Then why don't Asians who consume huge amounts of coconut oil, which is
very high in saturated fatty acids (92% versus only 39% in a common
"saturated fat" source in the USA, namely, lard) have not only hardly
any diabetes, but heart disease, AD, cancer, etc?  They are defining
"saturated fat" in a way that makes no sense (except to a "nutritional
expert").  In one study, they "correlated" Alzheimer's to "saturated
fat" but not "animal fat" (and this among Mid Westerners who don't
consume coconut or palm kernel oil).  How is that possible?  Basically,
what they showed is that something like chicken, which is slightly
lower in saturated fatty acids, seems to be "healthier" than beef and
pork.  Fried beef is a problem because it's higher in iron, oxidized
cholesterol, and stearic acid (which enhances iron absorption).  The
underlying cause of all "chronic disease" is free radical mediated.
Spiteller has pointed out one particularly dangerous kind
(non-enzymatic), for example.  Saturated fatty acids don't enhance, but
rather, resist free radical reactions, which is why I've been packing
my body with saturated fatty acids for several years now (coconut oil,
butter, whole dairy, dark chocolate, but no beef, chicken, pork, or
turkey).  There are studies in which people on very high saturated
fatty acids have been examined thoroughly, incuding skin biopsies, but
you never hear about them from our "free press," do you?  Diabetes
(type II) is directly retated to how much oxidative stress you body
experiences, and this is increased if you are packed with arachidonic
acid (due to too much omega 6 polyunsaturate consumption).  There was
an experiment a few years ago (Xu, et al.) in which it was found that
arachidonic acid increased glycation (a hallmark of diabetic problems)
more than 20 fold over a sugar solution, and it happened very quickly.
If you want to stay healthy, avoid unsaturated fatty acids except in
trace amounts.  Denham Harman's free radical theory of "aging" of the
1970s was correct, but now the evidence is available that demonstrates
beyond all doubt (even the AHA's spokesman recently admitted that only
oxidized cholesterol is unhealthy, and therefore to fear saturated
fatty acids, some of which raise cholesterol levels slightly, is ill
advised, because cancer rates increase as cholesterol levels decrease).