[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

I agree that the standard American diet is way too high in saturated fat, especially from all the many animal products. And I agree that those who have a family history of heart disease must take special care to limit saturated fat.

However, I just remembered reading something years ago about the fact that we need some saturated fat in our diets. If we don't get any from our diets our bodies will manufacture it but it won't be as good as what we would get from food. It's important for the building of cell membranes and it also serves as fuel for your heart and other tissues. The bottom line: Saturated fats should be strictly limited but not completely eliminated.

The amount you would get from using a small amount of olive oil, for example, would not be harmful.

For a more complete explanation, search the following: "Why do you need saturated fat? Wiki answers.com"

From the Wiki article that you posted

Adequate consumption of unsaturated fats will indirectly provide the miniscule amount of saturated fat needed by the human body. Saturated fat can be very dangerous, and someone who's health necessitates vigilance in this matter should not be given a free pass to consume saturated fats, nor should they use palm oil as a healthy option.