The good fats for years, the government-sponsored food pyramid advised us not to eat saturated fats. they even gave us a tiny triangle atop the pyramid to be a visual reminder to go sparingly on the butter, lest you develop heart disease. in march 2014, new information appeared in the annals of internal medicine. the report declared that eating less saturated fat did not lower one's risk of heart disease. in fact, people who endeavored to eliminate "fat" may have replaced healthy fats (such as butter) with sugars and refined carbohydrates. these actually cause heart disease and obesity. indeed, obesity in america has been on a steady rise since the "low-fat" diets have become popular. a professor of nutrition at harvard advises that a healthy diet should consist of natural, unprocessed foods. these types of foods take more time to digest. therefore, they deliver energy slowly into the bloodstream. including healthy, saturated fats such as butter boosts satiety, or the ability to feel full. coconut oil is another saturated fat that boost the good hdl cholesterol. the body needs cholesterol to make vitamin d. plant-based coconut oil also contains antioxidants. these are good for stimulating and strengthening the immune system. coconut oil is a solid at room temperature. so, cooks are finding it to be a good substitute for hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated soybean oils for making pie crusts. soybean oils contain high levels of omega 6 fatty acids. doctors believe that elevated cholesterol levels increase a person's chance of heart disease. however, studies now show that the liver produces extra cholesterol as a defense mechanism to protect against inflammation. to reduce cholesterol levels, one must reduce inflammation by consuming more omega 3 fatty acids. passage 2 the bad news the american heart association (aha) has recently published a report advising that coconut oil is not as good as once believed. they say coconut oil increases ldl cholesterol, which is the "bad" cholesterol that causes heart disease. coconut oil contains about 90% saturated fat. this is even higher than butter. the results of the studies also showed that consuming more canola oil reduces cholesterol levels. the experts are recommending the consumption of more corn and soy oil, which contain high levels of omega 6 fatty acids. ldl cholesterol is made up of either large, fluffy particles that do not stick to blood vessels or small, sticky particles that do clog vessels. when carbohydrates are combined with fats, the sticky ldl particles increase. so, eating a dinner of steak (saturated fat) and potatoes (carbohydrates) would combine to increase sticky ldl particles. this could cause plaque to build up in the arteries, leading to cardiovascular disease. there has never been a study that looks at a diet high in saturated fats, such as coconut oil, and low in carbohydrates. some doctors report that patients who eat a diet high in saturated fats, but low in carbohydrates have very good cholesterol levels. the report by the aha has been published as a "presidential advisory," and the peer-reviewed scientific data was funded by several pharmaceutical companies. these companies create cholesterol-lowering medicine. the canola oil council also fund the study.

4 which statement best expresses the central idea of "the good fats"?

a. eating a balanced diet without saturated fat is good for the body because it reduces cholesterol in the body.
b. coconut oil is solid at room temperature and can be used as a substitute for unhealthy, processed oils.
c. saturated fats like coconut oil and butter are part of a healthy diet and do not make one feel full quickly.
d. eating saturated fat is better than following a diet that is low in fat but high in sugar and processed foods. reset next question