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I've just finished reading 'the paleo diet for athletes' by prof Loren Cordain, in which he explains saturated fat is the bad artery clogging fat and he also explains how our ancestors ate very little saturated fat in comparison to mono and poly unsaturated fats.

The information read here conflicted with what I had read in the paleo solution, in which said some forms of saturated fats are good, but it doesn't really explain why.

Is there new evidence that saturated fats are good, or is it certain types of saturated fats that are good and others still should be avoided?

Basically what is the deal with saturated fat? I have been indulging in as much butter, full fat cream and particually eggs as I see fit but after reading what Cordain has said im slightly questioning my food choices and feel a bit like im limiting my self again.

What is the latest research saying? is saturated fat good or bad? and why is coconut oil the mcdaddy of all saturated fat's?

I muchly appreciate your answers, thanks.

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10 
 Cordain is just flat out wrong on this. – Dave S. May 25 at 12:48
Someone should explain about MCT... Sorry I know nothing! – Joy May 25 at 13:12
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 MCT means medium chain triglycerides. Most fats are long chain. Coconut oil is like 60-70% MCT. MCTs digest faster because they don't require the emulsification by bile and the burning of them produces more ketones per calorie than long chain fatty acids. So, MCT oil (and coconut oil) can be used to produce ketosis without requiring a very low carb/high fat diet. – Dave S. May 25 at 18:59
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 Saturated fat is protective against fatty liver (at least in rats). You can cause fatty liver in rats with a combination of corn oil and alcohol or corn oil and fructose. Corn oil is very high in omega-6. If you add saturated fat to the mix, the rats don't get fatty liver. – Dave S. May 25 at 19:03
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 paleohacks.com/questions/132993/… – cerement Jul 15 at 20:05
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6 Answers

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Cordain's latest book is called the Paleo Answer. I think in the beginning he started out recommending canola oil or something, but as his research unfolds, he moves to the pro-saturated fat side. This is because mainstream research on these oils previous to him was a bunch of crap. The poly-unsaturates are very unstable and likely to cause all sorts of trouble, especially if you cook with them.

Here is Cliff's post on saturated fat versus unsaturated fat. Not sure about totally eschewing Omega-3s, but I do know they can be just as volatile as those Omega-6s.

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very interesting - thanks for the post, i was looking for an answer with a bit of science to back it up, thanks so much. – Whirl Jun 20 at 12:54
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Coconut oil is good for you because it is a saturated fat.

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This right here. – red_leaf May 25 at 22:31
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 terrible answer – Whirl Jun 20 at 12:48
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 Sorry to be flip, but I was going for more of a paradigm shift on that whole "artery clogging saturated fat" silliness than science there, seriously your calcium supplement, sugar, or a virus that attacks the endothelium is going to do a lot more artery clogging than all the saturated fat you could eat. It is also customary to downvote if you don't like it too, I know some people get their panties in a bunch if they get downvoted, but that is why it is there. – Happy Now Jun 20 at 18:58
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 In a response to another post: On top of that, coconut oil is anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, antiprotozoal, antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal. Not only is it good saturated fat, the MCTs means it's the right kind of saturated fat for your nervous system - MCT oil is used in ketogenic diets for epileptics, and one repost of an article on here showed coconut oil being used to control and retard the progress of senile dementia. Add in that it's great for your hair, wonderful for your skin, and tastes great, what's not to love about it? – cerement Jul 15 at 20:05
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Cordain has since rescinded his vilification of saturated fat... Check out the newest edition of The Paleo Diet for those answers. He wrote the first editions of those books in a very different time and we're all products of our cultures to varying degrees.

Checking the publishing dates on the books you're reading will give you a broader picture of the timeline of "thought". :)

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4 
 Cordain is still leary of eating large amounts of saturated fat. He still subscribes to the lipid hypothesis. Or, worse yet, the diet-heart hypothesis - which has no data to support it - just a mainstream media meme. – Dave S. May 25 at 12:50
Dave S. - Actually he has some dubious data to support why he is still skeptical of high satfat, IIRC in an interview he detailed primitive human remains from Alaska, where there was arteriosclerosis in the remains of an older woman. Now, the remains were not intact enough to show that she actually died from CHD, but she did have some hardening of the arteries from a predominantly saturated fat diet. If I can find that interview I'll post it here. – Joshua May 25 at 18:57
^ Found it! meandmydiabetes.com/2010/03/24/… (search for Alaska, if interested). – Joshua May 25 at 18:59
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This article will explain how the false findings of a glory-seeking scientist led the world to poorer health http://www.menshealth.com/health/saturated-fat

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Cool link! Thanks – Acumen Athletics May 25 at 9:52
That's a cool link. Thanks! – Acumen Athletics May 25 at 9:52
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 Every time I read about the marginalization of studies which show no link between saturated fat and heart disease, I get very agitated. The reaction of mainstream nutritional researchers does not comport with my notion of what science is. It's Science 101 that you don't go into an experiment thinking you know what the "right" answer is. They should be ashamed of themselves. – trjones May 25 at 11:53
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 This article looks awesome. Haven't had a chance to read the whole thing yet, but I wanted to say that I wonder why things like this are never published in WOMEN'S HEALTH magazine. What do they still preach? Low fat yogurt, Kashi, Special K. Low fat, no fat, calorie counting. Grrrr.... As if saturated fat is okay for men, but somehow makes women fat and atherosclerotic. Sigh. – Amy B. May 25 at 12:56
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 @Amy: Frustrating, isn't it? Women's Health promotes the Cosmo version of a healthy woman. Disgusting! – MathGirl72 May 25 at 13:00
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Coconut oil has anti-microbial properties, but for me, the most important is the fact that it drives the creation of more ketones. Coconut oil eaters are usually brain fog-free.

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this video is also excellent to see benefits for Alzheimer's and other chronic illnesses.

http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.aspx?s=/mp4/LJO190v1_WS

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