The Truth About Fats

I have written an essay on fats/oils as I am extremely passionate about exposing the truth and uncovering the lies we have been fed on this topic.
Low fat diets are NOT better for your health, fats are absolutely essential and critical particularly in children and the elderly and most people actually benefit from a diet HIGHER in fat, it just needs to be the right kinds of fats. You will actually find that you lose weight if you consume the beneficial fats and eliminate the toxic fats.

There is much controversy surrounding whether saturated fatty acids (SFAs) are to blame for cardiovascular disease, according to Enig and Fallon (1999) they are not.  SFAs lower Lp(a), enhance the immune system, are needed to properly utilise essential fatty acids and have important antimicrobial properties. Scientific evidence does not support that SFAs cause heart disease. In fact evaluation of the fat in clogged arteries shows that only 26% of it is made of SFAs where more than half is made up of polyunsaturated fats (Enig & Fallon, 1999).

SFAs are found in butter, palm and coconut oil and animal fats (Barasi, 2007, p. 33).  Although it is widely suggested that butter should be consumed very little, if at all, there are actually many health benefits to be obtained from consuming raw organic butter from grass fed cows including its content of vitamins A, E, D and K and lauric acid, lecithin- essential for cholesterol absorption and antioxidants that protect against weakening arteries (Gates & Schatz, 2011, p. 104). The studies of Dr Price (Enig & Fallon, 1999) who followed the diets of isolated traditional people showed that the butter these people consumed was exceptionally high in all fat soluble vitamins and according to him, without these we would not be able to utilise the minerals we ingest no matter how much of these we were getting in other foods. Raw butter also contains the ‘Wulzen factor’ discovered by Rosalind Wulzen, it is also known as the anti-stiffness factor which protects against calcification of joints, hardening of the arteries, cataracts and calcification of the pineal gland (Enig & Fallon, 1999).

There are MANY other health benefits to be obtained from using raw butter from organic, pasture fed cows. You can make your own butter in your own home using the Thermomix, just grab some raw cream and churn away! Alternatively you can ferment the cream with a vegetable starter kit, I like Body Ecology brand http://bodyecology.com/articles/benefits_of_real_butter.php and turn it into butter this way. Butter is PERFECTLY SAFE for those of us who are salicylate intolerant and generally even for those who have a mild problem with lactose.

Coconut oil is extremely high in salicylates but if you are not salicylate intolerant this is a wonderful oil to use. Coconut oil is particularly important for those suffering from candida or other fungal infections or parasites. It has amazing antifungal and antimicrobial properties and contains lauric acid which has very similar properties to that of mothers milk. It also received a very undeserved bad rap from America surrounding detriments in terms of cardiovascular disease. Studies actually reveal that coconut oil protects the heart from cardiovascular disease and also has anti-cancer properties. Pacific Islanders who use it as a regular staple have a very low incidence of cardiovascular disease.

Monounsaturated fatty acids tend to be liquid at room temperature and are found in olive oil, canola oil and some nuts and avocados (Enig & Fallon, 1999). They are thought to be a healthy source of fats in small amounts and are said to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, ease inflammation and play beneficial roles in many other health systems (Shulman, 2010, p. 50). However this is certainly not the case for canola oil, which is genetically modified and processed making it harmful for human consumption (Fallon & Enig, 2002). According to a 1998 report, mice fed a diet containing MUFAs were more likely to develop atherosclerosis than those that were fed SFAs (Masterjohn, 2012).

Organic extra virgin olive oil is again very high in salicylates but if salicylates are not a problem for you it is perfectly safe to be used in salads and cooking at moderate temperatures, if you wish to cook at higher temperatures coconut oil is the best for this. It is high in antioxidants and safe to use in moderation.
Again avocados are extremely high in salicylates but are a wonderful source of fatty acids if you do not have a problem with these.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are known as essential fatty acids as they are not produced by the body and are needed for the brain, nervous system and retina function (Shulman, 2010, p. 52; Barasi, 2007, p. 33). Scientific research indicates that the modern diet contains far too high levels of PUFAs, around 30% of caloric intake instead of the recommended 4% (Enig & Fallon, 1999). EFAs should be sourced from things like high quality fish oils, flax and safflower oils and some seeds and nuts (Shulman, 2010, p. 52). The problem with PUFAs is that commercially produced vegetable oils become rancid when they are subject to heating, oxygen and moisture in cooking or processing and excess consumption of these has been shown to damage cells, immunity and increase the risk of cancer. (Enig & Fallon, 1999). Clinical trials have failed to support the hypothesis that replacing SFAs with polyunsaturated vegetable oils would prevent heart disease and instead showed clear links to the PUFAs being the culprit. SFAs in the form of arachidonic animal fat were not found to be “deadly” but were necessary for the body to resolve inflammation as needed (Masterjohn, 2012). It is however important to note that studies on omega 3 EFAs have shown beneficial effects in the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease but omegas 6 and 3 should be consumed in a ratio ½:1 instead of 20-30:1 as they are generally consumed these days (Simopoulos, 1999).

I use Bioceuticals UltraClean EPA/DHA Plus. There has been some suggestion that fish oil is beneficial for those who are salicylate intolerant, this may be due to the anti-inflammatory properties but this has not been properly scientifically confirmed, I believe it is a wonderful supplement to have in the diet however especially given we cannot consume the amazing coconut oil or olive oil and avocados. Fish oil and my own homemade butter and sometimes ghee are my sources of essential fats.

The RPAH Salicylate Guidebook recommends safflower oil, sunflower oil and canola oil. As previously mentioned vegetable fats when heated become toxic, the only one of these oils I would use would be safflower oil if it is organic and cold pressed and then only in salads, never heated. If you are salicylate intolerant the safest fats are animal fats, butter, ghee and fish oil.

Trans fatty acids (TFAs) should be avoided particularly in processed and packaged foods (Shulman, 2010, p. 53).  They have been linked with detrimental effects on plasma lipids, raising LDL levels and lowering HDLs, making them a huge concern in terms of cardiovascular disease (Barasi, 2007, p. 33)
In order to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and maintain optimum health it is important to consume the healthy kinds of antimicrobial fats such as animal fats, raw organic butter and coconut oil that once protected us against the onset of pathogenic plaque that leads to heart disease, along with consuming the recommended amount and correct ratio of EFAs omegas 3 and 6 in their natural form and avoiding toxic substances such as free-radical containing vegetable oils, margarine, trans fats and canola oil which cause the body to need constant repair (Enig & Fallon, 1999).

If you would like more information please visit http://www.westonaprice.org/know-your-fats/skinny-on-fats