Saturated Fats – A Great Risk To The Heart
Consumption of saturated fats can be very harmful for the body and even small portions like maybe a milkshake or a serving of a carrot cake can increase the risk for heart diseases.
The fat content in these foods was found equal to a person weighing 150 pound feasting on a double cheeseburger with French fries to go with it and a big glass of milkshake. All this food amounting to fat content weighing 68 gms.
Harmful Effects Of Saturated Fats
Saturated fat is harmful for the body as it reduces the effects of good cholesterol in the body. HDL or high density lipoprotein plays a significant role in protecting the arteries inner linings. HDL protects the heart against factors that create blocks is unable to do its role properly due to saturated fats.
The saturated fats that came in through the milkshake and carrot cake into the body has also done damage by hampering the arteries ability in carrying blood to the various organs and other parts of the body.
The Study
The study also recorded the variations in the blood samples submitted by 14 volunteers (belonging to the age group of 18-40) before food, after a duration of three hours after consumption of meals and a third sample after yet another three hours.
In order to ensure uniformity in the calorie intake the meals were kept the same the only difference being that one contained preparations made in saturated coconut oil and the other group had the same food cooked in polyunsaturated safflower oil.
The fat component of the food was high but the study observed that the food with safflower oil had only 9% saturated fat as compared to the coconut oil cooked food containing 90% saturated fat. This saturated fat component in our diet is the one that is most harmful to our health resulting in a high cholesterol condition.
The blood samples collected after three hours of having the meal showed that the person who consumed the high saturated fat meal showed signs of his arteries being unable to expand as much thus reducing the blood flow to the organs and tissues in the body. The same was shown in the person who consumed the polyunsaturated fat meal but the ability of the artery to expand was affected only marginally.
A very surprising observation was made when the blood samples were tested after yet another three hours (that is six hours after food), the good effects of HDL or the high density lipoprotein of the person who had consumed food made out of high saturated coconut oil had decreased whereas it had improved in the case of the person who has consumed food made in polyunsaturated safflower oil.