"Solid fats are bad for you, they clog your ateries". How do I reply?

[daisymommy]

I know before I came to learn about traditional foods, I believed the mantra that solid fats clog your arteries.  I mean, in theory, it makes sense.  You think about globs of hard fat sitting in your arteries blocking them all up.

But now, I don't even think about that anymore, because I know how good butter and coconut oil are for you.

But I'm in a "discussion" with some other people, and the sticking point is the old solid fats clog your arteries school of thought.  I know there is one study that is in N.T, but it is a really small study, that most scientifically minded people wouldn't place much stock in.

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2894%2990511-8/abstract

Not only that, but I need to explain (understand?) why it is that you can consume fats that normally solidify, and they don't solidify in your arteries.

What can I say?  More studies to point to?

Edited by daisymommy - 6/3/11 at 2:02pm

[sapphire_chan]

Well, if the problem is that they are imaging the fat solidifying in the arteries (even though it doesn't even enter the blood stream as fat) you could do a mini demonstration. The inside of our bodies is warmer than the outside, correct? (If there's any doubt, you could do comparisons with thermometers). What happens if you just hold a piece of solid fat? Even frozen fat melts soooo fast at anything approaching body temperature that I have to wonder whether the people you're talking about have ever actually worked with a solid fat.

As for studies, try reading through Gary Taubes books, that should give you some relevant studies while you're waiting for a response from knowledgeable mamas.

[GrassFedBeauty]

Ah, this question is so frustrating.  Fats don't act the same outside the body as they do inside the body.  It's not like they are just sitting around in a pan solidifying.  They are used to nourish your brain, soften your skin, and so much more.  Here are two quotes I really like that illustrate the point in a logical, albeit not scientific way:

Red meat is not bad for you. Now blue-green meat, that's bad for you! -Tommy Smothers

They claim red meat is bad for you. But I never saw a sick-looking tiger. -Chi Chi Rodriguez

[FillingMyQuiver]

Here's a bit on it:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/saturated-fat-healthy/

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/cholesterol/

[BubblingBrooks]

Solid at room temp but liquid at 80 and over. What temperature is the average body?

And ask them about that nasty impossible to clean goop in and on the hood of their oven! All of that occurs from the processed oils they are cooking with. That is what is gooping up the insides of so many people today.
If you cook with good fats, that build up never occurs!

[daisymommy]

Originally Posted by BubblingBrooks 

Solid at room temp but liquid at 80 and over. What temperature is the average body?

 

Aha!  Why didn't I think of that fact! 

Those are some great links to Marks Daily Apple too, thanks!

And I didn't know that fat doesn't enter the bloodstream. 

How do arteries get fat accumulation though?  This is the study referenced in N.T, that post mortem autopsy studies show 26% sat. fat and 74% poly fat. in artery build up in heart attack victims. 

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2894%2990511-8/abstract

Keep the great info. coming!

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by daisymommy 

And I didn't know that fat doesn't enter the bloodstream. 

How do arteries get fat accumulation though?  This is the study referenced in N.T, that post mortem autopsy studies show 26% sat. fat and 74% poly fat. in artery build up in heart attack victims. 

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2894%2990511-8/abstract

Keep the great info. coming!

I don't know, but I do know it isn't a matter of eat fat=>fat seeps into blood vessels=>accumulation.

[Casha'sMommy]

I only have a few minutes but wanted to chime in.
 

I do question the possibility that gut or intestinal health plays a roll. As we digest food our bodies use digestive juices that break down proteins, carbs, and fats into molecules small enough to seep into the bloodstream. The fat gets carried around in pockets, if you will, and deposited where it's needed. This occurs mostly in fat cells and the liver, where the fat is mixed with bile and excreted. I question whether poor gut health causes larger than intended fat molecules to enter the bloodstream causing a blockage.

I also must say that the human body will not allow itself to die without a fight. It will store fat if not given enough of it although, I think "enough" is different for each person. I also feel the type of fat is very important. There should be a balance between types of fat, none of which should imho consist of anything that isn't natural. I think it's possible that not eating enough fat might possibly cause a body to make deposits as if saving up.

[serenbat]

a healthy liver functions to cleanse the blood of fat and toxins

[Casha'sMommy]

YES! I think healthy is the operative term in that sentence. All the body's parts work in tandem and without that delicate balance bad things will happen.

[Piglet68]

It's not actually "fat" (as in, the stuff that congeals on your cold frying pan) that clogs arteries. Atherosclerotic plaques are composed of cholesterol, triglycerides, and other "fatty" substances and it has long been believed that "LDL" (low density lipoprotien) cholesterol was the culprit. Turns out there are 2 kinds of LDL, the so-called "big, fluffy" (type A) kind and the small, sticky (type B) kind. It's the type B that is the bad stuff. People eating low carb, high (good) fat diets tend to have most of their LDL in type A form.