Saturated fat vers Co. oil

[Misstazz]

Have any of you researched current diets? I've read that we should stay away from sat. fat. But that comes from a book 5 yrs old. I believe that Coconut oil is more nutritious than Olive oil. I can take 2 ts of C. oil in the morning with my Tecfidera and feel fine. If I take Olive oil instead, I feel sick. My meds require fat. But I've read ANY sat. fat is bad.

[ElliotB]

Olive oil, know for its supposed high Omega 3 content actually has a fair amount of saturated fat. And so does coconut oil. Coconut oil seems to have more saturated fat in it than olive oil, (much more) serving for serving.

I have read conflicting information about which is better/healthier so I have decided to use neither.

Here are a couple of links:

http://health.clevelandclinic.org/2013/ ... healthier/

http://www.fitsugar.com/Olive-oil-vs-Co ... l-27889823

Web MD claims that 92% of the fat is coconut oil is saturated:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/coco ... and-health


Yet many health benefits are claimed with the use of coconut oil. Who knows?

[NHE]

Olive oil, know for its supposed high Omega 3 content actually has a fair amount of saturated fat. And so does coconut oil. Coconut oil seems to have more saturated fat in it than olive oil, (much more) serving for serving.

Olive oil is a rich source of the monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid oleic acid which makes up 55-83% of the oil.

http://www.oliveoilsource.com/page/chem ... cteristics

[ElliotB]

This topic made me very curious about fats and I found this which explains the Omega fats quite well:

http://www.uccs.edu/Documents/peakfood/ ... 9_Fats.pdf

Through some of the research I have done, I have learned that for foods that contain fat, the ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fat to be best for your health should be as close to 1:1 as possible. Olive oil has a ratio of 12.83:1, coconut oil is 1:0 and Canola oil is 2:46:1. Corn oil and palm oil, about the worst for you, have ratios of about 46:1. On the other end of the scale, flax seed oil is .24:1, sardine oil is .08:1, salmon oil is .04:1.

I am currently on a high fat diet similar to what Dr. Wahls recommends and I try to only eat foods (that contain fat) that have a very, very close 1:1 ratio.

[Misstazz]

Thank you, I'll read all of the links and see what I come up with. I had done quite a bit of research. but it seems so conflicting.

[NHE]

Olive oil has a ratio of 12.83:1

Yes, olive oil is not typically considered a source of omega-3 fatty acids. It's primary fat is oleic acid.

If you want omega-3 fats, then take flax or fish oil. However, neither of those should be used for cooking.

[NHE]

But I've read ANY sat. fat is bad.

Coconut oil consists of medium chain triglycerides (MCT). These are processed differently in the body than longer chain fats found in meat. There is much contradictory material written about coconut oil since the palm oil industry works to inhibit its use (remember the great movie theater popcorn and coconut oil scare). It turns out that MCT can raise HDL and they're also good as an alternative energy source for the brain.

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/how-co ... rs-disease

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21669587

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23674795

By the way, be wary of any studies on fats in mice and rats. Wild mice and rats typically eat a rather low fat diet and don't process fat the same way people do. For example, erucic acid is toxic to mice, but it's the beneficial oil used in Lorenzo's Oil. See the book "Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill" by Udo Erasmus.

[ElliotB]

Macadamia nut oil seems to have a properly balanced omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids content as well, which is at 1-to-1 ratio.

There appears to be a lot of positives about Macadamia nut oil:

http://superhumancoach.com/benefits-of- ... a-nut-oil/

I have never used it before and in general don't use oils anymore but am going to give Macadamia nut oil a try for salads in place of olive oil. It is available in a variety of flavors, including herb as well as garlic, which sound like they may add a nice flavor to salads.

[Kronk]

Take a look at the theory behind the reduction of Saturated Fats and MS. If it doesn't make sense to you then ignore it. I personally follow the Swank diet and feel better because of it. Dr. Jelinek makes a good attempt at explaining the science with references in the link below.

http://www.overcomingmultiplesclerosis. ... gram/Diet/

"...The cells of MS patients were comprised of significantly less polyunsaturated fatty acids than those of people without MS. More importantly, these fats had been replaced in the cells by saturated fatty acids. Two other studies have replicated the findings..."

[ElliotB]

It is my understanding from the research I have read that if you consume foods with fat, you want them to have as close as possible to a 1:1 ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fats. I for the most part avoid foods that don't.

Jelinek also states:

"We now know that omega-3 fatty acids work to suppress immune system disorders and omega-6s seem to worsen them, although not nearly as much as saturated fats. Additionally we have good evidence that MS is infrequent in places where fish (high in omega-3s) is eaten a lot. Japan for instance has a very low incidence. Perhaps omega-3 supplementation would be a better way to go than omega-6."


There are many foods that, like fish, have the proper ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 (I am referring to 100% grass fed meats, as well as certain plant sources such as Flax and Chia) that are not in the Swank and Jelinek diets. As I had pointed out previously, many oils considered 'good' oils like olive oil are not necessarily good for those with diseases of inflammation. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Macadamia nut oil has the 1:1 ratio.

As I have mentioned previously, many diets are polar opposites of each other yet they all seem to work for some and not for others. Which diet is best? I guess the one that works best for you.

[Kronk]

As I have mentioned previously, many diets are polar opposites of each other yet they all seem to work for some and not for others. Which diet is best? I guess the one that works best for you.

I like that quote. Just like settling on a medication finding a diet that fits your lifestyle and betters your health still takes some trial and error.

To say that Japan has low MS as a result of diet is more than odd... we know genetics play a factor in MS. And that primarily Caucasians suffer from the illness, although African Americans are on the rise for risk. But Japanese may not have the same genetic risk factors. I would rather look at the Coastal vs. Inland towns in Norway or elsewhere to prove the point.