Question: I was wondering why it is a widely believed that saturated fats are bad for you, when humans have evolved to eat animal fats, and they provide a large number of uses in the body?
Answer: Early humans evolved on diets very low in saturated fats. They didnt eat fatty domesticated animals like cows, lambs, and pigs. They ate wild game, which is extremely lean and the ratio of saturated fats to omega-3s is the opposite of domesticated animals. Saturated fats are not essential nutrients. In fact, if humans never ate another gram of saturated fats it wouldnt affect health at all.
However, the omega-3s, especially the omega-3s in fatty fish, are critical to blood vessel, nerve, and occular tissue function and structure; omega-3s are not made by the body, so they must be obtained from diet.
Numerous health conditions, including dementia, depression, and possibly even Alzheimer's and heart disease, are now being attributed to low omega-3 intake.
About the Author:
Elizabeth Somer, M.A., is a nutrition expert, award-winning author, and registered dietitian who has carved a unique professional niche as one of the few, if not only, dietitians who is well-versed in nutrition research. For 25 years, she has kept abreast of the current research, packaging that information into easy-to-read books, magazine articles, lectures, continuing education seminars, and practical news for the media. Be sure to check out her new book, Eat Your Way to Happiness. Buy it on Amazon today!
