It seems the discussions about dietary fats never end. Although it’s been determined that trans fats should be avoided at all costs, there is somewhat of a gray area when it comes to other fats, including healthy fats and which ones are better than others. In a recent study from the University of California, Riverside, for example, some people were surprised by the findings concerning soybean oil, which a number of experts claim is healthy.
Generally, fats fall into two categories: “bad” or “unhealthy,” which include trans fats and saturated fats; and “good” or “healthy fats,” including monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. However, there are studies indicating that coconut oil, which is high in saturated fat, is healthy because it contains medium-chain triglycerides rather than long-chain triglycerides, the latter of which are found in meats and dairy foods (if you love coconut oil, we highly recommend this butter flavored coconut oil from our partner Barlean’s. It is ridiculously good!
At the same time, there are other experts who insist saturated fats found in red meat, poultry, and dairy products are not unhealthy, especially those who follow the keto diet. Therefore, there are some areas of discussion that should be kept in mind when reviewing the findings of studies on fats.
In the new study, the investigators established four different treatment groups of mice. All four groups were fed a diet that consisted of 40 percent, which is similar to that of Americans. The groups were as follows:
- 40 percent coconut oil (mainly a saturated fat)
- 20 percent coconut oil and 20 percent soybean oil, the latter of which is mainly polyunsaturated fat
- 40 percent coconut oil and added fructose
- 20 percent coconut oil and 20 percent soybean oil with added fructose
All of the mice were fed the same number of calories and they all consumed similar amounts of food. Here’s what the investigators observed:
