Adrienne Smith wrote:

>You may find that The Paleo Diet by Cordain is helpful to you.  For me, I was
>turned off by what I consider to be misinformation and/or just plain bad
>advice:  eat only lean meat (meat fat contains important nutrients and adds
>flavor to meat);
>

I agree that fat adds flavor to meat, but what nutrients does it contain?

> saturated fat is "artery clogging" (this is just plain
>false);
>
I agree with this also.  I believe that whatever "artery-clogging"
properties saturated fat may have are in fact produced by the increase
in small-dense LDL cholesterol, which does not appear to be triggered by
SFA alone, but by SFA in conjunction with carbs.

> it's adviseable to use highly polyunsaturated oils such as flaxseed
>oil as a marinade and/or to baste meat (flaxseed oil goes rancid very easily
>when subjected to heat and light);
>
Cordain did give what I regard as a satisfactory answer to this, some
time back, which I quote:

> (10) Why do you recommend using Flax oil in cooking? I thought it should
> not be heated.
>
>         All oils become partially oxidized when heated and produce
> secondary lipid compounds.  The amount of oxidation produced is dependent
> upon the type of oil, the temperature and the length of
> heating.  Generally, the fewer number of double bonds (or lesser
> degree of
> saturation), the more stable is the oil to heat.  Saturated fats have no
> double bonds and are more heat stable than monounsaturated fats (with a
> single double bond) which in turn are more stable than polyunsaturated
> fats
> (multiple double bonds.  Flaxseed oil contains 20 % monounsaturated
> fat, 66
> % polyunsaturated fat (mainly alpha linolenic acid) and 9.4 % saturated
> fat.  Studies of ground flaxseed during cooking at temperatures
> encountered
> during baking (350 degrees for 2 hours) show that there is no degradation
> of the alpha linolenic acid to oxidized secondary lipid compounds (Flax
> Council of Canada).  I recommend that flax oil be used under similar
> conditions (slow cooking under low heat or brief exposures to moderate
> heat
> such as sauteeing).  I do not recommend frying any food with flaxseed oil
> under searing or high heat.

Todd Moody
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