Dear Ms Thompson,

I came across an article by you on The Gleaner website where you talked about saturated fats and the need to avoid them. I am an ordinary, but informed, consumer and have no connection to any commercial or financial interests. I am, however, fascinated with nutrition as a science and have accumulated a virtual library on the subject.

In all my reading about oils, I have come to the conclusion that it is not saturated fats that are usually the culprit, but polyunsaturated vegetable oils, especially when combined with highly processed carbohydrates. Please read the research done by Mary Enig, PhD, on the misconceptions about saturated fats.

In the hundreds of years before polyunsaturated fats were introduced, heart disease was rare, as was cancer and many other degenerative diseases. People cooked with lard, for heaven's sake! The study 'proving' that saturated fats led to high cholesterol and that cholesterol led to heart disease has been disproven, although this news has not reached mainstream yet. Fighting cholesterol is now big business, so I'm not holding my breath that it will become a news flash.

You were correct about the coconut oil being so beneficial. It is actually medicinal in its benefits. Books and books have been written on this one oil alone, and they also explain the cholesterol-saturated fat myth. You should urge your readers to switch over to this oil without delay - if they want to improve their health in a meaningful way. I believe this.

If you have anything that can change my mind, I'd like to see it. Really, I'd love to know.

-Liz Rietz, artist and sculptor

Dear Ms Thompson,

I`m happy you are not misinformed on coconut oil, it is really healthy. But your comment that saturated fats are bad is just plain wrong. They are very stable and do not produce free radicles like unsaturated fats. Canola is not as good as people think and the omega 3 to omega 6 ratio is important. Look at this to know more: http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/index.html.

-Steve in Lima, Ohio

Send questions and comments to our health specialists at Your Health, c/o The Gleaner, 7 North Street, Kingston; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com. Unless otherwise indicated, letters and the specialists' responses are usually published.