One of the most contentious issues in the field of nutrition is saturated fat. For the past few decades, the recommendations based on nutritional science have been to reduce saturated fat consumption, in order to reduce the risk of heart disease (CVD). Because saturated fat raises LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, it's been pretty much assumed that reducing one's consumption of it will reduce the risk of CVD. But there is actually very little data that can link saturated fat to CVD and its outcomes.

One of the unfortunate factors about nutritional sciences is that it's so complex. Very rarely is something as straight forward as ‘reduce your consumption of this nutrient and you'll fix this problem'. All of the food we eat interacts in a really complex system (our metabolisms), and food in itself, is very complex, with many chemical components. Trying to understand whether saturated fat is good or bad doesn't take into account the other factors in a system - what kind of carbohydrates are being consumed, how often are you physically active, are you maintaining a healthy weight, do you smoke, etc.?

One of the major factors that seems to make saturated fat appear 'bad' for your health is when its consumed with a diet high in quickly digesting carbohydrates - you may have heard of this being called a high glycemic index/load. The Standard American diet is very high in these higher glycemic index carbs - white breads/pastas, bagels, muffins, added sugars. What studies are showing now is that saturated fat appears to be bad for your heart when the diet is higher in these quickly digesting carbohydrates. Saturated fat being bad depends on the context of the whole diet. However, individuals who have been diagnosed with some disease should still follow current recommendations until more research is done.

So what about the person who maintains a healthy weight and eats beans, whole grains, nuts, seed, fish and plenty of fruits and vegetables - all slowly digesting foods - can they splurge on all the butter they want? Here's where the concept of nutrient density comes in, and why focusing on just saturated fat can be a bit narrow minded, from a health perspective. Sure, a person can fit butter into their diet and still have a healthy lipid profile. But, adding the same amount of calories from nut or seed butters contribute MORE nutrition along with their whole grains toast in the morning. If we're going for nutrient density, butter (even grass-fed butter) doesn't stack up to the plethora of vitamins, minerals and fatty acids found in nut/seed butters.

We also shouldn't forget that the argument around saturated fats largely focuses on those foods of animal origin, which are devoid of the protective phytonutrients and major antioxidants (vitamin C/E) that plant foods contain. Eating too much saturated fat can potentially displace these highly beneficial food components, so we encourage consumers to better their health by consuming whole plant foods, while maintaining a healthy weight/lifestyle. We at The Sage are in no way advocating for complete removal of saturated fats from your diet. If it's your prerogative, enjoy your steak and full fat milk. But do so while consuming a fibrous, slowly digesting diet, rich in nutrients, particularly those of plant origin. Nutrition is all about habits, and we should develop healthy ones, full of nutrients!

Not all saturated fats are created equal, and prioritizing some over others may be in your health's best interest. Remember LDL refers to "bad fat" and HDL refers to "good fat." The reason they are noted as such is because the smaller LDL molecules stick to the walls of the vascular system, leading to CVD-related complications. HDL molecules are larger and help carry LDL particles out of the vascular system for disposal through the liver. Also, consider triglycerides (TG) as the amount of fat in the blood from carbohydrate. Here's a table with common saturated fats and their effects on lipid profiles, as well as common food sources. But first, a few things to note:

1. Studies done on saturated fats look at their isolated effects. However, saturated fats occur in food as mixtures of fatty acids. The Beef industry claims beef contains stearic acid, which doesn't increase your LDL cholesterol, but fail to mention beef also contains a lot of palmitic acid, which does increase LDL.

2. Some fat sources get a lot of hype - but hype doesn't always lead to the most impartial science. Coconut oil is touted by some sites/practitioners as being a miracle worker. However, oil is just oil - it packs a pretty big caloric punch but not a whole lot else. Keep in mind that idea of nutrient density - ANY added oil won't come close to its whole food form. Also, some individuals like to eat coconut oil because they think it burns calories. Any thermogenic effect from consuming coconut oil wouldn't outweigh the fact that it contains 120 kcal/tbsp.

3. See Mr. Cook-It's article on Nutrition Myths, where we discuss the benefits of grass-fed meats on your health: http://the-sage.org/post/67368357236/common-nutrition-trends-debunked

Kevin Klatt, Nutritionist + Assistant Site Manager for: