The Skinny on Fats (Part 2)

[Guest guest]

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

 

 

by Mary Enig, PhD, and Sally Fallon

 

Nutrition of fats

 

Fat-Soluble Vitamins: These include true vitamin A or retinol, vitamin

D, vitamin K and vitamin E as well as all their naturally occurring

cofactors needed to obtain maximum effect. Butter is America's best

source of these important nutrients. In fact, vitamin A is more easily

absorbed and utilized from butter than from other sources.61

Fortunately, these fat-soluble vitamins are relatively stable and

survive the pasteurization process.

 

When Dr. Weston Price studied isolated traditional peoples around the

world, he found that butter was a staple in many native diets. (He did

not find any isolated peoples who consumed polyunsaturated oils.) The

groups he studied particularly valued the deep yellow butter produced by

cows feeding on rapidly growing green grass. Their natural intuition

told them that its life-giving qualities were especially beneficial for

children and expectant mothers. When Dr. Price analyzed this deep yellow

butter he found that it was exceptionally high in all fat-soluble

vitamins, particularly vitamin A. He called these vitamins " catalysts "

or " activators. " Without them, according to Dr. Price, we are not able

to utilize the minerals we ingest, no matter how abundant they may be in

our diets. He also believed the fat-soluble vitamins to be necessary for

absorption of the water-soluble vitamins. Vitamins A and D are essential

for growth, for healthy bones, for proper development of the brain and

nervous systems and for normal sexual development. Many studies have

shown the importance of butterfat for reproduction; its absence results

in " nutritional castration, " the failure to bring out male and female

sexual characteristics. As butter consumption in America has declined,

sterility rates and problems with sexual development have increased. In

calves, butter substitutes are unable to promote growth or sustain

reproduction.62

 

Not all the societies Dr. Price studied ate butter; but all the groups

he observed went to great lengths to obtain foods high in fat-soluble

vitamins—fish, shellfish, fish eggs, organ meats, blubber of sea animals

and insects. Without knowing the names of the vitamins contained in

these foods, isolated traditional societies recognized their importance

in the diet and liberally ate the animal products containing them. They

rightly believed such foods to be necessary for fertility and the

optimum development of children. Dr. Price analyzed the nutrient content

of native diets and found that they consistently provided about ten

times more fat soluble vitamins than the American diet of the 1930's.

This ratio is probably more extreme today as Americans have deliberately

reduced animal fat consumption. Dr. Price realized that these

fat-soluble vitamins promoted the beautiful bone structure, wide palate,

flawless uncrowded teeth and handsome, well-proportioned faces that

characterized members of isolated traditional groups. American children

in general do not eat fish or organ meats, at least not to any great

extent, and blubber and insects are not a part of the western diet; many

will not eat eggs. The only good source of fat-soluble vitamins in the

American diet, one sure to be eaten, is butterfat. Butter added to

vegetables and spread on bread, and cream added to soups and sauces,

ensure proper assimilation of the minerals and water-soluble vitamins in

vegetables, grains and meat.

 

The Wulzen Factor: Called the " antistiffness " factor, this compound is

present in raw animal fat. Researcher Rosalind Wulzen discovered that

this substance protects humans and animals from calcification of the

joints—degenerative arthritis. It also protects against hardening of the

arteries, cataracts and calcification of the pineal gland.63 Calves fed

pasteurized milk or skim milk develop joint stiffness and do not thrive.

Their symptoms are reversed when raw butterfat is added to the diet.

Pasteurization destroys the Wulzen factor—it is present only in raw

butter, cream and whole milk.

 

The Price Factor or Activator X: Discovered by Dr. Price, Activator X

is a powerful catalyst which, like vitamins A and D, helps the body

absorb and utilize minerals. It is found in organ meats from grazing

animals and some sea food. Butter can be an especially rich source of

Activator X when it comes from cows eating rapidly growing grass in the

spring and fall seasons. It disappears in cows fed cottonseed meal or

high protein soy-based feeds.64 Fortunately, Activator X is not

destroyed by pasteurization.

 

Arachidonic Acid: A 20-carbon polyunsaturate containing four double

bonds, found in small amounts only in animal fats. Arachidonic acid (AA)

plays a role in the function of the brain, is a vital component of the

cell membranes and is a precursor to important prostaglandins. Some

dietary gurus warn against eating foods rich in AA, claiming that it

contributes to the production of " bad " prostaglandins, ones that cause

inflammation. But prostaglandins that counteract inflammation are also

made from AA.

 

Short- and Medium-Chain Fatty Acids: Butter contains about 12-15%

short- and medium-chain fatty acids. This type of saturated fat does not

need to be emulsified by bile salts but is absorbed directly from the

small intestine to the liver, where it is converted into quick energy.

These fatty acids also have antimicrobial, antitumor and

immune-system-supporting properties, especially 12-carbon lauric acid, a

medium-chain fatty acid not found in other animal fats. Highly

protective lauric acid should be called a conditionally essential fatty

acid because it is made only by the mammary gland and not in the liver

like other saturated fats.65 We must obtain it from one of two dietary

sources—small amounts in butterfat or large amounts in coconut oil.

Four-carbon butyric acid is all but unique to butter. It has antifungal

properties as well as antitumor effects.66

 

Omega-6 and Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids: These occur in butter in

small but nearly equal amounts. This excellent balance between linoleic

and linolenic acid prevents the kind of problems associated with

overconsumption of omega-6 fatty acids.

 

Conjugated Linoleic Acid: Butter from pasture-fed cows also contains a

form of rearranged linoleic acid called CLA, which has strong anticancer

properties. It also encourages the buildup of muscle and prevents weight

gain. CLA disappears when cows are fed dry hay or processed feed.67

 

Lecithin: Lecithin is a natural component of butter that assists in the

proper assimilation and metabolization of cholesterol and other fat

constituents.

 

Cholesterol: Mother's milk is high in cholesterol because it is

essential for growth and development. Cholesterol is also needed to

produce a variety of steroids that protect against cancer, heart disease

and mental illness.

 

Glycosphingolipids: This type of fat protects against gastrointestinal

infections, especially in the very young and the elderly. For this

reason, children who drink skimmed milk have diarrhea at rates three to

five times greater than children who drink whole milk.68

 

Trace Minerals: Many trace minerals are incorporated into the fat

globule membrane of butterfat, including manganese, zinc, chromium and

iodine. In mountainous areas far from the sea, iodine in butter protects

against goiter. Butter is extremely rich in selenium, a trace mineral

with antioxidant properties, containing more per gram than herring or

wheat germ.

 

One frequently voiced objection to the consumption of butter and other

animal fats is that they tend to accumulate environmental poisons.

Fat-soluble poisons such as DDT do accumulate in fats; but water-soluble

poisons, such as antibiotics and growth hormones, accumulate in the

water fraction of milk and meats. Vegetables and grains also accumulate

poisons. The average plant crop receives ten applications of

pesticides—from planting to storage—while cows generally graze on

pasture that is unsprayed. Aflatoxin, a fungus that grows on grain, is

one of the most powerful carcinogens known. It is correct to assume that

all of our foods, whether of vegetable or animal origin, may be

contaminated. The solution to environmental poisons is not to eliminate

animal fats—so essential to growth, reproduction and overall health—but

to seek out organic meats and butter from pasture-fed cows, as well as

organic vegetables and grains. These are becoming increasingly available

in health food stores and supermarkets and through mail order and

cooperatives.

 

Composition of different fats

 

Before leaving this complex but vital subject of fats, it is worthwhile

examining the composition of vegetable oils and other animal fats in

order to determine their usefulness and appropriateness in food preparation:

 

Duck and Goose Fat are semisolid at room temperature, containing about

35% saturated fat, 52% monounsaturated fat (including small amounts of

antimicrobial palmitoleic acid) and about 13% polyunsaturated fat. The

proportion of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids depends on what the birds

have eaten. Duck and goose fat are quite stable and are highly prized in

Europe for frying potatoes.

 

Chicken Fat is about 31% saturated, 49% monounsaturated (including

moderate amounts of antimicrobial palmitoleic acid) and 20%

polyunsaturated, most of which is omega-6 linoleic acid, although the

amount of omega-3 can be raised by feeding chickens flax or fish meal,

or allowing them to range free and eat insects. Although widely used for

frying in kosher kitchens, it is inferior to duck and goose fat, which

were traditionally preferred to chicken fat in Jewish cooking.

 

Lard or pork fat is about 40% saturated, 48% monounsaturated

(including small amounts of antimicrobial palmitoleic acid) and 12%

polyunsaturated. Like the fat of birds, the amount of omega-6 and

omega-3 fatty acids will vary in lard according to what has been fed to

the pigs. In the tropics, lard may also be a source of lauric acid if

the pigs have eaten coconuts. Like duck and goose fat, lard is stable

and a preferred fat for frying. It was widely used in America at the

turn of the century. It is a good source of vitamin D, especially in

third-world countries where other animal foods are likely to be

expensive. Some researchers believe that pork products should be avoided

because they may contribute to cancer. Others suggest that only pork

meat presents a problem and that pig fat in the form of lard is safe and

healthy.

 

Beef and Mutton Tallows are 50-55% saturated, about 40%

monounsaturated and contain small amounts of the polyunsaturates,

usually less than 3%. Suet, which is the fat from the cavity of the

animal, is 70-80% saturated. Suet and tallow are very stable fats and

can be used for frying. Traditional cultures valued these fats for their

health benefits. They are a good source of antimicrobial palmitoleic acid.

 

Olive Oil contains 75% oleic acid, the stable monounsaturated fat,

along with 13% saturated fat, 10% omega-6 linoleic acid and 2% omega-3

linolenic acid. The high percentage of oleic acid makes olive oil ideal

for salads and for cooking at moderate temperatures. Extra virgin olive

oil is also rich in antioxidants. It should be cloudy, indicating that

it has not been filtered, and have a golden yellow color, indicating

that it is made from fully ripened olives. Olive oil has withstood the

test of time; it is the safest vegetable oil you can use, but don't

overdo. The longer chain fatty acids found in olive oil are more likely

to contribute to the buildup of body fat than the short- and

medium-chain fatty acids found in butter, coconut oil or palm kernel oil.

 

Peanut Oil contains 48% oleic acid, 18% saturated fat and 34% omega-6

linoleic acid. Like olive oil, peanut oil is relatively stable and,

therefore, appropriate for stir-frys on occasion. But the high

percentage of omega-6 presents a potential danger, so use of peanut oil

should be strictly limited.

 

Sesame Oil contains 42% oleic acid, 15% saturated fat, and 43% omega-6

linoleic acid. Sesame oil is similar in composition to peanut oil. It

can be used for frying because it contains unique antioxidants that are

not destroyed by heat. However, the high percentage of omega-6 militates

against exclusive use.

 

Safflower, Corn, Sunflower, Soybean and Cottonseed Oils all contain

over 50% omega-6 and, except for soybean oil, only minimal amounts of

omega-3. Safflower oil contains almost 80% omega-6. Researchers are just

beginning to discover the dangers of excess omega-6 oils in the diet,

whether rancid or not. Use of these oils should be strictly limited.

They should never be consumed after they have been heated, as in

cooking, frying or baking. High oleic safflower and sunflower oils,

produced from hybrid plants, have a composition similar to olive oil,

namely, high amounts of oleic acid and only small amounts of

polyunsaturated fatty acids and, thus, are more stable than traditional

varieties. However, it is difficult to find truly cold-pressed versions

of these oils.

 

Canola Oil contains 5% saturated fat, 57% oleic acid, 23% omega-6 and

10%-15% omega-3. The newest oil on the market, canola oil was developed

from the rape seed, a member of the mustard family. Rape seed is

unsuited to human consumption because it contains a very-long-chain

fatty acid called erucic acid, which under some circumstances is

associated with fibrotic heart lesions. Canola oil was bred to contain

little if any erucic acid and has drawn the attention of nutritionists

because of its high oleic acid content. But there are some indications

that canola oil presents dangers of its own. It has a high sulphur

content and goes rancid easily. Baked goods made with canola oil develop

mold very quickly. During the deodorizing process, the omega-3 fatty

acids of processed canola oil are transformed into trans fatty acids,

similar to those in margarine and possibly more dangerous.69 A recent

study indicates that " heart healthy " canola oil actually creates a

deficiency of vitamin E, a vitamin required for a healthy cardiovascular

system.70 Other studies indicate that even low-erucic-acid canola oil

causes heart lesions, particularly when the diet is low in saturated fat.71

 

Flax Seed Oil contains 9% saturated fatty acids, 18% oleic acid, 16%

omega-6 and 57% omega-3. With its extremely high omega-3 content, flax

seed oil provides a remedy for the omega-6/omega-3 imbalance so

prevalent in America today. Not surprisingly, Scandinavian folk lore

values flax seed oil as a health food. New extraction and bottling

methods have minimized rancidity problems. It should always be kept

refrigerated, never heated, and consumed in small amounts in salad

dressings and spreads.

 

Tropical Oils are more saturated than other vegetable oils.

• Palm oil is about 50% saturated, with 41% oleic acid and about 9%

linoleic acid.

• Coconut oil is 92% saturated with over two-thirds of the saturated

fat in the form of medium-chain fatty acids (often called medium-chain

triglycerides). Of particular interest is lauric acid, found in large

quantities in both coconut oil and in mother's milk. This fatty acid

has strong antifungal and antimicrobial properties. Coconut oil

protects tropical populations from bacteria and fungus so prevalent in

their food supply; as third-world nations in tropical areas have

switched to polyunsaturated vegetable oils, the incidence of

intestinal disorders and immune deficiency diseases has increased

dramatically. Because coconut oil contains lauric acid, it is often

used in baby formulas.

• Palm kernel oil, used primarily in candy coatings, also contains

high levels of lauric acid. These oils are extremely stable and can be

kept at room temperature for many months without becoming rancid.

Highly saturated tropical oils do not contribute to heart disease but

have nourished healthy populations for millennia.72 It is a shame we do

not use these oils for cooking and baking—the bad rap they have

received is the result of intense lobbying by the domestic vegetable oil

industry.73

• Red palm oil has a strong taste that most will find

disagreeable—although it is used extensively throughout Africa—but

clarified palm oil, which is tasteless and white in color, was formerly

used as shortening and in the production of commercial French fries,

while coconut oil was used in cookies, crackers and pastries.

 

The saturated fat scare has forced manufacturers to abandon these

safe and healthy oils in favor of hydrogenated soybean, corn, canola

and cottonseed oils.

 

In summary, our choice of fats and oils is one of extreme importance.

Most people, especially infants and growing children, benefit from more

fat in the diet rather than less. But the fats we eat must be chosen

with care. Avoid all processed foods containing newfangled hydrogenated

fats and polyunsaturated oils. Instead, use traditional vegetable oils

like extra virgin olive oil and small amounts of unrefined flax seed

oil. Acquaint yourself with the merits of coconut oil for baking and

with animal fats for occasional frying. Eat egg yolks and other animal

fats with the proteins to which they are attached. And, finally, use as

much good quality butter as you like, with the happy assurance that it

is a wholesome—indeed, an essential—food for you and your whole family.

 

Organic butter, extra virgin olive oil, and expeller-expressed flax

oil in opaque containers are available in health food stores and gourmet

markets. Edible coconut oil can be found in Indian or Caribbean markets.

 

References

 

 

About the Authors:

Mary G. Enig, Ph.D. is an expert of international renown in the field

of lipid biochemistry. She has headed a number of studies on the

content and effects of trans fatty acids in America and Israel, and has

successfully challenged government assertions that dietary animal fat

causes cancer and heart disease. Recent scientific and media attention

on the possible adverse health effects of trans fatty acids has brought

increased attention to her work. She is a licensed nutritionist,

certified by the Certification Board for Nutrition Specialists, a

qualified expert witness, nutrition consultant to individuals, industry

and state and federal governments, contributing editor to a number of

scientific publications, Fellow of the American College of Nutrition

and President of the Maryland Nutritionists Association. She is the

author of over 60 technical papers and presentations, as well as a

popular lecturer. Dr. Enig is currently working on the exploratory

development of an adjunct therapy for AIDS using complete medium chain

saturated fatty acids from whole foods. She is the mother of three

healthy children brought up on whole foods including butter, cream,

eggs and meat.

 

About the Author

Sally Fallon is the author of Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that

Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats (with

Mary G. Enig, PhD), as well as of numerous articles on the subject of

diet and health. She is President of the Weston A Price Foundation and

founder of A Campaign for Real Milk. She is the mother of four healthy

children raised on whole foods including butter, cream, eggs and meat.