The Skinny on Fats (Part 1)

[Guest guest]

http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/skinny.html

 

 

by Mary Enig, PhD, and Sally Fallon

 

Fats from animal and vegetable sources provide a concentrated source of

energy in the diet; they also provide the building blocks for cell

membranes and a variety of hormones and hormonelike substances. Fats as

part of a meal slow down absorption so that we can go longer without

feeling hungry. In addition, they act as carriers for important

fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Dietary fats are needed for the

conversion of carotene to vitamin A, for mineral absorption and for a

host of other processes.

 

Politically Correct Nutrition is based on the assumption that we

should reduce our intake of fats, particularly saturated fats from

animal sources. Fats from animal sources also contain cholesterol,

presented as the twin villain of the civilized diet.

 

The Lipid Hypothesis

 

The theory—called the lipid hypothesis—that there is a direct

relationship between the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in the

diet and the incidence of coronary heart disease was proposed by a

researcher named Ancel Keys in the late 1950's. Numerous subsequent

studies have questioned his data and conclusions. Nevertheless, Keys'

articles received far more publicity than those presenting alternate

views. The vegetable oil and food processing industries, the main

beneficiaries of any research that found fault with competing

traditional foods, began promoting and funding further research designed

to support the lipid hypothesis.

 

The most well-known advocate of the lowfat diet was Nathan Pritikin.

Actually, Pritikin advocated elimination of sugar, white flour and all

processed foods from the diet and recommended the use of fresh raw

foods, whole grains and a strenuous exercise program; but it was the

lowfat aspects of his regime that received the most attention in the

media. Adherents found that they lost weight and that their blood

cholesterol levels and blood pressure declined. The success of the

Pritikin diet was probably due to a number of factors having nothing to

do with reduction in dietary fat—weight loss alone, for example, will

precipitate a reduction in blood cholesterol levels—but Pritikin soon

found that the fat-free diet presented many problems, not the least of

which was the fact that people just could not stay on it. Those who

possessed enough will power to remain fat-free for any length of time

developed a variety of health problems including low energy, difficulty

in concentration, depression, weight gain and mineral deficiencies.1

Pritikin may have saved himself from heart disease but his lowfat diet

did not spare him from cancer. He died, in the prime of life, of suicide

when he realized that his Spartan regime was not curing his leukemia. We

shouldn't have to die of either heart disease or cancer—or consume a

diet that makes us depressed.

 

When problems with the no-fat regime became apparent, Pritikin

introduced a small amount of fat from vegetable sources into his

diet—something like 10% of the total caloric intake. Today the Diet

Dictocrats advise us to limit fats to 25-30% of the caloric intake,

which is about 2 1/2 ounces or 5 tablespoons per day for a diet of 2400

calories. A careful reckoning of fat intake and avoidance of animal

fats, they say, is the key to perfect health.

 

The " evidence " supporting the Lipid Hypothesis

 

These " experts " assure us that the lipid hypothesis is backed by

incontrovertible scientific proof. Most people would be surprised to

learn that there is, in fact, very little evidence to support the

contention that a diet low in cholesterol and saturated fat actually

reduces death from heart disease or in any way increases one's life

span. Consider the following:

 

Before 1920 coronary heart disease was rare in America; so rare that

when a young internist named Paul Dudley White introduced the German

electrocardiograph to his colleagues at Harvard University, they advised

him to concentrate on a more profitable branch of medicine. The new

machine revealed the presence of arterial blockages, thus permitting

early diagnosis of coronary heart disease. But in those days clogged

arteries were a medical rarity, and White had to search for patients who

could benefit from his new technology. During the next forty years,

however, the incidence of coronary heart disease rose dramatically, so

much so that by the mid fifties heart disease was the leading cause of

death among Americans. Today heart disease causes at least 40% of all US

deaths. If, as we have been told, heart disease results from the

consumption of saturated fats, one would expect to find a corresponding

increase in animal fat in the American diet. Actually, the reverse is

true. During the sixty-year period from 1910 to 1970, the proportion of

traditional animal fat in the American diet declined from 83% to 62%,

and butter consumption plummeted from eighteen pounds per person per

year to four. During the past eighty years, dietary cholesterol intake

has increased only 1%. During the same period the percentage of dietary

vegetable oils in the form of margarine, shortening and refined oils

increased about 400% while the consumption of sugar and processed foods

increased about 60%.2

 

The Framingham Heart Study is often cited as proof of the lipid

hypothesis. This study began in 1948 and involved some 6,000 people from

the town of Framingham, Massachusetts. Two groups were compared at

five-year intervals—those who consumed little cholesterol and saturated

fat and those who consumed large amounts. After 40 years, the director

of this study had to admit: " In Framingham, Mass, the more saturated fat

one ate, the more cholesterol one ate, the more calories one ate, the

lower the person's serum cholesterol. . . we found that the people who

ate the most cholesterol, ate the most saturated fat, ate the most

calories, weighed the least and were the most physically active. " 3 The

study did show that those who weighed more and had abnormally high blood

cholesterol levels were slightly more at risk for future heart disease;

but weight gain and cholesterol levels had an inverse correlation with

fat and cholesterol intake in the diet.4

 

In a multi-year British study involving several thousand men, half

were asked to reduce saturated fat and cholesterol in their diets, to

stop smoking and to increase the amounts of unsaturated oils such as

margarine and vegetable oils. After one year, those on the " good " diet

had 100% more deaths than those on the " bad " diet, in spite of the fact

that those men on the " bad " diet continued to smoke! But in describing

the study, the author ignored these results in favor of the politically

correct conclusion: " The implication for public health policy in the

U.K. is that a preventive programme such as we evaluated in this trial

is probably effective. . . . " 5

 

The U.S. Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial, (MRFIT) sponsored by

the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, compared mortality rates

and eating habits of over 12,000 men. Those with " good " dietary habits

(reduced saturated fat and cholesterol, reduced smoking, etc.) showed a

marginal reduction in total coronary heart disease, but their overall

mortality from all causes was higher. Similar results have been obtained

in several other studies. The few studies that indicate a correlation

between fat reduction and a decrease in coronary heart disease mortality

also document a concurrent increase in deaths from cancer, brain

hemorrhage, suicide and violent death.6

 

The Lipid Research Clinics Coronary Primary Prevention Trial

(LRC-CPPT), which cost 150 million dollars, is the study most often

cited by the experts to justify lowfat diets. Actually, dietary

cholesterol and saturated fat were not tested in this study as all

subjects were given a low-cholesterol, low-saturated-fat diet. Instead,

the study tested the effects of a cholesterol-lowering drug. Their

statistical analysis of the results implied a 24% reduction in the rate

of coronary heart disease in the group taking the drug compared with the

placebo group; however, nonheart disease deaths in the drug group

increased—deaths from cancer, stroke, violence and suicide.7 Even the

conclusion that lowering cholesterol reduces heart disease is suspect.

Independent researchers who tabulated the results of this study found no

significant statistical difference in coronary heart disease death rates

between the two groups.8 However, both the popular press and medical

journals touted the LRC-CPPT as the long-sought proof that animal fats

are the cause of heart disease, America's number one killer.

 

Studies that challenge the Lipid Hypothesis

 

While it is true that researchers have induced heart disease in some

animals by giving them extremely large dosages of oxidized or rancid

cholesterol—amounts ten times that found in the ordinary human

diet—several population studies squarely contradict the

cholesterol-heart disease connection. A survey of 1700 patients with

hardening of the arteries, conducted by the famous heart surgeon Michael

DeBakey, found no relationship between the level of cholesterol in the

blood and the incidence of atherosclerosis.9 A survey of South Carolina

adults found no correlation of blood cholesterol levels with " bad "

dietary habits, such as use of red meat, animal fats, fried foods,

butter, eggs, whole milk, bacon, sausage and cheese.10 A Medical

Research Council survey showed that men eating butter ran half the risk

of developing heart disease as those using margarine.11

 

Mother's milk provides a higher proportion of cholesterol than almost

any other food. It also contains over 50% of its calories as fat, much

of it saturated fat. Both cholesterol and saturated fat are essential

for growth in babies and children, especially the development of the

brain.12 Yet, the American Heart Association is now recommending a

low-cholesterol, lowfat diet for children! Commercial formulas are low

in saturated fats and soy formulas are devoid of cholesterol. A recent

study linked lowfat diets with failure to thrive in children.13

 

Numerous surveys of traditional populations have yielded information

that is an embarrassment to the Diet Dictocrats. For example, a study

comparing Jews when they lived in Yemen, whose diets contained fats

solely of animal origin, to Yemenite Jews living in Israel, whose diets

contained margarine and vegetable oils, revealed little heart disease or

diabetes in the former group but high levels of both diseases in the

latter.14 (The study also noted that the Yemenite Jews consumed no sugar

but those in Israel consumed sugar in amounts equaling 25-30% of total

carbohydrate intake.) A comparison of populations in northern and

southern India revealed a similar pattern. People in northern India

consume 17 times more animal fat but have an incidence of coronary heart

disease seven times lower than people in southern India.15 The Masai and

kindred tribes of Africa subsist largely on milk, blood and beef. They

are free from coronary heart disease and have excellent blood

cholesterol levels.16 Eskimos eat liberally of animal fats from fish and

marine animals. On their native diet they are free of disease and

exceptionally hardy.17 An extensive study of diet and disease patterns

in China found that the region in which the populace consumes large

amounts of whole milk had half the rate of heart disease as several

districts in which only small amounts of animal products are consumed.18

Several Mediterranean societies have low rates of heart disease even

though fat—including highly saturated fat from lamb, sausage and goat

cheese—comprises up to 70% of their caloric intake. The inhabitants of

Crete, for example, are remarkable for their good health and

longevity.19 A study of Puerto Ricans revealed that, although they

consume large amounts of animal fat, they have a very low incidence of

colon and breast cancer.20 A study of the long-lived inhabitants of

Soviet Georgia revealed that those who eat the most fatty meat live the

longest.21 In Okinawa, where the average life span for women is 84

years—longer than in Japan—the inhabitants eat generous amounts of pork

and seafood and do all their cooking in lard.22 None of these studies is

mentioned by those urging restriction of saturated fats.

 

The relative good health of the Japanese, who have the longest life

span of any nation in the world, is generally attributed to a lowfat

diet. Although the Japanese eat few dairy fats, the notion that their

diet is low in fat is a myth; rather, it contains moderate amounts of

animal fats from eggs, pork, chicken, beef, seafood and organ meats.

With their fondness for shellfish and fish broth, eaten on a daily

basis, the Japanese probably consume more cholesterol than most

Americans. What they do not consume is a lot of vegetable oil, white

flour or processed food (although they do eat white rice.) The life span

of the Japanese has increased since World War II with an increase in

animal fat and protein in the diet.23 Those who point to Japanese

statistics to promote the lowfat diet fail to mention that the Swiss

live almost as long on one of the fattiest diets in the world. Tied for

third in the longevity stakes are Austria and Greece—both with high-fat

diets.24

 

As a final example, let us consider the French. Anyone who has eaten

his way across France has observed that the French diet is just loaded

with saturated fats in the form of butter, eggs, cheese, cream, liver,

meats and rich patés. Yet the French have a lower rate of coronary heart

disease than many other western countries. In the United States, 315 of

every 100,000 middle-aged men die of heart attacks each year; in France

the rate is 145 per 100,000. In the Gascony region, where goose and duck

liver form a staple of the diet, this rate is a remarkably low 80 per

100,000.25 This phenomenon has recently gained international attention

as the French Paradox. (The French do suffer from many degenerative

diseases, however. They eat large amounts of sugar and white flour and

in recent years have succumbed to the timesaving temptations of

processed foods.)

 

A chorus of establishment voices, including the American Cancer

Society, the National Cancer Institute and the Senate Committee on

Nutrition and Human Needs, claims that animal fat is linked not only

with heart disease but also with cancers of various types. Yet when

researchers from the University of Maryland analyzed the data they used

to make such claims, they found that vegetable fat consumption was

correlated with cancer and animal fat was not.26

 

Understanding the chemistry of fats

 

Clearly something is wrong with the theories we read in the popular

press—and used to bolster sales of lowfat concoctions and

cholesterol-free foods. The notion that saturated fats per se cause

heart disease as well as cancer is not only facile, it is just plain

wrong. But it is true that some fats are bad for us. In order to

understand which ones, we must know something about the chemistry of fats.

 

Fats—or lipids—are a class of organic substances that are not soluble

in water. In simple terms, fatty acids are chains of carbon atoms with

hydrogen atoms filling the available bonds. Most fat in our bodies and

in the food we eat is in the form of triglycerides, that is, three

fatty-acid chains attached to a glycerol molecule. Elevated

triglycerides in the blood have been positively linked to proneness to

heart disease, but these triglycerides do not come directly from dietary

fats; they are made in the liver from any excess sugars that have not

been used for energy. The source of these excess sugars is any food

containing carbohydrates, particularly refined sugar and white flour.

 

Fatty acid classifications by saturation

 

Fatty acids are classified in the following way:

 

Saturated: A fatty acid is saturated when all available carbon bonds

are occupied by a hydrogen atom. They are highly stable, because all the

carbon-atom linkages are filled—or saturated—with hydrogen. This means

that they do not normally go rancid, even when heated for cooking

purposes. They are straight in form and hence pack together easily, so

that they form a solid or semisolid fat at room temperature. Your body

makes saturated fatty acids from carbohydrates and they are found in

animal fats and tropical oils.

 

Monounsaturated: Monounsaturated fatty acids have one double bond in

the form of two carbon atoms double-bonded to each other and, therefore,

lack two hydrogen atoms. Your body makes monounsaturated fatty acids

from saturated fatty acids and uses them in a number of ways.

Monounsaturated fats have a kink or bend at the position of the double

bond so that they do not pack together as easily as saturated fats and,

therefore, tend to be liquid at room temperature. Like saturated fats,

they are relatively stable. They do not go rancid easily and hence can

be used in cooking. The monounsaturated fatty acid most commonly found

in our food is oleic acid, the main component of olive oil as well as

the oils from almonds, pecans, cashews, peanuts and avocados.

 

Polyunsaturated: Polyunsaturated fatty acids have two or more pairs of

double bonds and, therefore, lack four or more hydrogen atoms. The two

polyunsaturated fatty acids found most frequently in our foods are

double unsaturated linoleic acid, with two double bonds—also called

omega-6; and triple unsaturated linolenic acid, with three double

bonds—also called omega-3. (The omega number indicates the position of

the first double bond.) Your body cannot make these fatty acids and

hence they are called " essential. " We must obtain our essential fatty

acids or EFA's from the foods we eat. The polyunsaturated fatty acids

have kinks or turns at the position of the double bond and hence do not

pack together easily. They are liquid, even when refrigerated. The

unpaired electrons at the double bonds makes these oils highly reactive.

They go rancid easily, particularly omega-3 linolenic acid, and must be

treated with care. Polyunsaturated oils should never be heated or used

in cooking. In nature, the polyunsaturated fatty acids are usually found

in the cis form, which means that both hydrogen atoms at the double bond

are on the same side.

 

All fats and oils, whether of vegetable or animal origin, are some

combination of saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids and

polyunsaturated linoleic acid and linolenic acid. In general, animal

fats such as butter, lard and tallow contain about 40-60% saturated fat

and are solid at room temperature. Vegetable oils from northern climates

contain a preponderance of polyunsaturated fatty acids and are liquid at

room temperature. But vegetable oils from the tropics are highly

saturated. Coconut oil, for example, is 92% saturated. These fats are

liquid in the tropics but hard as butter in northern climes. Vegetable

oils are more saturated in hot climates because the increased saturation

helps maintain stiffness in plant leaves. Olive oil with its

preponderance of oleic acid is the product of a temperate climate. It is

liquid at warm temperatures but hardens when refrigerated.

 

Classification of fatty acids by length

 

Researchers classify fatty acids not only according to their degree of

saturation but also by their length.

 

Short-chain fatty acids have four to six carbon atoms. These fats are

always saturated. Four-carbon butyric acid is found mostly in butterfat

from cows, and six-carbon capric acid is found mostly in butterfat from

goats. These fatty acids have antimicrobial properties—that is, they

protect us from viruses, yeasts and pathogenic bacteria in the gut. They

do not need to be acted on by the bile salts but are directly absorbed

for quick energy. For this reason, they are less likely to cause weight

gain than olive oil or commercial vegetable oils.27 Short-chain fatty

acids also contribute to the health of the immune system.28

 

Medium-chain fatty acids have eight to twelve carbon atoms and are found

mostly in butterfat and the tropical oils. Like the short-chain fatty

acids, these fats have antimicrobial properties; are absorbed directly

for quick energy; and contribute to the health of the immune system.

 

Long-chain fatty acids have from 14 to 18 carbon atoms and can be

either saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. Stearic acid is an

18-carbon saturated fatty acid found chiefly in beef and mutton tallows.

Oleic acid is an 18-carbon monounsaturated fat which is the chief

component of olive oil. Another monounsaturated fatty acid is the

16-carbon palmitoleic acid which has strong antimicrobial properties. It

is found almost exclusively in animal fats. The two essential fatty

acids are also long chain, each 18 carbons in length. Another important

long-chain fatty acid is gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) which has 18 carbons

and three double bonds. It is found in evening primrose, borage and

black currant oils. Your body makes GLA out of omega-6 linoleic acid and

uses it in the production of substances called prostaglandins, localized

tissue hormones that regulate many processes at the cellular level.

 

Very-long-chain fatty acids have 20 to 24 carbon atoms. They tend to

be highly unsaturated, with four, five or six double bonds. Some people

can make these fatty acids from EFA's, but others, particularly those

whose ancestors ate a lot of fish, lack enzymes to produce them. These

" obligate carnivores " must obtain them from animal foods such as organ

meats, egg yolks, butter and fish oils. The most important

very-long-chain fatty acids are dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA) with

20 carbons and three double bonds; arachidonic acid (AA) with 20 carbons

and four double bonds; eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) with 20 carbons and

five double bonds; and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) with 22 carbons and

six double bonds. All of these except DHA are used in the production of

prostaglandins, localized tissue hormones that direct many processes in

the cells. In addition, AA and DHA play important roles in the function

of the nervous system.29

 

The dangers of polyunsaturates

 

The public has been fed a great deal of misinformation about the

relative virtues of saturated fats versus polyunsaturated oils.

Politically correct dietary gurus tell us that the polyunsaturated oils

are good for us and that the saturated fats cause cancer and heart

disease. The result is that fundamental changes have occurred in the

Western diet. At the turn of the century, most of the fatty acids in the

diet were either saturated or monounsaturated, primarily from butter,

lard, tallows, coconut oil and small amounts of olive oil. Today most of

the fats in the diet are polyunsaturated from vegetable oils derived

mostly from soy, as well as from corn, safflower and canola.

 

Modern diets can contain as much as 30% of calories as polyunsaturated

oils, but scientific research indicates that this amount is far too

high. The best evidence indicates that our intake of polyunsaturates

should not be much greater than 4% of the caloric total, in approximate

proportions of 1 1/2 % omega-3 linolenic acid and 2 1/2 % omega-6

linoleic acid.30 EFA consumption in this range is found in native

populations in temperate and tropical regions whose intake of

polyunsaturated oils comes from the small amounts found in legumes,

grains, nuts, green vegetables, fish, olive oil and animal fats but not

from commercial vegetable oils.

 

Excess consumption of polyunsaturated oils has been shown to

contribute to a large number of disease conditions including increased

cancer and heart disease; immune system dysfunction; damage to the

liver, reproductive organs and lungs; digestive disorders; depressed

learning ability; impaired growth; and weight gain.31

 

One reason the polyunsaturates cause so many health problems is that

they tend to become oxidized or rancid when subjected to heat, oxygen

and moisture as in cooking and processing. Rancid oils are characterized

by free radicals—that is, single atoms or clusters with an unpaired

electron in an outer orbit. These compounds are extremely reactive

chemically. They have been characterized as " marauders " in the body for

they attack cell membranes and red blood cells and cause damage in

DNA/RNA strands, thus triggering mutations in tissue, blood vessels and

skin. Free radical damage to the skin causes wrinkles and premature

aging; free radical damage to the tissues and organs sets the stage for

tumors; free radical damage in the blood vessels initiates the buildup

of plaque. Is it any wonder that tests and studies have repeatedly shown

a high correlation between cancer and heart disease with the consumption

of polyunsaturates?32 New evidence links exposure to free radicals with

premature aging, with autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and with

Parkinson's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease, Alzheimer's and cataracts.33

 

Too much Omega-6

 

Problems associated with an excess of polyunsaturates are exacerbated by

the fact that most polyunsaturates in commercial vegetable oils are in

the form of double unsaturated omega-6 linoleic acid, with very little

of vital triple unsaturated omega-3 linolenic acid. Recent research has

revealed that too much omega-6 in the diet creates an imbalance that can

interfere with production of important prostaglandins.34 This disruption

can result in increased tendency to form blood clots, inflammation, high

blood pressure, irritation of the digestive tract, depressed immune

function, sterility, cell proliferation, cancer and weight gain.35

 

Too little Omega-3

 

A number of researchers have argued that along with a surfeit of omega-6

fatty acids the American diet is deficient in the more unsaturated

omega-3 linolenic acid. This fatty acid is necessary for cell oxidation,

for metabolizing important sulphur-containing amino acids and for

maintaining proper balance in prostaglandin production. Deficiencies

have been associated with asthma, heart disease and learning

deficiencies.36 Most commercial vegetable oils contain very little

omega-3 linolenic acid and large amounts of the omega-6 linoleic acid.

In addition, modern agricultural and industrial practices have reduced

the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in commercially available vegetables,

eggs, fish and meat. For example, organic eggs from hens allowed to feed

on insects and green plants can contain omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids

in the beneficial ratio of approximately one-to-one; but commercial

supermarket eggs can contain as much as nineteen times more omega-6 than

omega-3!37

 

The benefits of saturated fats

 

The much-maligned saturated fats—which Americans are trying to avoid—are

not the cause of our modern diseases. In fact, they play many important

roles in the body chemistry:

• Saturated fatty acids constitute at least 50% of the cell

membranes. They are what gives our cells necessary stiffness and integrity.

 

 

• They play a vital role in the health of our bones. For calcium to

be effectively incorporated into the skeletal structure, at least 50% of

the dietary fats should be saturated.38

 

 

• They lower Lp(a), a substance in the blood that indicates proneness

to heart disease.39 They protect the liver from alcohol and other

toxins, such as Tylenol.40

 

 

• They enhance the immune system.41

 

 

• They are needed for the proper utilization of essential fatty acids.

Elongated omega-3 fatty acids are better retained in the tissues when

the diet is rich in saturated fats. 42

 

 

• Saturated 18-carbon stearic acid and 16-carbon palmitic acid are

the preferred foods for the heart, which is why the fat around the heart

muscle is highly saturated.43 The heart draws on this reserve of fat in

times of stress.

 

 

• Short- and medium-chain saturated fatty acids have important

antimicrobial properties. They protect us against harmful microorganisms

in the digestive tract.

 

The scientific evidence, honestly evaluated, does not support the

assertion that " artery-clogging " saturated fats cause heart disease.44

Actually, evaluation of the fat in artery clogs reveals that only about

26% is saturated. The rest is unsaturated, of which more than half is

polyunsaturated.45

 

What about cholesterol?

 

And what about cholesterol? Here, too, the public has been misinformed.

Our blood vessels can become damaged in a number of ways—through

irritations caused by free radicals or viruses, or because they are

structurally weak—and when this happens, the body's natural healing

substance steps in to repair the damage. That substance is cholesterol.

Cholesterol is a high-molecular-weight alcohol that is manufactured in

the liver and in most human cells. Like saturated fats, the cholesterol

we make and consume plays many vital roles:

• Along with saturated fats, cholesterol in the cell membrane gives

our cells necessary stiffness and stability. When the diet contains an

excess of polyunsaturated fatty acids, these replace saturated fatty

acids in the cell membrane, so that the cell walls actually become

flabby. When this happens, cholesterol from the blood is " driven " into

the tissues to give them structural integrity. This is why serum

cholesterol levels may go down temporarily when we replace saturated

fats with polyunsaturated oils in the diet.46

 

 

• Cholesterol acts as a precursor to vital corticosteroids, hormones

that help us deal with stress and protect the body against heart disease

and cancer; and to the sex hormones like androgen, testosterone,

estrogen and progesterone.

 

 

• Cholesterol is a precursor to vitamin D, a very important

fat-soluble vitamin needed for healthy bones and nervous system, proper

growth, mineral metabolism, muscle tone, insulin production,

reproduction and immune system function.

 

 

• The bile salts are made from cholesterol. Bile is vital for

digestion and assimilation of fats in the diet.

 

 

• Recent research shows that cholesterol acts as an antioxidant.47

This is the likely explanation for the fact that cholesterol levels go

up with age. As an antioxidant, cholesterol protects us against free

radical damage that leads to heart disease and cancer.

 

 

• Cholesterol is needed for proper function of serotonin receptors in

the brain.48 Serotonin is the body's natural " feel-good " chemical. Low

cholesterol levels have been linked to aggressive and violent behavior,

depression and suicidal tendencies.

 

 

• Mother's milk is especially rich in cholesterol and contains a

special enzyme that helps the baby utilize this nutrient. Babies and

children need cholesterol-rich foods throughout their growing years to

ensure proper development of the brain and nervous system.

 

 

• Dietary cholesterol plays an important role in maintaining the

health of the intestinal wall.49 This is why low-cholesterol vegetarian

diets can lead to leaky gut syndrome and other intestinal disorders.

 

Cholesterol is not the cause of heart disease but rather a potent

antioxidant weapon against free radicals in the blood, and a repair

substance that helps heal arterial damage (although the arterial plaques

themselves contain very little cholesterol.) However, like fats,

cholesterol may be damaged by exposure to heat and oxygen. This damaged

or oxidized cholesterol seems to promote both injury to the arterial

cells as well as a pathological buildup of plaque in the arteries.50

Damaged cholesterol is found in powdered eggs, in powdered milk (added

to reduced-fat milks to give them body) and in meats and fats that have

been heated to high temperatures in frying and other high-temperature

processes.

 

High serum cholesterol levels often indicate that the body needs

cholesterol to protect itself from high levels of altered,

free-radical-containing fats. Just as a large police force is needed in

a locality where crime occurs frequently, so cholesterol is needed in a

poorly nourished body to protect the individual from a tendency to heart

disease and cancer. Blaming coronary heart disease on cholesterol is

like blaming the police for murder and theft in a high crime area.

 

Poor thyroid function (hypothyroidism) will often result in high

cholesterol levels. When thyroid function is poor, usually due to a diet

high in sugar and low in usable iodine, fat-soluble vitamins and other

nutrients, the body floods the blood with cholesterol as an adaptive and

protective mechanism, providing a superabundance of materials needed to

heal tissues and produce protective steroids. Hypothyroid individuals

are particularly susceptible to infections, heart disease and cancer.51

 

The cause and treatment of heart disease

 

The cause of heart disease is not animal fats and cholesterol but rather

a number of factors inherent in modern diets, including excess

consumption of vegetables oils and hydrogenated fats; excess consumption

of refined carbohydrates in the form of sugar and white flour; mineral

deficiencies, particularly low levels of protective magnesium and

iodine; deficiencies of vitamins, particularly of vitamin C, needed for

the integrity of the blood vessel walls, and of antioxidants like

selenium and vitamin E, which protect us from free radicals; and,

finally, the disappearance of antimicrobial fats from the food supply,

namely, animal fats and tropical oils.52 These once protected us against

the kinds of viruses and bacteria that have been associated with the

onset of pathogenic plaque leading to heart disease.

 

While serum cholesterol levels provide an inaccurate indication of

future heart disease, a high level of a substance called homocysteine in

the blood has been positively correlated with pathological buildup of

plaque in the arteries and the tendency to form clots—a deadly

combination. Folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and choline are

nutrients that lower serum homocysteine levels.53 These nutrients are

found mostly in animal foods.

 

The best way to treat heart disease, then, is not to focus on lowering

cholesterol—either by drugs or diet—but to consume a diet that provides

animal foods rich in vitamins B6 and B12; to bolster thyroid function by

daily use of natural sea salt, a good source of usable iodine; to avoid

vitamin and mineral deficiencies that make the artery walls more prone

to ruptures and the buildup of plaque; to include the antimicrobial fats

in the diet; and to eliminate processed foods containing refined

carbohydrates, oxidized cholesterol and free-radical-containing

vegetable oils that cause the body to need constant repair.

 

Modern methods of processing fats

 

It is important to understand that, of all substances ingested by the

body, it is polyunsaturated oils that are most easily rendered dangerous

by food processing, especially unstable omega-3 linolenic acid. Consider

the following processes inflicted upon naturally occurring fatty acids

before they appear on our tables:

 

Extraction: Oils naturally occurring in fruits, nuts and seeds must

first be extracted. In the old days this extraction was achieved by

slow-moving stone presses. But oils processed in large factories are

obtained by crushing the oil-bearing seeds and heating them to 230

degrees. The oil is then squeezed out at pressures from 10 to 20 tons

per inch, thereby generating more heat. During this process the oils are

exposed to damaging light and oxygen. In order to extract the last 10%

or so of the oil from crushed seeds, processors treat the pulp with one

of a number of solvents—usually hexane. The solvent is then boiled off,

although up to 100 parts per million may remain in the oil. Such

solvents, themselves toxic, also retain the toxic pesticides adhering to

seeds and grains before processing begins.

 

High-temperature processing causes the weak carbon bonds of

unsaturated fatty acids, especially triple unsaturated linolenic acid,

to break apart, thereby creating dangerous free radicals. In addition,

antioxidants, such as fat-soluble vitamin E, which protect the body from

the ravages of free radicals, are neutralized or destroyed by high

temperatures and pressures. BHT and BHA, both suspected of causing

cancer and brain damage, are often added to these oils to replace

vitamin E and other natural preservatives destroyed by heat.

 

There is a safe modern technique for extraction that drills into the

seeds and extracts the oil and its precious cargo of antioxidants under

low temperatures, with minimal exposure to light and oxygen. These

expeller-expressed, unrefined oils will remain fresh for a long time if

stored in the refrigerator in dark bottles. Extra virgin olive oil is

produced by crushing olives between stone or steel rollers. This process

is a gentle one that preserves the integrity of the fatty acids and the

numerous natural preservatives in olive oil. If olive oil is packaged in

opaque containers, it will retain its freshness and precious store of

antioxidants for many years.

 

Hydrogenation: This is the process that turns polyunsaturates,

normally liquid at room temperature, into fats that are solid at room

temperature—margarine and shortening. To produce them, manufacturers

begin with the cheapest oils—soy, corn, cottonseed or canola, already

rancid from the extraction process—and mix them with tiny metal

particles—usually nickel oxide. The oil with its nickel catalyst is then

subjected to hydrogen gas in a high-pressure, high-temperature reactor.

Next, soap-like emulsifiers and starch are squeezed into the mixture to

give it a better consistency; the oil is yet again subjected to high

temperatures when it is steam-cleaned. This removes its unpleasant odor.

Margarine's natural color, an unappetizing grey, is removed by bleach.

Dyes and strong flavors must then be added to make it resemble butter.

Finally, the mixture is compressed and packaged in blocks or tubs and

sold as a health food.

 

Partially hydrogenated margarines and shortenings are even worse for

you than the highly refined vegetable oils from which they are made

because of chemical changes that occur during the hydrogenation process.

Under high temperatures, the nickel catalyst causes the hydrogen atoms

to change position on the fatty acid chain. Before hydrogenation, pairs

of hydrogen atoms occur together on the chain, causing the chain to bend

slightly and creating a concentration of electrons at the site of the

double bond. This is called the cis formation, the configuration most

commonly found in nature. With hydrogenation, one hydrogen atom of the

pair is moved to the other side so that the molecule straightens. This

is called the trans formation, rarely found in nature. Most of these

man-made trans fats are toxins to the body, but unfortunately your

digestive system does not recognize them as such. Instead of being

eliminated, trans fats are incorporated into cell membranes as if they

were cis fats—your cells actually become partially hydrogenated! Once in

place, trans fatty acids with their misplaced hydrogen atoms wreak havoc

in cell metabolism because chemical reactions can only take place when

electrons in the cell membranes are in certain arrangements or patterns,

which the hydrogenation process has disturbed.

 

In the 1940's, researchers found a strong correlation between cancer

and the consumption of fat—the fats used were hydrogenated fats although

the results were presented as though the culprit were saturated fats.54

In fact, until recently saturated fats were usually lumped together with

trans fats in the various U.S. data bases that researchers use to

correlate dietary trends with disease conditions.55 Thus, natural

saturated fats were tarred with the black brush of unnatural

hydrogenated vegetable oils.

 

Altered partially hydrogenated fats made from vegetable oils actually

block utilization of essential fatty acids, causing many deleterious

effects including sexual dysfunction, increased blood cholesterol and

paralysis of the immune system.56 Consumption of hydrogenated fats is

associated with a host of other serious diseases, not only cancer but

also atherosclerosis, diabetes, obesity, immune system dysfunction,

low-birth-weight babies, birth defects, decreased visual acuity,

sterility, difficulty in lactation and problems with bones and

tendons.57 Yet hydrogenated fats continue to be promoted as health

foods. The popularity of partially hydrogenated margarine over butter

represents a triumph of advertising duplicity over common sense. Your

best defense is to avoid it like the plague.

 

Homogenization: This is the process whereby the fat particles of cream

are strained through tiny pores under great pressure. The resulting fat

particles are so small that they stay in suspension rather than rise to

the top of the milk. This makes the fat and cholesterol more susceptible

to rancidity and oxidation, and some research indicates that homogenized

fats may contribute to heart disease.58

 

The media's constant attack on saturated fats is extremely suspect.

Claims that butter causes chronic high cholesterol values have not been

substantiated by research—although some studies show that butter

consumption causes a small, temporary rise—while other studies have

shown that stearic acid, the main component of beef fat, actually lowers

cholesterol.59 Margarine, on the other hand, provokes chronic high

levels of cholesterol and has been linked to both heart disease and

cancer.60 The new soft margarines or tub spreads, while lower in

hydrogenated fats, are still produced from rancid vegetable oils and

contain many additives.

 

The Diet Dictocrats have succeeded in convincing Americans that butter

is dangerous, when in fact it is a valued component of many traditional

diets and a source of the following nutrients: