Saturated fat sabotages a system designed to prevent overeating

[steven johnson]

Ever notice that once you've had some ice cream, you just can't stop eating it? There's a reason. Saturated fats block the full feeling and the effect lasts for three days.

The study, from researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center, showed that certain fats cause the brain to send messages to the body to ignore the normal mechanisms involved in weight regulation. Those mechanisms are hormones, such as leptin and insulin, that normally work by telling us we're full and should stop eating, said Dr. Deborah Clegg, the lead author of the study. One type of saturated fat, palmitic acid, is particularly effective at blunting the normal hormone response. Palmitic acid is found in butter, cheese, ice cream, milk and beef.

"Normally, our body is primed to say when we've had enough," Clegg said in a news release. "But that doesn't always happen when we're eating something good. What we've shown in this study is that someone's entire brain chemistry can change in a very short period of time. Our findings suggest that when you eat something high in fat, your brain gets 'hit' with the fatty acids, and you become resistant to insulin and leptin. Since you're not being told by the brain to stop eating, you overeat."

The researchers also found that this effect lasts for about three days. So one splurge of foods high in fatty acids can cause a lengthy eating binge.

Though the study was in animals, Clegg said that saturated fat "causes you to eat more."


Rodent of the Week: Fat messes with your mind

[Better Today]

1. Ever notice that ...,you just can't stop eating it? - - - NO! WTF?!? I also eat many of the foods

listed and have never had a problem with overeating any of it or anything else.

[Tumbulu]

2. I feel very full after eating saturated fats

and I eat lots of them. I consume at least two of my hens eggs a day a pint of organic cream every three days and lots of butter and I am normal in weight, have a triglyceride level of 25 and a HDL of 81.

I am sure the findings in the article might be true for some people, but not for all people. Certainly not me.

[wuvuj]

3. Research "who" funded this research?

...

[wuvuj]

4. Another opinion....

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/09/22/7-Reasons-to-Eat-More-Saturated-Fat.aspx


A misguided fallacy that persists to this day is the belief that saturated fat will increase your risk of heart disease and heart attacks. This is simply another myth that has been harming your health for the last 30 or 40 years.

The truth is, saturated fats from animal and vegetable sources provide a concentrated source of energy in your diet, and they provide the building blocks for cell membranes and a variety of hormones and hormone-like substances.

When you eat saturated fats as part of your meal, they slow down absorption so that you can go longer without feeling hungry. In addition, they act as carriers for important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Dietary fats are also needed for the conversion of carotene to vitamin A, for mineral absorption, and for a host of other biological processes.

Saturated fats are also:

*

The preferred fuel for your heart, and also used as a source of fuel during energy expenditure
*

Useful antiviral agents (caprylic acid)
*

Effective as an anticaries, antiplaque and anti-fungal agent (lauric acid)
*

Useful to actually lower cholesterol levels (palmitic and stearic acids)
*

Modulators of genetic regulation and prevent cancer (butyric acid)

If the fact that saturated fats are actually good for you sounds conflicting, at least in terms of what is repeated by public health agencies, I urge you to read Mary Enig and Sally Fallon’s classic article The Truth About Saturated Fats.

It is one of the best and most thorough introductions to this topic, and you can read through it in just a few minutes.