The subject of “Fats” is fraught with controversy and misinformation which has resulted in confusion about what sort of fats we should eat, and how we should use them. Most of us are aware that there are some fats that are healthy and necessary to consume, and some that are truly bad for us and should be avoided. Whether a fat is “good” for us or “bad” for us depends on a number of factors.
*What kind of fat is it (Saturated or unsaturated?)
* How has it been treated? Has it been exposed to heat, light, oxygen, solvents, hydrogenation, water, or heavy metals during its processing?
* How old is it and is it rancid?
* How was it used in food preparation? (Was it exposed to high heat?)
* How much are we eating and are we getting a balanced package of Fatty Acids?
We need a balance of saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats in our diets to make healthy membranes, to provide energy, to provide antioxidant power, make prostaglandins, and many other important functions in our bodies.
Let us examine Saturated Fatty Acids (SaFAs) first. Not all saturated fats are “bad”, however, most of us equate Saturated fats with heart disease and atherosclerosis. There has been extensive research designed to “prove the Fat Hypothesis” which states that consuming saturated fat causes heart disease. This theory has never been proven. Unfortunately, the drive to implicate fats as the single most detrimental food group has obscured the science and taken accurate information away from the public eye, thus confusing the facts.
How saturated fatty acids present in nature depends on their chemical structure. These molecules are straight compared to their unsaturated cousins which have bends in their structure corresponding to how unsaturated they are. (More on that in the next section.) Why do we care about this? Because this means that saturated fatty acids are very stable and can withstand high heat before becoming damaged. They also tend to be solid at room temperature.
Since fatty acids make up cell walls, incorporating some straight molecules actually gives the membrane some structure. Cell membranes need to have enough rigidity to provide the right amount of stiffness for whatever that cellular function may be. Having an appropriate balance of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in our cell membranes is really the key to good cellular health.
Examples of where we find Healthy Saturated Fats are: Organic butter and cream, Grass-fed animal fat and lard rendered from an animal that was raised organically, coconut oil, palm oil, and Ghee. When these foods come from an organic source, then they are part of a healthy diet. SaFAs are also good for cooking as they can withstand high temperatures associated with cooking, frying, sautéing, and baking.
Examples of Unhealthy Saturated Fatty Acids are: hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils that are found in vegetable-based lard (like Crisco), margarine, and processed foods. Other problematic saturated FAs come from animals that have been fed genetically modified grain-based diets that are insecticide and pesticide-ridden and given antibiotics to help keep them alive.
Unfortunately, much of the research on saturated fats has not differentiated between healthy sources of saturated fats and unhealthy saturated fats. In fact, when healthy sources have been tested, they have been found to be protective against cancers and diabetes. Also, interestingly, healthy saturated fats like those found in organic butter and coconut oil, have been shown to be the best source of fuel for our heart muscles and to have protective properties for the delicate mucosa found on the inside of our colons. This is a very important function for our digestive health.
Now lets move on to Mono-unsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFAs). Mono-unsaturated fats (MUFAs) have a relatively stable structure. Chemically speaking, they have (1) bend in each molecule (which means they have one double bond) and are liquid at room temperature. Because of their relative stability (in other words, they won’t go rancid as easily as poly-unsaturated fatty acids), they can be used for cooking at lower temperatures or used in dressings.
The most famous monounsaturated fatty acid is Oleic acid which is found primarily in Olive oil. Fortunately, one can find healthy monounsaturated oils in the grocery store. Find “First Cold Pressed” Extra-virgin olive oil. Try to find organic varieties, but it is more important that it is “First Cold Pressed”. Watch that it doesn’t say “Cold Processed” because that isn’t the same thing! ‘First Cold pressed’ indicates that it is the oil that is extracted when the olives are pressed. ‘Cold processed’ means that the pulp that is left after the first cold press is then subjected to a second pressing often with the help of solvents to release the remaining oils from the pulp.
Other examples of monounsaturated oils are avocado oil, and macadamia nut oil.
Poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs):
These are the good-guys- right?? Well that depends on how they are handled en route from seed to your kitchen and into your body and cell membranes!!
A PUFA contains more that one double bond in its structure which causes it to have bends in its molecular structure. This radically changes how it functions in nature. The double bonds indicate that the molecule is short of the number of hydrogen atoms it would take to fill up all the “parking spaces” available for the hydrogen atoms. In chemical terms, this means that Unsaturated Fatty acids are unstable molecules.
Unstable molecules are molecules that want to become stable. Therefore, exposure to chemicals and pressure (as in the hydrogenation process) or heat, light, and oxygen (as in most oil extraction processes) can change these delicate fatty acids into something other than the healthful oils that our body needs. When this happens, we have damaged the fatty acids and they are no longer healthful.
Among the healing members of this group are the very important Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs). They are called “Essential” because our bodies must obtain them from our diet. We are unable to construct them from other sources. They are known as Linoleic Acid LA (which is an Omega 6 fatty acid) and Alpha-linolenic acid ALA (which is an Omega 3 fatty acid) The Omega designation refers to where the 1st double bond is located in the carbon chain. LA and ALA are important in our bodies because they are oxygen magnets. This is a particularly important aspect of having these omega 3s and 6s as part of cell membrane structure since cells need to be able to attract oxygen in order to carry out their many functions. Because of this, they also help to increase metabolism.
IMPORTANT NOTE: What makes these molecules good, is also what make them “unstable”. Therefore we must be VERY concerned about the quality of the oil that we consume. Eating rancid or damaged PUFAs is bad for us.
When choosing a poly-unsaturated oil, make sure that it is expeller pressed and processed under cold temperatures. The delicate oils should be stored in opaque bottles away from light, heat, and oxygen. This is a difficult task and most oil producers are simply unable to be careful with their extraction process. In fact, most oil producers put the oils through a long series of processing that includes heat, oxygen, bleaching, deodorizing, solvent extraction, as well as hydrogenation. These oils are best AVOIDED!! These unhealthful examples of PUFAs can be found on most supermarket shelves in clear plastic bottles that say: “Vegetable oil”, Canola Oil, Safflower Oil, Sunflower Oil. Other sources of unhealthful PUFAs include most processed foods that utilize oils. Watch out for cottonseed oils (especially if they have been hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated), soybean oils, as well as those mentioned above. Also, watch out for chips. Most chips, whether they are made from potatoes, corn, rice, wheat, are processed with polyunsaturated oils under HIGH heat. Remember: heat damages PUFAs!!!!
This brings us to the next important point, which is what do we do with PUFAs once we get them home? Cooking of any kind is a BAD idea with PUFAs. They will not stand up to heat and will become damaged. I recommend that you use PUFAs on salads, in smoothies, and on food AFTER it has been cooked. Supplementing with Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) is a good idea for most people.
So if heat is so bad for these oils, what happens to the PUFAs in fish and nuts and seeds when they are cooked or roasted? You guessed it…. The fatty acid content becomes compromised. Of course, most of us like to have our fish cooked, but try not to over-cook your fish. (You will still obtain some benefit from eating fish that has been cooked to just-doneness.) When choosing nuts and seeds to buy, go with raw ones. They will have more of their beneficial fatty acids in tact when you eat them.
Examples of Healthy Poly-unsaturated oils are: Expeller Pressed Sesame oil, Flax-seed oil, Fish oils, Hemp oils, Sunflower oils. Try to find these oils in opaque containers and check the date!! Reputable distributors of healthful oils will have a “press date” as well as an “expired date” stamped on the label. Try to buy the oil within 3 months of the press date when possible and use it quickly. Buying smaller amounts of oil and replace it often. Always keep these oils refrigerated!!!
OK, you may have noticed that I did not include Canola oil in the examples of Healthy PUFAs list. That is because in my opinion, Canola oil is too processed. It is extracted from “Low Eureic Acid” Rapeseed (LEAR) which is a genetically modified organism or (GMO) which gives it its first strike against it. This oil is high in Omega 3 Fatty acids which would be beneficial, however, the processing of this oil gives it strike 2. The manufactures of Canola oil decided that "LEAR oil" was a bad name for an oil that would be touted as a health-food, so they came up with the name Canola and marketed it as a healthy oil. Canola oil enjoys its “healthy” status to this day. Many of the prepared foods sold by Whole Foods (as well as other Health Food Stores) contain Canola oil. This is a mistake in my opinion, as it seriously deflates the nutritional value of that food.
This is what I recommend that you have in your kitchen:
Organic Butter from cows that have been grass-fed: use it for cooking, spreading, eating!
Organic Ghee, made from Organic butter: use for cooking, sautéing and frying.
Organic Coconut Oil: Use in baking recipes, sautéing
Organic First Cold Pressed Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Use for light sautéing (less then 325 degrees F), salads, mayonnaise, etc. (Store in closed cupboard away from heat and light- does not need to be refrigerated)
Organic Flax seed oil, or Sesame oil: (your choice of healthful PUFA oil from discussion above): Use in salads, mayonnaise, cold foods. DO NOT COOK or bake with these oils and store them in the refridgerator.
Good luck with your selections of Healthful Fatty Acids. If you are interested in learning more about fats, I encourage you to for-go looking on-line (as that will serve to confuse you further) and look up the following references instead:
FATS THAT HEAL, FATS THAT KILL, by Udo Erasmus
KNOW YOUR FATS, by Mary Enig
NOURISHING TRADITIONS, by Sally Fallon
or visit the Weston Price Foundation at www.westonaprice.org
