Friday, December 14, 2007

Saturated Fat - The Truth is Coming Out

Guest Commentary from Captain Capitalist

The truth is finally coming out on saturated fats and fats in general. For decades we've been told that fat makes you fat. This conclusion was based on incomplete, inaccurate studies and bad guesses.

In truth, the fat you eat is not the fat you store. Your body breaks down everything you eat and creates different types of fuel based on your eating habits. The fact is you'll create and store more fat if you eat a lot of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are essential to the fat creation and storage process.

A diet with an ample portion of fat will actually make you feel fuller longer, and if you don't compliment it with lots of carbs, it wont "stick to your ribs".

So how does so much bad information stay with us for so long? It happens in every field from nutrition to rocket science. Generally, if you're new to a field and want to establish yourself as an expert, you want to meet with the approval of other, already established experts. Consequently you tend to parrot what they say and believe. Voicing agreement with generally accepted views and going along with and expanding on the explanation, however convoluted, is seen as a means of demonstrating understanding of the issue. It's a "go along to get ahead" mentality that perpetuates misinformation.

There's no substitute for objective reasoning. If you want to get to the truth, seek information, analyze it critically. How was it collected? Did the author properly connect cause and effect? Are the premises sound? If you really want to improve your quality of life you have to make healthy choices, in nutrition as well as information processing.

No comments: