Truth about Saturated Fats and Cholesterol

1. Why Saturated fat is essential?

• Saturated fatty acids constitute at least 50% of the cell membranes. They are what gives our cells necessary stiffness and integrity.
• They play a vital role in the health of our bones. For calcium to be effectively incorporated into the skeletal structure, at least 50% of the dietary fats should be saturated.
• They lower Lp(a), a substance in the blood that indicates proneness to heart disease. They protect the liver from alcohol and other toxins, such as Tylenol.
• They enhance the immune system.
• They are needed for the proper utilization of essential fatty acids.
• Elongated omega-3 fatty acids are better retained in the tissues when the diet is rich in saturated fats.
• Saturated 18-carbon stearic acid and 16-carbon palmitic acid are the preferred foods for the heart, which is why the fat around the heart muscle is highly saturated. The heart draws on this reserve of fat in times of stress.
• Short- and medium-chain saturated fatty acids have important antimicrobial properties. They protect us against harmful microorganisms in the digestive tract.

2. Why Cholesterol is essential?

• Cholesterol is an extremely important substance for life. To maintain the integrity of cell wall, each cell of the body requires cholesterol
• Cholesterol is the starting material in the body to make hormones, bile acids and Vitamin D.
• It also assists the body to fight against various infections. This one of the most important function of cholesterol. It has been researched that arteriosclerosis and heart diseases are caused by the organisms that are infectious. The higher cholesterol level assists and safeguards the body from these provocative microorganisms.
• It also acts as a proactive substance to prevent the body from cancer and stroke
• The body uses the cholesterol to repair the injuries.
• Cholesterol is used by the brain to build up the connection between its cells. The fact is the brain has some special cells which are responsible for making the cholesterol for the brain.
• People "suffering" from high cholesterol levels live longer. Various studies have been conducted to support these findings
• Cholesterol is such an important substance for the body that if the diet is unable to provide adequate quantity then the body can work itself to make up the required level. Because of this self-regulation the low fat diet usually fails to lower down the cholesterol level. The lesser the fat you consume the greater the cholesterol the body will make.

3. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like, sterol that is produced mainly in the liver and has several very important functions.
4. Cholesterol in the foods we eat (dietary cholesterol) is only found in animal products - plants do not produce or contain cholesterol.
5. Cholesterol is well regulated by our body and there is no relation between dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol. Saturated fats does not affect blood cholesterol. That is why doctors prescribe statins to heart patients. Body creates 80% of blood cholesterol. Rest 20% must come from dietary sources. Quoting regulatory mechanism from Wiki:
"Biosynthesis of cholesterol is directly regulated by the cholesterol levels present, though the homeostatic mechanisms involved are only partly understood. A higher intake from food leads to a net decrease in endogenous production, whereas lower intake from food has the opposite effect. The main regulatory mechanism is the sensing of intracellular cholesterol in the endoplasmic reticulum by the protein SREBP (sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 and 2).^[17] In the presence of cholesterol, SREBP is bound to two other proteins: SCAP (SREBP-cleavage-activating protein) and Insig1. When cholesterol levels fall, Insig-1 dissociates from the SREBP-SCAP complex, allowing the complex to migrate to the Golgi apparatus, where SREBP is cleaved by S1P and S2P (site-1 and -2 protease), two enzymes that are activated by SCAP when cholesterol levels are low. The cleaved SREBP then migrates to the nucleus and acts as a transcription factor to bind to the SRE (sterol regulatory element), which stimulates the transcription of many genes. Among these are the LDL receptor and HMG-CoA reductase. The former scavenges circulating LDL from the bloodstream, whereas HMG-CoA reductase leads to an increase of endogenous production of cholesterol. subsequent work shows how the SREBP pathway regulates expression of many genes that control lipid formation and metabolism and body fuel allocation. Cholesterol synthesis can be turned off when cholesterol levels are high, as well. HMG CoA reductase contains both a cytosolic domain (responsible for its catalytic function) and a membrane domain. The membrane domain functions to sense signals for its degradation. Increasing concentrations of cholesterol (and other sterols) cause a change in this domain's oligomerization state, which makes it more susceptible to destruction by the proteosome. This enzyme's activity can also be reduced by phosphorylation by an AMP-activated protein kinase. Because this kinase is activated by AMP, which is produced when ATP is hydrolyzed, it follows that cholesterol synthesis is halted when ATP levels are low"
It creates cholesterol because it requires it. It requires it to fight with arterial blocks. That is why you have more cholesterol when there is arterial blocks or arterial infections.
6. Atherosclerosis may happen due to infection or lipid peroxidation. Smaller particles such as sLDL more readily permeate the inner arterial wall and are more susceptible to oxidation.
7. Lipophilic anti-oxidants such as vitamin E can protect Lipid from oxidation.
8. alpha-lipoic-acid is a powerful anti-oxidant which is both water and fat soluble and it is found in red-meat, liver. There are other types of lipophilic anti oxidants which are found in eggs, chicken skin.
9. Coenzyme Q10 is lipophilic anti-oxidant found in liver, meat, eggs, spinach, broccoli, peanuts, wheat germ and whole grains.
10. Lipid peroxidation happens more easily in polyunsaturated fats, transfats than in LDL. sLDL(small LDL) more readily permeate the inner arterial wall and are more susceptible to oxidation than larger LDL.
11. Omega-3 protects blood from clotting which may occur in case of atherosclerosis.
12. Oils which have low smoke point creates oxidizing agents and should not be used for deep frying. Oils high in saturated fat can withstand extreme heat.
So, saturated fat and cholesterol and its sources are only going to protect you from diseases.