total Omega-3
1.22
***Total Omega-6
1.08
Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio
0.89 to 1.00
* Total CLA = Sum of cis-9, trans-11 CLA (C18:2) and trans-11 cis-12 CLA (C18:2) fatty acids ** Total Omega-3 = Sum of C18:3n3, C20:3n3, C20:5n3, C22:5n3, and C22:6n3 fatty acids. *** Total Omega-6 = Sum of C18:2n6c, C18:3n6, C20:3n6,C20:4n6, and C22:4n6 fatty acids.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> In 1998 the University of Guelph, in Guelph, Ontario, Canada published their study on the effects of forage versus grain feeding on the fatty acid composition of cattle. Cattle fed grain for 120 days had Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratios of 11 to one. Forage-fed (alfalfa hay) cattle had Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratios of 3 to one. Additional studies by others clearly show that the longer cattle are fed grain, the greater the fatty acid imbalance. For instance, after 200 days in the feedlot grain-fed cattle have Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratios that exceed 20 to one! Many cattle are fed 200 days or more in the United States. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> EGGS
Organic eggs from hens allowed to feed on insects and green plants can contain omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in the beneficial ratio of approximately one-to-one; but commercial supermarket eggs can contain as much as nineteen times more omega-6 than omega-3!37
Of Eggs and Bison “In 1986, we published our findings on purslane, indicating that it is the richest source of Omega-3 fatty acids of any green leafy vegetable yet examined. “On the Ampelistra farm in Greece, purslane is plentiful and grows wild; the chickens make a feast of it, along with insects and lots of fresh green grass, supplemented with fresh and dried figs, barley flour, and small amounts of corn. We were therefore interested in the Omega-3 fatty acid content of the eggs from these hens. As we expected, the eggs contained substantial amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids.” The Greek egg had a Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio of 1.3 to one whereas the “supermarket egg” had a ratio of 19.4 to one. The article went on to describe how modern agriculture's emphasis on increased production has led to the development of chicken feed that is being reflected in the out-of-balance ratio of fatty acids in the “supermarket egg.” North Dakota State University conducted a study on the nutritional differences between grass-fed and grain-fed bison. The results of that study closely followed that of the egg studies. The grass-fed bison had Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratios of 4.0 to one, and the grain-fed bison had ratios of 21 to one. Simopoulos, A P, and Norman Salem, Am J Clin Nutr, 1992, 55:411-4
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> High levels of omega-3 fatty acids, present in unprocessed rapeseed oil, don’t pose a problem either when the diet is high in saturates. A 1998 study indicates that diets with adequate saturated fats help the body convert omega-3 fatty acids into the long-chain versions EPA and DHA, which is what the body wants to do with most of the 18-carbon omega-3s.21 Conversion is reduced by 40-50 percent in diets lacking in saturated fats and high in omega-6 fatty acids from commercial vegetable oils (particularly soybean oil). In the animal studies on canola oil, dietary saturated fats mitigated the harmful effects of omega-3s. 21. H Gerster. Can adults adequately convert alpha-linolenic acid (18:3n-3) to eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3)? International Journal of Vitamin and Nutrition Research 1998;68(3):159-73.
Modern Oil Processing Madness
Modern oil processing is a different thing. The oil is removed by a combination of high temperature mechanical pressing and solvent extraction. Traces of the solvent (usually hexane) remain in the oil, even after considerable refining. Like all modern vegetable oils, canola oil goes through the process of caustic refining, bleaching and degumming -- all of which involve high temperatures or chemicals of questionable safety.
And because canola oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which easily become rancid and foulsmelling when subjected to oxygen and high temperatures, it must be deodorized. The standard deodorization process removes a large portion of the omega-3 fatty acids by turning them into trans fatty acids. Although the Canadian government lists the trans content of canola at a minimal 0.2 percent, research at the University of Florida at Gainesville, found trans levels as high as 4.6 percent in commercial liquid oil.24 The consumer has no clue about the presence of trans fatty acids in canola oil because they are not listed on the label. S O'Keefe and others. Levels of Trans Geometrical Isomers of Essential Fatty Acids in Some Unhydrogenated US Vegetable Oils. Journal of Food Lipids 1994;1:165-176.
