On Facebook recently, a potential customer made some comments about how Elements meals are "Unhealthy and full of saturated fats." I am grateful for her comments, because it demonstrates that institutional lies about fats and nutrition die hard.

Her comments demonstrate that misunderstanding the importance of fats is still a thing and a topic worthy of discussion.

Saturated fats … healthy or dangerous? 

Saturated fats are fat molecules that have no double bond between carbon molecules.  Instead, they are saturated with hydrogen molecules.  Typically, they are solid room temperature.  They occur naturally in many foods, like beef, pork, dairy products (butter, cheese, cream), and lamb … and the fats associated with them, e.g. tallow and lard.

Nutritional history of saturated fat.  Starting with Ancel Keys we – and the entire nation and world -- were lied to about the place and function of dietary fat in basic human nutrition.  We were told by all relevant health authorities, scientific journals, and even the federal government, that dietary fat caused heart disease and associated maladies.  This was and remains a lie.  There is no conclusive or persuasive evidence supporting this conclusion.  And there is plenty of evidence to the contrary. Don’t agree? 

I recommend the book The Big FAT Surprise, by Nina Teicholz.  Her work is based on her investigation of more than 800 research studies on this very topic.  Her conclusions turn the “establishment nutrition” message on its head.  Saturated fats are not making Americans fat.  I also recommend The Secret Life of Fat by Sylvia Tara, PhD, and writings of Alejandro Junger, M.D., author of Clean Gut.

FACT:  Saturated fats are remarkably healthy.  Generally speaking, they are a critical part of a truly healthy diet.  They could be unhealthy for you if you are allergic to them, have a condition that prevents you from metabolizing them, etc.  But, generally speaking, they are not only healthy, but essential for a healthy human body and brain. 

FACT:  Saturated fats are NOT the cause of cardiovascular disease, or heart disease, or the other chronic diseases plaguing the world and that are responsible over 70% of all annual deaths in America.

FACT:  Saturated fats are necessary for your overall health and critically necessary for your brain health.  I recommend the writings of David Perlmutter, Mark Hyman, and Joe Mercola, to name a few more.  Read up!

FACT:  Any recommendation about how much saturated fat you should consume daily is pure conjecture.  The American Heart Association (AHA) asserts that based on a 2,000-calorie daily diet, you should consume only 13 grams (120 calories) from saturated fats.  Pure conjecture. 

There is NO science supporting this guess work.  This is like saying that all men should wear size 10 shoe.  The truth is old habits and old lies die hard. 

In fact, the AHA actively participated in perpetuating the lie that Ancel Keys started about fats causing heart disease.  It is documented.  I refer you again to The Big FAT Surpriseand other referenced scientific literature I am including below.

Fat bottom line -- It's your brain.  First, get the saccharine (refined sugars, sugar substitutes, artificial sweeteners) and low-grade carbs out of your life. 

They are your most serious and dangerous health enemy.

Next, eat whole foods as much as you can, including delicious beef, pork, fish, and other animal proteins that carry healthy fats … and make sure those animals eat what they are supposed to eat.  Not corn and bone meal.  

Eating good animal proteins and other sources of saturated fats ensures that you get those healthy fats in your body … and your brain.  Did you know that your brain consumes about 20% of your daily caloric intake?  That’s right.  Your brain’s primary fuel is fat.  It loves healthy fats, including saturated fats, and mono/polyunsaturated fats, too. 

Want to think clearly and grow a vibrant, healthy brain as long as you life?  Eat healthy fats. 

The research article, Impact of Dietary Fats on Brain Functions, states:

“[T]he brain uses more energy than any other human organ and lipids (fats) represent about 50% of its dry weight. As a consequence, adequate dietary intake and nutritional status have a recognized impact on brain functions such as cognitive processes, emotions, behaviour, neuroendocrine functions and synaptic plasticity with consequences on health….

“Over the last year, dietary lipids have garnered recognition for their direct actions on the brain since they can affect multiple brain processes by regulating synaptic transmission, membrane fluidity and signal-transduction pathways.”

Your brain must have fats to operate, including saturated fats. 

Read the excellent article here. 

Learn body speak.  Pay attention to what your body is telling you about the food you eat.  Pay attention to your blood sugar levels.  Learn what foods increase your blood sugar levels and which do not. 

We are all human, yet we are all different.  That difference does not stop with fingerprints.  It carries on with our microbiome, our metabolic system, our lymph system, our bone marrow, and the blood it makes, as well as the individual composition of that blood, and in many other ways.

Here are some additional solid research articles regarding saturated fats:

1. Saturated Fats and Health: A Reassessment and Proposal for Food-Based Recommendations, Journal of the American College of Cardiology.  https://www.onlinejacc.org/content/76/7/844
2. Reduction in saturated fat intake for cardiovascular disease, Cochrane Database Systematic Review.  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26068959/
3. Intake of saturated and trans unsaturated fatty acids and risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes: Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.  https://www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h3978
4. Association of dietary, circulating, and supplement fatty acids with coronary risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK190354/

What about Elements Meals and saturated fats?

At Elements we use only saturated fats in our meals.  We use quality saturated fats because there is now great scientific evidence that the brain and body must have good fats to operate well. 

Moreover, we choose not to incorporate nuts into our meals.  Nuts contain great fats, but they are also allergens for a substantial part of the population.  Eating whole foods is the best way to get the fats your body and brain need. 

“[Whole] foods contain a mixture of different types of fatty acids (FAs), which are carboxylic acids with a long aliphatic chain that is either saturated or mono/polyunsaturated (SAFAs, MUFAs/PUFAs respectively).”

“Fat inherent” meals.  I call some of our meals “fat inherent” meals. This means that all the fat in the meal is in inherent in the meal’s whole food ingredients. 

Our fat inherent meals include Maple Mustard Pork, Country Herb Chicken, Broccoli Cinnamon Pork, and Coconut Mango Chicken. 

One hundred percent (100%) of the fats in these meals are saturated fats and are delivered to you in the form of the whole food ingredients, including pork, coconuts, and avocados.

“Fat added” meals.  The second way we include saturated fats in our meals is by including premium freeze dried, cold pressed coconut oil and coconut milk into our 5 remaining meals. 

Our fat added meals include Balsamic Chicken Pomodorro, Sesame Garlic Chicken, Chipotle Turkey Scramble, Sweet Potato Hash, and Red Lentil Dahl. 

The coconut oil and coconut milk in these meals is premium quality.  The nutrient quality is top notch, uncompromised by heat processing.

We offer QUALITY … quality ingredients harvest with quality timing and processes, quality nutrition preservation, quality recipes, quality packing and packaging, quality delivering, and quality client experience.  We do all of this because WE LOVE YOU.

We know you care!