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that dietary intake of the omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid, linoleic acid, was positively related to coronary artery disease. Thus, those statements made by the consumer activists in the United States, to the effect that the saturated fatty acids increase cholesterol synthesis, are without any foundation. What happens when there is an increase or a decrease of choles- terol in the serum is more like a shift from one compartment to another as the body tries to rectify the potential damage from the excess polyunsaturated fatty acids. Research by Dr Hans Kaunitz (1978) clearly showed the potential problems with excess polyun- saturated fatty acids. first experiment, two levels of fat (15g/100g protein and 20g/100g protein), using corn oil or beef tallow, were fed. Liver enzymes indicating damage were significantly elevated in all the animals except for those animals fed the higher level of beef tallow. These researchers concluded that "diets with high [linoleic acid] may promote acetaminophen-induced liver injury compared to diets with more saturated and mono-unsaturated fatty acids". excess polyunsaturated fatty acids. Research by Dr Hans Kaunitz. X, RESEARCH SHOWING GENERAL BENEFICIAL (1978) clearly showed the potential problems with excess polyun- | EFFECTS FROM CONSUMING COCONUT OIL saturated fatty acids. Research that compares the feeding of coconut oil with other oils to answer a variety of biological IX. RESEARCH SHOWING questions is increasingly finding ben- BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF eficial results from the coconut oil. EATING THE MORE Obesity is a major health problem SATURATED FATS in the United States and the subject One major concern expressed by 9 9 of much research. Several lines of the nutrition community is related to Many of the feeding studies research dealing with metabolic wheter or not pop sre geting | produce results at variance f !i! of hihi sts have ben in their diets. The elongated omega-3 with the popular conception. oil to enrich a high-fat diet and the ‘atty acids of concern are eicosapen- taenoic acid (EPA) and docosa- exaenoic acid (DHA). Some research has shown that the basic omega-3 fatty acid, linolenic acid, is 1998). not readily converted to the elongated Cleary et al. (1999) fed genetically ‘orms in humans or animals, especially when there is ingestion of obese animals high-fat diets of either safflower oil or coconut oil. results reported were that the "coconut oil-enriched diet is effec- tive in...[producing]...a decrease in white fat stores" (Portillo et al., the trans fatty acids and the consequent inhibition of the delta-6- Animals fed safflower oil had higher hepatic lipogenic enzyme desaturase enzyme. One recent study (Gerster, 1998), which used activities than did animals fed coconut oil. When the number of radioisotope-labelled linolenic acid to measure this conversion in at cells was measured, the safflower oil fed also had more fat adult humans, showed that if the background fat in the diet was cells than the coconut oil fed. igh in saturated fat, the conversion was approximately 6% for Many of the feeding studies produce results at variance with the EPA and 3.8% for DHA; whereas, if the background fat in the opular conception. High-fat diets have been used to study the diet was high in omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), the effects of different types of fatty acids on membrane phospholipid conversion was reduced 40-50%. ‘atty acid profiles. When such a study was performed on mice, Nanji and colleagues (1995) reported that a diet enriched with the phospholipid profiles were similar for diets high in linoleic saturated but not unsaturated fatty acids reversed the alcoholic acid from high-linoleate sunflower oil relative to diets high in sat- liver injury in their animals which was caused by dietary linoleic urated fatty acids from coconut oil. However, those animals fed acid. These researchers concluded that this effect may be diets high in oleic acid (from the high-oleate sunflower oil) or explained by the down-regulation of lipid peroxidation. This is igh in elongated omega-3 fatty acids (from menhaden fish oil) another example of the need for adequate saturated fat in the diet. were not only different from the other two diets, but they also Cha and Sachan (1994) studied the effects of saturated fatty resulted in enlarged spleens in the animals (Huang and Frische, acid and unsaturated fatty acid diets on ethanol pharmacokinetics. 1992). The hepatic enzyme alco- hol dehydrogenase and plasma carnitines were also evaluated. The researchers concluded that ietary saturated fatty acids protect the liver from alcohol injury by retarding ethanol metabolism, and that carnitine may be involved. Hargrove and colleagues (1999) noted the work of Nanji et al. and postulated that they would find that a iets rich in linoleic acid would also cause acute liver injury after aceta- "Man, these NASA budget cuts are getting to be murder." minophen injection. In the (Xo, IX. RESEARCH SHOWING BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF EATING THE MORE SATURATED FATS Many of the feeding studies produce results at variance with the popular conception. APRIL — MAY 2002 NEXUS ¢ 33 "Man, these NASA budget cuts are getting to be murder." www.nexusmagazine.com