Contrary to all the slick advertising and marketing and obsession with the low-fat or fat-free diet, saturated fats are not the harmful monsters they are sometimes portrayed as.

Saturated fats are in fact part of the necessary requirements for a healthy diet and are needed in adequate amounts for the body’s metabolic nutritional requirements. They are found in meats, poultry skin, dairy products and a range of oils of the tropical sorts, like coconut and palm oils. 

What roles do do these fats play?

1. About half of our cell walls are made up of saturated fats which contribute to the structural integrity of the cell wall (phospholipid bilayer) and offers sound protection, stopping any unwanted material on the outside from getting in.

2. Saturated fat aids bones in the vital role of calcium utility. For this to function at optimum around 50% or more of the fat diet should be saturated fat.

3. Perhaps this fact is not so well known in mainstream. Saturated fat can reduce heart disease. When plaque formations on the inside of arteries build up, this may lead to heart disease. The so-called bad cholesterol and a sticky protein bind together to form a substance called Lipoprotein (a), which contributes to the plaque formations and ultimately, heart disease. When consumed, saturated fat produces less lipoprotein (a) than unsaturated fat. -Thus, a person eating more saturated fat and less unsaturated fat may well reduce the chance of heart disease.

4. Saturated fats protect the liver from toxicity.

5. Omega-3 essential fats work better when aided with saturated fats. Omega-3 fats of the elongated kind, such as those found in fish oils are well retained in body tissue, care of saturated fats.

6. Unbiased evidence reveals that saturated fat does not contribute to artery clogging, as mentioned earlier. For examples, look at an excellent article online written by Mary Enig et al. The article is entitled ‘The Skinny On Fats’ and is well worth checking out.

7. A healthy heart likes to draw in on saturated fats such as coconut oil, and stearic acid found in cocoa and beef when in times of effectively handling stress.

8. Saturated fats help fight fungal infections. Caprylic acid found in coconut oil helps fight candida.

9. It helps fight off harmful micro-organisms.

10. Saturated fats are immune system building, giving protection against disease.