PRITIKIN ePERSPECTIVE - 11/08/06 Issue 90

Even One High-In-Saturated-Fat Meal Fouls Up Your System

What could be wrong with a cheeseburger and chocolate milkshake every now and then?

What could be wrong with a cheeseburger and chocolate milkshake every now and then?  Quite a lot, warns new research, which found that even one meal rich in saturated fat could mess up the ability of  “good” HDL cholesterol to protect against damage to arteries.*

In the study, scientists at the Heart Research Institute in Sydney, Australia fed a slice of carrot cake and a milkshake to 14 healthy, normal-weight men and women, ages 18 to 40.  The following month, the subjects came back for another cake-and-shake meal.

Coconut oil – 90% saturated fat

Both meals were the same in their amounts of calories and total fat but very different in the type of fat they contained.  One meal was made with coconut oil, which is 90% saturated fat.  The other contained safflower oil, which is predominately polyunsaturated fat.

The immediate effect on the subjects’ arteries was very different, too.  Three and six hours after each meal, the scientists measured blood flow and assessed how well HDL was protecting arteries from inflammation.  What they found is enough to make us put those burgers and shakes down forever.

Compared to the polyunsaturated fat meal, the saturated fat meal essentially turned “good” HDL cholesterol into “bad” HDL cholesterol particles.

Let’s back up here a bit and explain HDL’s role.  HDL is supposed to be anti-inflammatory, that is, it’s supposed to inhibit the proliferation of molecules that promote inflammation and cause other molecules to stick to the artery wall, which can destabilize atherosclerotic plaques, triggering plaque rupture and clot formation.  These molecules also thicken the blood and slow its flow through the arteries, like congealed fat in liquid flowing through kitchen pipes.

Sludge

After the saturated-fat-rich cake and shake, the scientists noted that the subjects’ HDL particles were accompanied by high levels of these damaging molecules.  Moreover, blood flow in the forearms of the subjects three and six hours after the saturated fat meal had slowed considerably compared to blood flow after the non-saturated-fat meal. 

“What this new research shows is that inflammation and damage to arteries happen soon after every meal high in saturated fat,” explains Dr. Jay Kenney, Nutrition Research Specialist at the Pritikin Longevity Center® & Spa in Aventura, Florida. 

“In effect, diets high in saturated fat alter the HDL particles, changing them from so-called ‘good’ cholesterol into ‘bad’ cholesterol.  Instead of being anti-inflammatory, they become pro-inflammatory.”

Remnant chylomicrons

And HDL isn’t the only thing affected, notes Dr. Kenney.  “Right after a high-fat meal, whether saturated or unsaturated, there’s increased production of remnant chylomicron particles.  These particles get into the artery wall and appear at least as artery damaging as LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol.”

Clotting Factor VII

There is also an increase in Clotting Factor VII after each high-fat meal, research has found. **  Elevated levels of Clotting Factor VII increase the danger of plaque rupture, which increases the risk of a fatal heart attack.

Ultimately, what these studies tell us is that taking care of our arteries involves a lot more than just swallowing a statin drug to lower LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol.  Sure, getting LDL levels down to 100 and below is wonderful.  But if you’re still eating cheese, red meat, cookies, and other foods rich in saturated and trans fatty acids, your arteries are still going to suffer.

Statins

“This is likely part of the reason why most people who take statin drugs to lower their LDL cholesterol levels still have arteries that get progressively more clogged up over time,” explains Dr. Kenney.  “Statin drugs do little to alter the production of pro-atherosclerotic and pro-inflammatory HDLs and chylomicron remnants.  Nor do they lower the pro-clotting effects of Clotting Factor VII, which are elevated after every high-fat meal.”

Yes, statin drugs may help speed repairs to damaged arteries, “but it is becoming increasingly clear that relying on drugs alone is likely to produce disappointing results,” notes Dr. Kenney.  “For many people, drugs plus diet are necessary.”  

What has been scientifically documented to heal arteries and reverse atherosclerosis are lifestyle changes involving regular exercise and a very-low-fat, near-vegetarian diet like Pritikin.  Like a good contractor for the remodeling of your house, a healthy lifestyle takes care of all the variables needed to refurbish your arteries.  “Your arteries,” sums up Dr. Kenney, “get the complete makeover they so desperately need.” 

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