Before trying to conceive, most couples decide to improve their eating habits in the hopes of becoming healthier for not only successful conception, but successful pregnancy and a healthy baby. We're all familiar with what's touted as healthy: whole grains, lots of fresh veggies, lean meats, skim dairy products, low-fat items, and on and on. Some of these assertions are perfectly reasonable with lots of supporting research, such as the whole grains and fresh veggies. One very commonly held misconception is that saturated fats in any form are harmful. For the past few decades, saturated fats have been demonized as unhealthy, presumed to cause hosts of health problems, while unsaturated fats have enjoyed relative success as a healthier option. Or worse, many "experts" recommend that we eliminate fats entirely from our diets. Fat is not only an essential part of the human diet, but that saturated fats in particular are necessary for restoring cellular function and overall health, and will promote fertility and healthier offspring.
Before discussing further the benefits of fats in the diet, we need to get past an issue that I know will be in the forefront of everyone's minds: heart disease. Saturated fat does not cause heart disease; it does not cause weight gain; it does not cause high cholesterol. This idea was introduced and popularized by Dr. Ancel Keys in 1953, despite numerous recognized flaws in the data and conclusions. However, food companies took this idea and ran with it, producing cheap, rancid oils from engineered corn, soy, and cotton products.
Since the 1950's, study after study has shown these conclusions to be without merit. In a recent meta-analysis of 21 studies that included 348,000 adults, no difference in risk of high cholesterol or heart disease was found between groups consuming the highest amounts of saturated fats and the lowest amounts of saturated fats. Strikingly, consumption of refined sugar and carbohydrates emerged as a risk factor for cardiovascular problems, but that's a topic for another post. Quite notably, saturated fat consumption was not linked to heart disease.
In the Framingham Heart Study, less publicized results showed that the more saturated fats and cholesterol the participants consumed, the lower their blood cholesterol levels. They also weighed less and were the most active. I could go on to cite many more studies drawing similar conclusions, but since heart disease is not the topic of this post, I'd like to shift focus.
Let's wax biological for a minute and discuss cells. Cells need saturated fats in order to function properly. Each cell has a structure; an outer membrane and tiny little organelles inside that carry out different tasks such as energy production, transport, waste removal, etc. In at least 50% of the trillions of cells in your body, saturated fatty acids constitute the outer membranes, which give each cell structure, stiffness, and integrity so that the functions inside the cells operate smoothly. When the cellular membranes are properly formed, materials (such as vitamins and minerals) can be transported efficiently into the cells and waste products (such as carbon dioxide) can be transported efficiently out of the cells. Calcium is one mineral that needs saturated fats in order to be incorporated effectively. Calcium is not effectively absorbed into the skeletal system unless at least 50 percent of our dietary fat intake is saturated.
Let's move on to organ and tissue level. We've all probably heard of the benefits of essential fatty acids (EFA's) such as omega-3's and omega-6's. In order for the body to effectively utilize its intake of EFA's, saturated fats must be a part of the diet. The body stores omega 3's in the tissues more readily in the presence of saturated fats. Saturated fats also protect the heart and liver; saturated 18-carbon stearic acid and 16-carbon palmitic acid are the preferred foods of the heart, and the liver is protected from toxins by saturated fats. In order for the lungs to function properly, they must be completely coated with a surfactant, made up entirely of saturated fatty acids. The brain's optimal food is saturated fat; diets low in saturated fats rob the brain of important nutrients. They are also involved in proper nerve signaling. Short-and-medium-chain fatty acids also have antimicrobial properties and protect us from harmful microorganisms in the digestive tract. These are just a few of the very critical functions that saturated fats perform in the body.
In addition to these whole-body health benefits, saturated fats have also been shown necessary for optimal fertility. In a recent study out of Harvard, women who ate diets higher in fat and higher in saturated fats in particular were more fertile than women who consumed low-fat diets, and women whose fat intake was low in saturated fats. Women who ate low-fat diets were more likely to experience anovulation (failure to ovulate) than women who consumed high-fat diets, as were women who replaced saturated fats with other types of fats. The quality of eggs also improved in women who ate diets higher in saturated fats, which is no wonder, considering that saturated fat is necessary for proper cellular structure.
So, toss out the low-fat yogurt. Replace your margarine with fresh butter from grass-fed cows. Don't trim all the fat off of your meat. You will enjoy more vitality, improved cardiovascular function, clearer thinking, and increased fertility.
Sources
Dr. Joseph Mercola. Saturated fat is not the cause of heart disease. Mercola.com. February 25, 2010. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/02/25/saturated-fat-is-not-the-cause-of-heart-disease.aspx
Dr. Joseph Mercola. 7 reasons to eat more saturated fat. Mercola.com September 22, 2009. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/09/22/7-Reasons-to-Eat-More-Saturated-Fat.aspx
Nan N. Ransohoff. Eating ice cream may boost fertility. The Harvard Crimson. March 1, 2007. http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2007/3/1/eating-ice-cream-may-boost-fertility/
Sally Fallon. Nourishing Traditions. 2001. Washington, DC: New Trends Publishing.
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