Introduction
Saturated fat is fat that is solid at room temperature. This kind of fat does not bend easily and so when it is found in large amounts in the cell membranes of the body, it reduces the ability of the cell membrane to absorb nutrients and excrete waste.
Examples of Saturated Fats
Most animal fats are saturated fats. However, fat in animals such as rabbits, fish, and deer are not saturated.
So, the fat in meats such as turkey meat, chicken meat, duck meat, geese meat, pork, goat meat, sheep meat, and beef, and in products such as egg yolk, butter, yoghurt, and milk, are all saturated fats.
Furthermore, saturated fats can be found in certain vegetables that grow in some tropical countries, such as palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, and coconut meat.
Do Saturated Fats Cause Heart Disease?
There is a lot of conflicting information about the link between saturated fats and heart disease. Whilst some authorities and medical experts state that saturated fats do not cause heart disease, other experts in the field of medicine argue that consuming large amounts of this kind of fat increases one’s risk of developing heart disease.
In this article, I want to share some of the arguments from both sides of the divide with you.
Let us start by looking at some of the arguments that debunk the link.
Saturated Fat Has No Link To Heart Disease
According to Dr. Mercola, meta-analysis done recently have found that consuming high amounts of saturated fats in your diet cannot make you develop heart disease. He also states that, a study conducted by the British Medical Journal discovered that it is trans fats, and not saturated fats, that can increase your risk of developing heart disease when you eat too much of it.
Other Medical Experts Support This View
A number of cardiologists and other medical experts have also argued that eating saturated fats does not lead to a build- up of plaque in the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart, a hardening of the arteries, and an eventual development of heart disease in a man or woman who consumes large amounts of saturated fats.
There Is A Link—Says The Harvard Medical School
On the other hand, authorities such as the Harvard Medical School argue that eating large amounts of saturated fats increases one’s risk of developing heart disease by up to 18 %. they note that consuming a lot of lauric acid, palmitic acids, and other acids can put your heart, and your health, in jeopardy.
The American Heart Association
The Harvard Medical School is not the only leading health institution to argue that there is a link between eating a lot of saturated fats and heart disease.
The American Heart Association recommends that a man or a woman who wants to reduce the risk of developing heart disease should limit the amount of saturated fats that he or she consumes.
How Much Saturated Fats Should You Eat To Stay Healthy
So, should you stop eating saturated fats altogether, if you want to avoid developing heart disease? Not necessarily.
According to Dr. Alan Christianson, a Naturopathic Endocrinologist, including between 5 –10 % of saturated fats in your diet will not harm your heart and your health.
And, on the other hand, if you already have heart disease, then restrict the amount of saturated fats that you eat to about 5% of your diet.
Ways To Avoid Getting Heart Disease
Let us look at some of the ways you can live so that you can reduce the chances that you will ever be admitted to hospital because of a heart disease:
- Fast regularly, that is if your health will enable it. Research has shown that people who fast often have lower blood pressure and, consequently, have a lower risk of developing heart disease. So, try to skip your supper, sometimes. Additionally, try to fast from 6.00 am to 12.00 noon on weekends, and then from 6.00 am to 6.00 pm when you take your annual leave.
- Avoid smoking, or quit smoking if you are a smoker, for Smoking And Heart Disease are linked.
- Exercise And Heart Disease are linked—exercising regularly is good for your heart. So, exercise regularly and your heart will thank you!
- Control the amount of cholesterol you consume because there is a link between Cholesterol And Heart Disease.
- Control your stress because Stress And Heart Disease are linked.
- True wisdom comes from God. The Bible says in Proverbs 2 v 6 that, “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright.”
In other words, God can give you wisdom to help you make wise choices that can help you to keep healthy. Furthermore, He can give you understanding so that you can live your life in such a way that will not make you compromise your health and your heart.
So, every day, intone prayers such as, “Dear Heavenly Father, I worship You and give You the glory that You have taken care of me all these years. Lord, you are the God who gives us life and strength. You remind us in Your word that unless You build the house, we build it in vain. Unless You bless our bodies and give us strength, all the exercises we do, the dieting we do, the vitamin supplements we take, the health checkups we go for, and the precautions we take in an effort to have good health are all in vain. Lord, Jehovah-rafai our Great Healer, please give me the wisdom I need to live a healthy life so that my heart will continue to be strong for all the days of my life. Lord, please give me the grace to avoid habits that will harm my heart. And even when I fall sick, I will not behave like Asa who, in 2 Chronicles 16 v 12 of the Bible, refused to seek help from You when he fell sick, but rather chose to seek help from only physicians, and who died as a result. I recognize that it is You who heals and I will consult You when I fall sick, even if I consult doctors. And Lord, please have mercy on all heart patients. Lord of miracles, please touch their hearts and heal them so that their suffering will end, and so that they will come to see that You are the merciful and gracious God, the God who worked miracles in the days of Jesus and healed people of so many diseases, and the God who still delivers sick people and relieves the suffering of those who honor You and believe in You. Amen.”
Conclusion
Whether there is a link between saturated fats and heart disease or not, it is advisable to restrict your consumption of meats, butter, cheese, hot dogs, egg yolk and so on which contain a lot of fat, and to eat foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, sardines, herrings, and cereals such as wheat, brown rice, and oats—health experts generally agree that these foods are good for the health of your heart.
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