Monounsaturated vs Saturated fat...

[Crack Baby]

My cholesterol is through the roof and for the last year I've
been attempting to reduce my saturated food intake and have
begun using olive oil in everything. And a few months ago I
began taking fish oil, flax oil, and now some evening primrose
oil - all in an attempt to balance my lipid profile and slow
or reverse years of artery damage.

I know saturated fat inflames the arteries and that
monounsaturated would seem to reduce inflamation. Since I
can't eliminate saturated fat from my diet, I'm trying to
reduce its effects by adding lots of olive oil in the hopes
that at the right ratio the monounsaturated neutralizes the
saturated. Is this a reasonable assumption or am I just
imagining things? Finally, what other dietary supplements are
for helping to lower cholesterol?

[Jeff]

"crack baby" <crack@backdoho.net> wrote in message
news:zWZQg.5336$7I1.1168@newssvr27.news.prodigy.net...
> My cholesterol is through the roof and for the last year
> I've been attempting to reduce my saturated food intake and
> have begun using olive oil in everything. And a few months
> ago I began taking fish oil, flax oil, and now some evening
> primrose oil - all in an attempt to balance my lipid profile
> and slow or reverse years of artery damage.
>
> I know saturated fat inflames the arteries and that
> monounsaturated would seem to reduce inflamation. Since I
> can't eliminate saturated fat from my diet, I'm trying to
> reduce its effects by adding lots of olive oil in the hopes
> that at the right ratio the monounsaturated neutralizes the
> saturated. Is this a reasonable assumption or am I just
> imagining things? Finally, what other dietary supplements
> are for helping to lower cholesterol?

I think what you need is a consultation with a good
nutritionist. Ask your doctor for a referral.

Jeff

[monty1945]

"Saturated fat" only "inflames" if you classify lard, which is
39% saturated, as a "saturated fat." However, chicken fat is
about 30% saturated. Coconut oil is 92% saturated, and does
not cause any problems. The reason? It is an issue of
oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. Saturated fatty acids
do not cause lipid peroxidation problems, nor can they be made
directly into the molecules that cause the inflammation, such
as LTB4. Lard is very bad for everything in it other than the
saturated fatty acids, and also due to the way it is usually
used in cooking. Generally, anything containing cholesterol or
more than very small amounts of unsaturated fatty acids should
not be cooked at high temperatures while exposed to air. If
you want to understand more about this, and also read about my
"anti-inflammatory" diet, go to:

http://groups.msn.com/TheScientificDebateForum-

I am not selling anything, nor do you have to register to read
the essays or posts on the forum. I am an independent
researcher. There is an essay on the dangers of fish oil
there, which I advise you read soon.

[crvc56]

Atkins wrote "The Vita-Nutrient Solution" It talks a lot about
natural cholesterol treatments. I take Niacin, Pantothenate
and garlic tabs. Also I switched to a mostly veggie diet. The
fiber binds cholesterol in the intestine so it can't be
absorbed into the blood. Atkins lists over 30 nutrients that
can influence cholesterol.

[Juhana Har]

crack baby wrote:
: My cholesterol is through the roof and for the last year
: I've been attempting to reduce my saturated food intake and
: have begun using olive oil in everything. And a few months
: ago I began taking fish oil, flax oil, and now some evening
: primrose oil - all in an attempt to balance my lipid profile
: and slow or reverse years of artery damage.
:
: I know saturated fat inflames the arteries and that
: monounsaturated would seem to reduce inflamation. Since I
: can't eliminate saturated fat from my diet, I'm trying to
: reduce its effects by adding lots of olive oil in the hopes
: that at the right ratio the monounsaturated neutralizes the
: saturated. Is this a reasonable assumption or am I just
: imagining things? Finally, what other dietary supplements
: are for helping to lower cholesterol?

The Portfolio Diet, developed by the Toronto University, is
an effective diet to reduce cholesterol. Studies have shown
that it can reduce cholesterol as much as statin cholesterol
drugs. The diet includes almonds, viscous fiber, soy and
plant sterols.

More information about the Portfolio eating plan:

http://www.portfolioeatingplan.com/

--
Juhana

[Mr. Natura]

crack baby wrote:
> My cholesterol is through the roof and for the last year
> I've been attempting to reduce my saturated food intake and
> have begun using olive oil in everything. And a few months
> ago I began taking fish oil, flax oil, and now some evening
> primrose oil - all in an attempt to balance my lipid profile
> and slow or reverse years of artery damage.

Effective cholesterol control requires the addition of more
fiber to your diet. Eat more Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables,
and Legumes.

[Ron Peters]

crack baby wrote:
> My cholesterol is through the roof and for the last year
> I've been attempting to reduce my saturated food intake and
> have begun using olive oil in everything. And a few months
> ago I began taking fish oil, flax oil, and now some evening
> primrose oil - all in an attempt to balance my lipid profile
> and slow or reverse years of artery damage.

> I know saturated fat inflames the arteries and that
> monounsaturated would seem to reduce inflamation. Since I
> can't eliminate saturated fat from my diet, I'm trying to
> reduce its effects by adding lots of olive oil in the hopes
> that at the right ratio the monounsaturated neutralizes the
> saturated. Is this a reasonable assumption or am I just
> imagining things? Finally, what other dietary supplements
> are for helping to lower cholesterol?

Adding monounsatures to your diet just increases your
calories. If you are substituting monounsatures for satured
fats or carbohydrates there is some benefit.

The lipid profile doesn't determine wheher the fatty acids in
your blood stream are saturated.

The fiber approach should help keep the body from aborbing
saturated fats from being absorbed.

--
Ron

[Mr. Natura]

Ron Peterson wrote:
> crack baby wrote:
> > My cholesterol is through the roof and for the last year
> > I've been attempting to reduce my saturated food intake
> > and have begun using olive oil in everything. And a few
> > months ago I began taking fish oil, flax oil, and now some
> > evening primrose oil - all in an attempt to balance my
> > lipid profile and slow or reverse years of artery damage.
>
> > I know saturated fat inflames the arteries and that
> > monounsaturated would seem to reduce inflamation. Since I
> > can't eliminate saturated fat from my diet, I'm trying to
> > reduce its effects by adding lots of olive oil in the
> > hopes that at the right ratio the monounsaturated
> > neutralizes the saturated. Is this a reasonable assumption
> > or am I just imagining things? Finally, what other dietary
> > supplements are for helping to lower cholesterol?
>
> Adding monounsatures to your diet just increases your
> calories.

I beg to differ. :)

#1 Adding MUFAs to your diet dilutes the concentration of
#SFAs in your
blood as well as at the cellular level.

#2 The Addition of Oliver Oil increases the amount of
#satisfaction a
person derives from their plant based diet. Thereby
increasing the likelyhood that a person would stick to their
high-fiber diet.

Just thought that you might want to know.
--
john gohde http://naturalhealthperspective.com/food/

[Jim Chinni]

crack baby <crack@backdoho.net> wrote in part:

>My cholesterol is through the roof and for the last year I've
>been attempting to reduce my saturated food intake and have
>begun using olive oil in everything. And a few months ago I
>began taking fish oil, flax oil, and now some evening
>primrose oil - all in an attempt to balance my lipid profile
>and slow or reverse years of artery damage.
>
>I know saturated fat inflames the arteries and that
>monounsaturated would seem to reduce inflamation. Since I
>can't eliminate saturated fat from my diet, I'm trying to
>reduce its effects by adding lots of olive oil in the hopes
>that at the right ratio the monounsaturated neutralizes the
>saturated. Is this a reasonable assumption or am I just
>imagining things? Finally, what other dietary supplements are
>for helping to lower cholesterol?

What dietary changes you need to make depend on what you are
trying to do and what your lipid profile and possibly other
things (such as whether you are overweight) are like. You talk
about reducing cholesterol, balancing your lipid profile, and
reducing inflammation. Those are not equivalent.

Juhana's link to the Portfolio diet is a good one and covers
much of what you are (probably) trying to do.
--
Jim Chinnis Warrenton, Virginia, USA jchinnis@alum.mit.edu

[John Sanke]

See http://sankey.ws/cholesterol.html for my personal
experience in (successfully) reducing cholesterol with diet.