Saturated Fat is not a Monster
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Despite the fact that many doctors still view saturated fat as a major culprit in disease, it simply isn’t so. Evidence of this, although largely ignored, has existed for decades, and now, a study from Ohio State University proves the point.
“We had people eat two times more saturated fat than they had been eating before entering the study, yet when we measured saturated fat in their blood, it went down in the majority of people,” says Jeff Volek, PhD, professor and senior author of the study; “Other traditional risk markers improved, as well.”
What does lead to disease? Too many carbohydrates. But, says Volek, “When you consume a very low-carb diet, your body preferentially burns saturated fat.”
The study aimed to identify the point at which people started burning fat. This turned out to be somewhat different for each individual, but in all cases was significantly lower than the amount of carbs found in typical American diets. The lowest-carb intake was 47 grams per day.