| Good Fats Bad Fat - Ollie Martin - Jan 08 |
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Good Fats Bad Fats By Ollie Martin
It is generally accepted that eating fat is bad for you, however, this article and the Take Shape approach to nutrition questions this. Fats are a vital macronutrient and along with carbohydrates and proteins they make-up everything we eat and drink. Good fats Fats are vital for their structural, functional and disease prevention properties. They are:
· Concentrated and slow releasing sources of energy.
· Building blocks, especially for cell membranes and hormones.
· Hormone-like regulating substances (prostaglandins).
· Rolein absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A,D,E and K).
· Responsible for healthy nerve conduction.
· Enhance immune system.
· Deficiencies in fats can lead to disease. Sources of fats are oils, nuts, meat and cheese. Like the other macronutrients, fats are best in their natural form - how nature intended, rather than processed and packaged. It is because of the altering of the chemical properties of fats (processing) that they are now so maligned and misunderstood. This is compounded when eaten to excess.
Bad fats Of all substances ingested by the body, it is polyunsaturated oils that are most easily rendered dangerous by food processing, especially the unstable omega-3. Examples of these oils are corn and vegetable oils. Hydrogenation– alters liquid unsaturated oil into a more saturated fat (‘cis’ to ‘trans’) –with a longer shelf life. Examples of hydrogenated foods are margarines, salad dressings, baked goods, ice cream, chocolate and many snack foods. It is potentially carcinogenic, disrupts normal metabolism, interferes with prostaglandin synthesis and is banned in many countries! Interesting it first came in 1912 and there was virtually no coronary heart disease before 1920. So rare, in fact, that when a young internist named Paul Dudley White introduced the German electrograph (ECG) to his colleagues at Harvard University, they advised him to concentrate on a more profitable branch of medicine. The new soft margarines or tub spreads, while lower in hydrogenated fats, are still produced from rancid vegetable oils and contain many additives.
The Research Many of the early studies into fats that led to the belief that fat, especially saturated fat, was bad for you did not distinguish between chemically altered fats and fats in their natural form. Furthermore, many of the studies can now be brought into question. For example, the 1948 Framington Heart Study, which is generally the study always cited to prove fat causes heart disease. The Director of this study 40 years after its start admitted “…the people who ate the most cholesterol, ate the most saturated fat, ate the most calories, weighed the least.” The study did show that those who weighed more and had abnormally high blood cholesterol levels were slightly more at risk of heart disease, but weight gain and cholesterol levels had an inverse correlation with fat and cholesterol intake in the diet. Other studies have found that very low fat diets have had an increase in deaths from cancer, brain haemorrhage, suicide and violent death. Numerous epidemiological examples can be found that challenge the low fat recommendation. For example, The French Paradox, is a term used to ‘explain’ the relatively low levels of coronary heart disease in France, but a diet that is loaded with saturated fats.
Omega 3
Omega 6 and omega 3 are called ‘essential’ fatty acids because they must come from our diet rather than being made in our bodies. Our ancestors ate these fats in a ratio of 50:50 but now it is more like 3% Omega 3 and 97% Omega 6. Modern agricultural and industrial processes have reduced the amount of omega 3 in commercially available vegetables, eggs, fish and meat. For example, organic eggs from hens allowed to feed on insects and green plants can contain a ratio of 50:50 but commercial supermarket eggs can contain as much as nineteen times more omega 6 than omega 3. However, take care with omega 3 oils as are highly reactive and go rancid easily when exposed to heat andlight. They should never be heated or used in cooking. Good omega 3 sources are fish, raw nuts & seeds.
A quickword on cholesterol Mother’s milk is 55% cholesterol and it made in the body – hardly a dangerous substance! Cholesterol is a natural healing substance that steps in to repair damage inthe blood vessels. Cholesterol is often seen as the bad guy but this can be equated to blaming the fire brigade for the fire. Like saturated fats, the cholesterol we make and consume plays vital structural and functional roles in the body. However, damaged cholesterol (chemically altered) can damage arterial cells and build up plaque in arterial walls.
Coconut Oil A fantastic source of saturated fat (92%). It has a large concentration of lauric acid, amedium-chain fatty acid that is especially effective against viruses and bacteria and strengthens the immune system. Interestingly lauric acid is also found in large quantities in mother’s milk.
According to Bruce Fife, N.D., author of The Healing Miracles of Coconut, fatty acids found in coconut have proven to be effective in destroying the viruses that cause influenza, herpes, hepatitis C, and AIDS; the bacteria that cause pneumonia, food poisoning, urinary tract infections,and meningitis; fungi and yeast related to ringworm and candida; and parasites that cause intestinal infections.
Conclusion
For more information visit http://www.westonaprice.org/The-Skinny-on-Fats.html
References The Skinny on Fats, Mary Enig and Sally Fallon Eat, Move & Be Health, Paul Chek
Nourishing Traditions, Sally Fallon |
