“In summary, randomized controlled trials that lowered intake of dietary saturated fat and replaced it with polyunsaturated vegetable oil reduced CVD by ≈30%, similar to the reduction achieved by statin treatment. Prospective observational studies in many populations showed that lower intake of saturated fat coupled with higher intake of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat is associated with lower rates of CVD and of other major causes of death and all-cause mortality.
The one statement in the document we can agree with is:
“In contrast, replacement of saturated fat with mostly refined carbohydrates and sugars is not associated with lower rates of CVD and did not reduce CVD in clinical trials.”
The one thing the report does not make clear is if the test subjects were following a true ketogenic diet or if they were only looking at saturated fat levels without concern for changes in other nutrients.
So at least the AHA still states that refined carbs and sugars will not reduce the rates of cardiovascular disease but they still want to take away your healthy saturated fat.
Dr. Atkins Position on Saturated Fat
“The thirty-year-long campaign against dietary fat is as misguided as it is futile”
Dr. Robert C. Atkins“It is the position of the Atkins Nutritional Approach that all three types of fats are necessary and important to human health and should be incorporated into the diet in a balanced proportion. It is also the position of the Atkins Nutritional Approach that saturated fat, particularly in the absence of high carbohydrate intake, is not dangerous to human health—on the contrary, when balanced with mono and poly-unsaturated fats in a controlled carbohydrate dietary environment, saturated fat may actually have real and measurable benefits in a number of different arenas.”
I’m not a doctor or dietitian. I’m a real person who has been following the Atkins Nutritional Approach and the Ketogenic lifestyle since 1999. Over the years I’ve reduced my consumption of all sugars and most carbohydrates while increasing my consumption of healthy fats. I’ve seen my cholesterol numbers improve, my weight decrease and my diabetes disappear.
I’ve seen the health benefits of coconut oil be scrutinized over the last few years mainly by people who have been demonizing fats for years. You see these people on TV and online every day – usually selling a book or nutritional program that wants you to “eat less and move more” but not reduce your sugar intake. These are the people that still recommend that people avoid the saturated fatty acids found in coconuts, coconut oil and other healthy options.
Yes, coconut oil is high in saturated fatty acids and that is why I will continue to consume it and other high-fat foods.
The researchers and doctors I respect like Dr. Robert Atkins and Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt have espoused the benefits of saturated fat in reducing cholesterol levels and the likelihood of heart disease for years and will continue to do so. That is why I will not cut down on saturated fats or listen to people who tell me to.
Should You Listen to These Articles If You Are Diabetic?
I believe that part of the benefits of increasing your use of healthy coconut oil comes from how likely you have Metabolic Syndrome or Type 2 Diabetes.
Metabolic Syndrome, is a condition that occurs if you have at least three of the five following medical conditions: abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high serum triglycerides and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels.
CarbSmart Podcast Episode 23: Refusing Holiday Food and Staying Low-Carb can be tough at first but you can do it to avoid the Food Pushers. The holidays are straight ahead, and with them piles and piles of carby junk, and worse, people nagging you to eat the stuff. Why so many people think that saying things like "But you have to eat it! It's traditional!" and "I worked all afternoon making it just for you" constitutes an expression of holiday goodwill, I have no idea, but sadly this behavior is all too common. You need to think ahead about how to respond to this sort of thing.
CarbSmart.com Your trusted guide to the keto, low carb, intermittent fasting lifestyle
When The Experts start sounding the alarm about a particular ancestral food, two things eventually become evident:
1) They were invested in promoting a different product, rather than the proven one that kept people healthy for countless generations;
2) The Experts should be regarded with as much credibility as The Media. And for the same reasons.