Primarily found in animal proteins and some vegetable sources, saturated fats can be a powerfully damaging food, more so from some sources than others. However, given the fact that human breast milk contains saturated fat, I do not think that all saturated fat sources have negative effects on the body. Saturated fat is a very concentrated source of fuel, and different types of saturated fat, coming from animal sources especially, have been linked definitively to very high levels of inflammation and disease, especially when we overexpose our bodies more than once in a 24-hour period.

High amounts of saturated fat can cause a rapid increase in the inflammatory process soon after it’s eaten. Beginning in the mouth and moving all the way through the digestive tract, this inflammation can end up in the smallest systems of the human cell.

Sources of highly-concentrated saturated fat include:

• cream and all milk except skimmed

• cheese

• lard

• butter, regular ice cream (made from cow milk fat)

• meats (beef, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb)

• processed meats

• coconut oil

• cottonseed oil

• palm seed oil (not the palm fruit)

• chicken fat

• ghee (used in Indian food)

Cholesterol

A related type of lipid, or fat, in our diet is cholesterol, which is found in many foods that also contain fats. We need cholesterol but should avoid excessiveamounts of it. Cholesterol occurs naturally in the body and is also absorbed from food. An average body produces around 800–1000 mg of cholesterol and takes in an additional 200–300 mg from food. We need this cholesterol to create and maintain cell membranes, break down fats, and absorb vitamins (especially Vitamin D).

Cholesterol also plays a role in the production of bile and of hormones such as cortisol, aldosterone, progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone. In the brain, cholesterol assists in the maintenance of nerve synapses. Cholesterol also plays an important role in our immune system.

Sources of highly-concentrated cholesterol include:

• eggs

• dairy products

• animal meats, both lean and fat

• organ meats

• lard

The Ugly: Trans Fats

The trans fats in the standard American diet are especially damaging. These mostly man-made fats actually begin as an unsaturated fat, usually a vegetable oil, which is mixed with hydrogen gas and platinum catalysts, then heated to temperatures in excess of 500

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This entry was posted on Monday, August 25th, 2008 at 4:42 pm and is filed under Wellness, Fitness and Diet. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.