Professor: Not all saturated fats fit in the same bucket
Dr Roger Clemens, professor at the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy and a former president of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), told us: “Not all saturated fat fits in the same bucket. For example, the evidence suggests that stearic acid – which is a saturated fatty acid [found in cocoa butter, for example] – actually doesn’t contribute to heart disease, whereas some animal data suggests that Myristic acid [a saturated fatty acid in coconuts and butter] may contribute to heart disease for some people.
“But what matters is the company you keep. Palm oil contains saturated fat but also polyhenols, carotenoids and Vitamin E (tocopherols & tocotrienols). We need to stop looking at single components, single nutrients, and look at whole food research.
“It’s happened with nuts [where the beneficial effects are believed to come from a broad mix of nutrients that likely work synergistically – and consumers are now advised to eat nuts regulary], but it needs to happen with other foods.”