Digging Into Our Fatty-Acid Dilemma

While it is assumed that reintroduction of saturated fat might be deleterious, recent research suggests that the role of saturated fatty acids needs to be re-examined. “Current dietary intake recommendations of macronutrients have targeted total fat, cholesterol and saturated fat as the principle means to improve human health,” says Bruce German, professor, Department of Food Science & Technology, University of California-Davis. “Such recommendations have been translated into a long-term agricultural objective of eliminating these components from human foods. However, many authorities are questioning if it is possible that evolution found benefits to saturated fatty acids that current nutrition recommendations do not consider.”