Dear Dr. Enig and Sally Fallon, You said in your very interesting response to Dr. Cordain that stearic acid (18:0) raises cholesterol in some studies--did you mean lower it? From what literature I have read, it would seem to lower it, which seemed to fit the drift of your argument more. Also, can you comment on the difference between studying saturated fatty acids in the context of the diet and foods they come in, versus the animal studies that often examine them in a purified form? Thank you. By the way, as a practicing nutritionist, I have files filled with clients whose blood cholesterol came DOWN on a diet with plenty of eggs, meat, and other animal products once sugar, margarine, and excessive consumption of grains, fruits and fruit juices was decreased. HDL goes up, total cholesterol goes down, triglycerides plummet. Most important, the clients FEEL better. I have seen this with over 200 hyperlipidemic clients over the past 12 years.