“Since the turn of the century, saturated fat in the diet has increased by 1,000 percent, yet essential fatty acids have decreased by 80 percent.”
There has been a whole lot of focus on foods like eggs and red meat being the perpetrators of high cholesterol, but we now know that moderate intake of animal foods has little effect on blood cholesterol compared to a diet high in saturated vegetable oils and carbohydrates that are high on the glycemic index. Refined sugars and starches increase saturated fat in the blood. White sugar, white flour, white rice, pasta, corn starch, tapioca, and most breakfast cereals convert easily into saturated fat. Additionally, saturated fats created by processing vegetable oils are even more damaging than those derived from meat. Even though they do not contain cholesterol, they are synthetic to the body and cause the same reaction as animal-source, saturated fats. So think about it, eat a Danish full of white flour and processed oils and you have a perfect recipe for increasing your cholesterol, even though the wrapper it came in stated “cholesterol free”
But here is the kicker. Eating processed oils and carbohydrates increase LDL cholesterol disproportionately to HDL, resulting in damaged arteries and many of our common cardiovascular diseases. Since the turn of the century, saturated fat in the diet has increased by 1,000 percent, yet essential fatty acids have decreased by 80 percent.
On top of eating processed oils and carbohydrates, the North American diet is very high in animal foods. As I have said before, most of us are not addicted to meat, it is the fat, salt and sauces we love. Even though cows are grass eaters, they are purposely fed grain to fatten them up, producing a more marbled, tender flesh that we crave. Add the increased intake of fatty meat to a diet of saturated vegetable oils and processed carbohydrates and it is no wonder many people are dying from heart attacks. Half of all North American deaths result from disease related to bad fat consumption, not riding in cars without seatbelts.
Related Article: Polyunsaturated Fat