In this article I am going to outline 10 reasons to eat more saturated fat, which you may have heard referred to as “artery-clogging saturated fat” by outdated nutritionists and vegan proponents.
1. Saturated Fat Does NOT Give You Heart Disease
Despite what you may have heard countless times, there is no association at all between saturated fat and heart disease (1, 2).
In fact, saturated fat modifies certain risk factors for heart disease, actually improving them.
It changes your LDL from the “small, dense (bad) kind” to the “large, fluffy type” which is benign (3, 4, 5). Saturated fat also raise your HDL (see below).
2. May be protective against stroke
Here’s a surprise for you.
Not only is saturated fat not associated with increased risk of heart disease, it may actually decrease risk of stroke, which is caused by bleeding or a blood clot in the brain (6, 7).
3. Raises your HDL levels
I am sure you’ve heard of the talk about “good” vs “bad” cholesterol. The good cholesterol is called HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) and it is common knowledge that saturated fat raises HDL levels (8, 9).
HDL levels are inversely correlated with cardiovascular disease, and the fact that saturated fat has a positive effect on HDL is something nutrition policy makers have chosen to selectively ignore.
4. Foods with Saturated Fat are Incredibly Nutritious
The fact is that foods that are high in natural saturated fats are incredibly nutritious, meat, organs and whole eggs being prime examples of that. Despite these foods (such as the eggs) being high in cholesterol, that doesn’t have any effect on heart disease whatsoever (10, 11, 12).
5. These Foods Contain a lot of Fat Soluble Vitamins
Natural foods that are high in fat contain a lot of fat soluble vitamins, including Vitamin A, E, D3 and K2.
An interesting example of a food that has been demonized due to high saturated fat content is full-fat dairy.
Ironically, some evidence suggests that full-fat dairy may be incredibly protective against heart disease, reducing risk by 69% in one large study, most likely due to a high Vitamin K2 content (13).
6. High Fat (And Low Carb) Diets Can Aid in Weight Loss
Low-carb diets tend to be high in fat, including saturated fat. These diets have incredible health benefits for people, including drastically increased weight loss compared to their low-fat counterparts (14, 15, 16).
7. Saturated Fats Don’t Damage Easily During High Heat
Saturated fats don’t contain any double bonds like unsaturated fats, which means that they are more stable. When cooking, fats are exposed to both high heat and oxygen at the same time, and saturated fats are less likely to become oxidized (damaged) under these circumstances.
Therefore, saturated fats are a safer option for cooking.
8. Saturated Fats Are a Clean Fuel
Saturated fat is a form of energy that the body can use easily and metabolize as a clean fuel.
The body actually uses saturated (and monounsaturated) fat as a storage form of energy, and the body can use this stored energy in a healthy way when it lacks food. It doesn’t make any sense that humans would evolve to store energy in a form that is harmful to them.
The fact is, every weight loss diet is a high-saturated-fat diet, because a large part of the fatty acids in body fat are saturated, and during a calorie deficit the body will burn body fat.
9. The Look in Peoples Face
It’s hard to deny that it’s fun to watch the faces of outdated nutritionists and vegans as you smother your steak in melted butter at the restaurant. Then you get to laugh like a madman when they tell you that you’ll die of a heart attack.
10. Saturated Fat is Delicious
Bacon, steak, whole eggs, cheese, cream, butter… nuff said.
I was dieting few years ago eating bacon and barbeque meat, doctor told me that natural fat (eating normal amounts) is ok. He said sugar is enemy… so I ditch sugar and made eggs and bacon for breakfast.
Viva la good fats!!
Ha! #9 and #10 are my favorite! Love it!
Yea dude, sweet tips. People assume because something has fat in it that it will make you fat. Isn’t that kinda medieval thinking people…
am 68, trying to lose about kilo, finding difficult as I don’t eat much anyway, do some exercise every other day. Your theory goes against my own eating habits, have stop the sugar, bread is a big problem, I like a sandwich, toast, was off eggs & cheese, will try the eggs again. What about cheese, weetabix the box says its OK.
matt
Palm oil is fine. Bread is definitely not a good option if you’re trying to lose weight. I wouldn’t trust what you read on a Weetabix box.
Hi, I have read some of your “fancy” materials here and there, and I could see that you are trying to be the “guru” of a field that most of medical doctors and students SHOULD know a bit about, but they think they know it ALL. Nutrition is not a hospital bed, you just put every patient who come, and yet with a different sickness; Nutrition is like clothes, you design them in different sizes for different heights and weights. So long story short, there are GENERAL theories that can apply for all, like eat natural food, but again when it comes to what food, that is definitely specific to AGE, WEIGHT, HEIGHT, HEALTH STATUS and HABIT. Hope you continue your propaganda doing the right thing, man.
Bests
Dr. Mohamed Ali
PhD in Nutrition and medical sciences, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
@Matt Anderson:
I also am 68, and can’t seem to stay away from the refined sugar, although I have pretty much left the grains behind.
If you like bread things, take a look at some of the gluten-free substitutes. It may take some trial-and-error, though; I suspect you won’t like rice-based stuff. Not only is it still a grain (although gluten-free),the breads and cakes are very dense and have little or no integrity. They fall apart with just a glance, and I am not a fan of the texture, either.
If you are baking and want to use egg substitutes (if you can’t tolerate eggs, like my wife), two tablespoons of flax seeds, finely ground and mixed with a little water, can be used to replace an egg. This, with a bit of guar gum, helps to hold paleo batters together.
You only want to lose a kilo? I am working on about a total of about 12! It creeps up over the years, for sure.
Not sure what you are referring to with your Weetabix remark. It is, surprise, wheat-based (and always tasted to me like eating sawdust), so I would suggest avoiding it, as well a Shredded, puffed, and any other process of the stuff.
I eat cheese, mostly aged cheddar, which has less lactose than other cow cheeses, and goat cheese, which is naturally lactose-free (and my wife can eat it, too, which makes it easier to get into the house). I have found, however, that old cheddars are not created equal. In Western Canada, we have several national brands available, as well as a number of local and regional kinds. The residual lactose, as well, I’m sure, as other things in cheese, varies a great deal from brand to brand. (I believe the balance of ingredients varies depending on the time of year the cheese was made, because of variances in the cows’ diets.)
Palm Oil for cooking? OK or not?
ok
It´s not ok for the rainforests, but that´s another story.
#9
Also love the blog. Great job imo
Great article Kris! We’ve been told to stay away from saturated fat and many people have believed it but nature doesn’t lie. We need saturated fats in our diet because they have some great benefits. I’ll skip the margarine and vegetable oils and have coconut oil any day of the week!
Hi Kris, discovered your website recently, am finding it really informative. A couple of things – what is your view of newly popular foods such as quinoa and chia seeds, which claim to be a good source of protein. Canthey fit into your philosophy of eating? I have not eaten red meat or chicken for about 20 years and don’t see myself being able to incorporate them into my diet, so these types of foods are attractive to me as protein providers. Also I read recently in a newspaper article about the DASH eating plan which promises lots of health benefits/weight loss through, among other things, eating six serves of grains a day, “half of which should be wholegrain”….???? This would seem to be in opposition to your ideas of diet……
I am very much against diets like the DASH diet. It might make nutritionists happy, but definitely not optimal for your health.
I believe Quinoa and Chia seeds are absolutely fine, although I haven’t tried either of them personally.
I believe quinoa and chia, despite being referred to as ‘seeds’ are, in fact, grains. Like all grains, they contain many vitamins and minerals, but, also protect their nutrients with anti-nutrients, which act in our guts (and those of ruminants like cows, deer, etc.) to resist breakdown; these materials merely pass through our systems and exit mostly intact. (In ruminants, their droppings serve to propogate the grains, thus helping to ensure the plants’ survival)
I hope, dixie760, you do some research on warm-blooded animal proteins and their availability to our bodies when we eat them.
Most of the nutrients in grains are absorbed, it’s not like the anti-nutrients literally keep the grains intact through the digestive tract. They get broken down and absorbed like other foods, except for the fiber.
Some grains are worse than others, with wheat being by far the worst in my opinion. Chia and Quinoa are probably a much better option. Not all grains are bad, and it depends on the preparation method.
But definitely NOT a good source of protein, I agree that animal protein is by far the best option there.
You mention that, regarding grains, it depends on the preparation method”. I know grains aren’t your thing but could you expand on that a bit?? I’m intending to incorporate your ideas into my eating, but just can’t do meat at this point, so grain consumption, and the healthiest way to achieve that, is of interest….
Quinoa is great and a good source of complete protein. But it’s only a relatively small amount, so you can’t rely on it as a major protein source in your diet.
Nice article! I used to be part of that crowd that would avoid eggs, meat, and dairy like the plague. Until I started doing my own research and stopped taking the advice from….well never mind, I’ve always been told if you can’t say anything nice, say nothing at all. Anyway, great article, I’m gonna go get some steak and eggs!
Great article, anything in moderation is good in my opinion, keep the scientific side of nutrition coming. You should try become the next Brad Pilon.
“Anything in moderation is good in my opinion” is sorry to say, a load of crap. Conventional wisdom rhetoric to me. That is what we are told via marketing to sell food like substances with little or no nutritional value, many of which are in fact detrimental to our health. The first thing that springs to mind is soy.
Great article.
I am very surprised how uninformed I was about nutrition. I had just read a lot stuff about the harm of dairy.
Kris knows what he’s talking about.
Well, I am going to finish my steak. Keep up the good work.
Kris,
Great list! I’d like to add one… #11: they are delicious!
Alykhan
If you read further, you’ll see that the publication itself finds that research unsupportable:
“Without this further analysis, the conclusion that, “our meta-analysis showed that there is insufficient evidence from prospective epidemiologic studies to conclude that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD, stroke, or CVD” is unsupported.”
Which study are you referring to?
This is an interesting article. May I obtain the bibliography of studies that you used to support the information that you have provided on this topic?
They are linked to in brackets behind the relevant paragraphs, such as: (1, 2, 3).
Kristjan,
Thank you. Somehow I missed that.
RL
Hey Kris,
another nice one, thanks Brother! :-)
I make it a point to have some –or make that A LOT– Coconut Butter/oil each and every day, which is THE smartest fat on the planet, in my not-so-humble-at-all opinion! :-)
Mark
I have a history of restrictive eating without weight loss, and since starting to eat “paleo-ish,” my weight actually moving again! I rely on coconut oil and dead animal to help me keep my calorie count high…I was eating less than 1200 calories a day and exercising daily, which as a 200-pound person meant I was starving myself. On paleo, I’ve worked up to 17oo calories a day — I couldn’t do it without saturated fat in many forms.
Hey kris just saw yesterday that Harvard finished a 20 year study on people who ate red meat. Will you check the study out and post what you think? I never looked at red meat in a bad light but after hearing about this study I don’t know what to think!
Hello Kim. This is an observational study with a ton of confounders. It is impossible to prove such an association except in randomized clinical trials.
It just doesn’t make any sense from an evolutionary perspective that red meat would be bad for us, therefore I won’t believe it until I can see some hard evidence, which doesn’t exist at this point.
In this particular study, those who consume red meat also happen to be more likely to smoke, ate more calories overall, were much less physically active and less likely to take a multivitamin.
The main theme: those who eat less red meat are likely to be more health conscious.
If you want to see this study “torn apart”, which is something I am against doing, because I don’t want to be “that guy” who tears apart every study that doesn’t agree with his theory, but it has been done by Denise Minger here, who is an expert on statistical analysis: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/will-eating-red-meat-kill-you/
This one study doesn’t change a thing in my mind.
Hi Kris,
Is full fat coconut milk good? I use extra virgin coconut oil for cooking. I don’t mean to change the subject but do u consider whey protein to be good? Thanks. Love your site.
Yes, full fat coconut milk is good. Whey protein too.
Wow so much to take in there. For years we have been told saturated fats are bad for you and that they lead to high cholesterol. Some of the stuff I am reading on this excellent site is changing a lot my views on health and diet. Thanks Kris!
Hi. I was wondering what you think about mayonnaise? Since it is made of egg yolk and olive oil I would assume you deem it pretty healthy in moderation.
At least if you make it yourself. But it has often been named the culprit of the notorious u.s. hamburger butt, so… your thoughts?
I would like your blog and various articles more if you did take a stab at vegans every five seconds. If done correctly a plant-based diet is perfectly sustainable. And I’m sorry I have a hard time believing an article that is telling me eating steak is okay, but bread and wheat is unhealthful. Maybe it is just becuase I do not follow a low carb diet. Nothing irks me more than a person shoveling gunk like beef into their gobs and then telling me bread is going to kill me. xD As if.
Hey Kristjan,
Gave you some link love in my latest post – I felt like this was a great, well cited take on Saturated fat.
The Great Heart Disease Hoax
Thanks Graham. That’s a great article.
Kris,
Considering the Keto diet but would like some input on supplements..
I’m 55 yrs old, 5’6″ 184 libs, very stocky and muscular, work out 5 times a week with weights followed by 30 mins of medium (Fast Walking) Cardio..
My probs are my waist and sides, got the spare tire and love handles.. so was wondering, if I do the Keto diet (Being a meat, bacon, sausage lover it is very appealing) can I supplement pre work out with creatine and Nitric Oxide supplements and with a post workout creatine/bcca/whey isolate protein mix..
In addition add whey protein between meals for muscle gain.. and if not why…LOL… why would the extra protein be bad for me…
Thanks
Dave
The spare tire (plus love handles) are primarily the result of wheat gluten. Many publications and research pointing this way, especially Dr William Davis’ “Wheatbelly”. Davis has many examples of his patients with similar struggles to your own. His premise is that the varieties of wheat developed in the last 50 yeasrs, through selective breeding, not GMO, has resulted in a heavier head with a shorter, stronger stalk, for better yields to farmers. Unfortunately, the new varieties have a higher Glycemic Index than table sugar, and eating any part of the grain will ultimately make you fat around the middle.
I don’t see any problem with these supplements around your workouts, as long as there’s no sugar in them.
Kris this article promotes eating saturated fat more, and even implies the more you eat the better for your health.
This is not the case at all.
You say nothing about how much saturated fat you should be eating each day. We know for fact that if you eat too much it will make you gain weight which can lead to becoming overweight or obese – after all you said “The body actually uses saturated (and monounsaturated) fat as a storage form of energy, and the body can use this stored energy in a healthy way when it lacks food”. Saturated fat is what your body readily stores as back-up energy- ie as fat. The more overweight you are the more at risk you are of a myriad of health problems including heart disease, stroke, weight gain, diabetes. This is all science and is fact.
Moderation is the key for all food groups.
This is a great article, but I just wanted to ask you if you feel that people who have high cholesterol levels should not eat too much saturated fat,as I believe it does increase total cholesterol and ldl as well as hdl? Thanks Kris