Saturated Fat and Heart Disease

Saturated fat; the bad fat. These are not good for our health whatsoever, and are a direct cause of heart disease. Saturated fat is found in foods like butter, cream, cheese, red meat, chicken skin, palm oil, margarine, coconut oil*, snack foods, and pies.

The reason that saturated fat is so harmful is because it increases LDL cholesterol, which is the bad cholesterol that causes heart disease (read the last blog post to find out more about LDL cholesterol!)

THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU SHOULD GO ON A FAT FREE DIET.

Fat is essential for normal bodily functions...just make sure that you are consuming the correct kinds of fat. The best kind of fats are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated, like the omega-3 fats in fish oil and the omega-6 fats in soybean oil. These fats, especially polyunsaturated fats, will lower your levels of LDL cholesterol and have anti-inflammatory effects on your arteries.

A lower fat diet is beneficial, however

Eating a low fat, whole food diet composed of fruits, vegetables, whole grans, and beans is greatly beneficial to your overall health. HOWEVER. Just by consuming foods that are labeled as "low fat" and "fat free" does not mean that you are consuming a healthy diet. Many of the foods that are labeled like this make up for the loss of fat in extra calories and sugars. Remember; eating lots of refined carbohydrates (sugar) will also raise your LDL cholesterol.

*Coconut Oil*

There has been a craze around coconut oil, that it's a wonder food that has countless purposes. I've seen people using it as face masks, hair masks, makeup remover, and as a substitute for other kinds of fats in food and cooking. While it may sound healthier, because coconuts are a fruit, it raises levels of LDL cholesterol in the same way that butter does. So, don't assume that coconut oil is healthier and use it freely. It is still a fat, and must be used sparingly.