It\’s a good thing to stay informed and educated about matters that pertain to staying healthy. You do have to be careful, though, as the mainstream media has distorted methods for distributing the facts. We\’ve all seen cases where something new is targeted by the health industry and unmercifully attacked by media sources.

One of the more recent targets have been saturated fats. The news programs, newspaper writers and mainstream Internet news sites seem to have an endless supply of stories about how these kinds of fats are the worst thing in the world. However, there is more to the story than meets the eye. So, just what are saturated fats, and are they really as bad as we\’ve been led to believe?

Understanding Saturated Fats

Without delving too deep into a complicated description, the basic description of saturated fat is a fat that does not have double bonds between the fatty acid chain and the carbon atoms. This is the scientific definition, so it may not be that important to the general population.

What is important knowing the truth about saturated fats?

The campaign to drag saturated fats through the mud has reached a fevered pitch. If you look on the shelves of most grocery stores, you will see foods that proudly tout stickers announcing no saturated fats. A better question than, “What are saturated fats and why are they so unhealthy?” would be “Why is there such an attack on this particular kind of fat?”

There is a great misunderstanding about saturated fats. They are not as unhealthy as they are portrayed, in fact these fats are found in nearly every kind of food that contains any fat at all. The real problem with saturated fats lies in where they come from and whether or not they have been altered from their natural state. The really bad saturated fats are derived from animal products.

Foods containing pork or beef are especially bad for your health. Remember that there are two factors that make saturated fats unhealthy. The source and whether or not the food is natural. Most of today\’s meat does not come from animals that were fed what they are supposed to be fed. Cows are supposed to eat grass, however most cows are fed corn, soybeans, dead animals and other dirt. So by definition pork and beef products derived from pigs and cows not fed naturally will contain unhealthy saturated fats. This is the truth about saturated fats that you just don\’t hear from the mainstream media.

Good Saturated Fats

Now that we\’ve answered the question, “What are saturated fats?”, we need to answer one more question – “What are healthy sources of saturated fat?” To get some healthy saturated fat into your diet, the best product is cold-pressed coconut oil. Using this kind of oil instead of cooking oil made from unhealthy animal fat is the way to go if you want to derive some of the health benefits that saturated fats have to offer.

When you use animal fat-based cooking oils, you are overloading on the unhealthy version of saturated fats. Try adding cold-pressed coconut oil or cold-pressed palm kernel oil to your diet to get a healthy dose of the good saturated fat. There\’s always more to the truth than we usually hear from popular media outlets. Saturated fats can be healthy. Just make sure to remember the source and whether or not it has been derived naturally.

Copyright 2011. Boro Petric. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.longevitystrategist.com/what-are-saturated-fats

Boro Petric, a Swiss native, became a longevity strategist after having battled a liver tumor that almost took his life. His website is a free online resource for people who want to live longer, stronger and healthier. Visit LongevityStrategist.com

Boro Petric, a Swiss native, became a longevity strategist after having battled a liver tumor that almost took his life. His website is a free online resource for people who want to live longer, stronger and healthier. http://www.longevitystrategist.com

Author Bio: Boro Petric, a Swiss native, became a longevity strategist after having battled a liver tumor that almost took his life. His website is a free online resource for people who want to live longer, stronger and healthier. Visit LongevityStrategist.com

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: what are saturated fats,unsaturated fats,trans fats,animal fat,healthy fat