What makes fat healthy or not healthy? Fat is essential to our health, to our existence really. But what classifies a fat as being healthy or unhealthy ultimately depends on how it affects our risk factors for disease and life expectancy. Fats are broken down into saturated and unsaturated. For many years, saturated fat has been villainized as the artery clogging anti-christ fat that has led to obesity and heart disease. We now know that isn’t the case (stay tuned for our upcoming blog about saturated fat). In this article, I will talk about the unhealthy fats to avoid and then briefly discuss the top sources of healthy fats that should become a regular part of your diet. Oh and just to dispel a myth, healthy fat does not make you fat.
UNHEALTHY FATS
Transfats
Transfats were the primary fat used in processed foods until they were banned in the US June 2018 due to these fats increasing the rates of heart disease. The FDA did allow some companies to continue using transfats until January 2020. However some companies have received an extension until January 2021, so these fats are still out there. However they are being replaced with Inter-esterified fats which are liquid oils converted to solid fats by artificially rearranging the shape of the molecules. These fats appear to have the same doubly negative effect on cholesterol levels as transfats, increasing LDL and lowering HDL, and may also increase blood sugar levels. Best to avoid foods made with hydrogenated oils and inter-esterified fats. Ensure you read ingredient labels and limit your intake of commercial baked goods and deep-fried foods (they’re on our Avoidance Foods list for a reason).
Industrialized Seed Oils
Industrial seed oils are highly processed oils extracted from soybeans, corn, rapeseed (the source of canola oil), cottonseed, and safflower seeds. They were only introduced into the American diet in the early 1900s. In fact, soybean oil became the most common cooking oil by 1950. The detrimental health effects of these oils is born out of the oil extraction process. The seeds are heated to extremely high temperatures, then a petroleum based solvent, hexane, is used to extract the maximum amount of oil. Because of the offending smell, chemicals are then added to deodorize the oils. Then more chemicals are added to improve the color. The heating process leads to the formation of transfats, unhealthy byproducts and unwanted chemicals. The oils are unstable and integrate into the cell wall of our membranes, thus making our cells unstable and more prone to damage. They contain synthetic antioxidants to prevent them from becoming rancid such as BHA and BHT which have their own unhealthy side effects. The other health issue that surrounds these oils is the increased ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-6s are more inflammatory in nature whereas omega-3s are more anti-inflammatory. It is important to have a balance between these 2 types of fat. Need I say more? You need to remove any and all bottles of canola, corn, cottonseed, soybean and sunflower oils you have in your kitchen. I do keep some peanut oil and tahini just for seasoning.
HEALTHY FATS
Coconut
There is always so much conflicting information about coconut oil. It is commonly clumped in the “artery clogging myth” of saturated fat. Coconut is used for its milk, oil, water and meat. Unlike other fruits that are high in carbohydrates, coconut is rich in fat, particularly medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). MCTs are easily absorbed directly from the small intestine and rapidly used as a form of energy. In the liver, MCTs are broken down into ketones. Ketones are the preferred energy source for our body and brain. Some studies have shown an improvement in lipid profile and waist circumference with the addition of coconut oil. Coconut oil has been shown to improve cognition in people with dementia. Coconut oil is a stable oil and can be used for cooking up to 500 degrees. A helpful trick to help increase MCTs in your diet is to add a tbsp of coconut oil, or MCT oil, to every cup of coffee.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Olive oil is recognized as one of the world’s healthiest oils and extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is the highest quality olive oil available. EVOO is extracted from the fruit of the olive without the use of heat or solvents. EVOO has been shown to reduce your risk of heart disease, decrease inflammation, protect your cells from damaging free radicals, improve insulin sensitivity and thus decrease your risk of diabetes. EVOO is now being linked to lower rates of cognitive decline and dementia. All of that in one oil! One study compared an Extra Virgin Olive Oil-enhanced Mediterranean diet with a standard low fat diet and found those on the Extra Virgin Olive Oil diet suffered less cognitive decline (loss of brain function and memory) after a 6.5 year follow up. A helpful way to increase EVOO in your diet is to drizzle olive oil over everything on your plate. A good olive oil will only enhance the flavors of your food. See our article on How to Pick a Good Olive Oil.
Ghee and Clarified Butter
I mean who doesn’t love butter? It has to be one of the most loved fats on the planet and that’s because everything tastes better with butter. But ghee is also a wonderful fat that essentially has the dairy proteins and sugar removed and yet has retained the flavor of butter. Ultimately what is left is a wonderful cooking fat that is stable at high heat. That means it will be stable when it is in your cell membrane and therefore makes your cells more resistant to injury. Ghee is used on vegetables for roasting and melted on sweet potatoes and squashes. Ghee is high in Vitamin A, but also contains Vitamin E and D. Ghee contains medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) that can be used as energy and omega-3 fatty acids that are heart healthy. It also contains Butyric acid that has been shown to decrease inflammation, especially in the intestinal tract. It has even been recommended for people with ulcerative colitis. Finally because of the high levels of Vitamin A, 4,000 IUs/100 grams, it is ideal for eye health. And because the dairy component has been removed, people who have a dairy allergy or intolerance typically do not have issues with ghee.
Avocado
Avocados are a fruit that are revered for their flavor, texture and monounsaturated fat (MUFA) content. Monounsaturated fats are known to protect against heart disease, improve insulin sensitivity, decreased inflammation and have been shown to help with weight loss. A typical avocado contains 15 grams of healthy fat, 7 grams of fiber and only 2 net carbs. In fact 75% of the calories in an avocado comes from fat. The primary MUFA in avocados is Oleic Acid which is also the primary MUFA found in olive oil (and you now know how good EVOO is for you).
Salmon
Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. These fats are “essential” meaning you must get them from your diet because your body can’t make them. These long chain polyunsaturated fats, particularly DHA and EPA, have been shown to decrease risk of heart disease and systemic inflammation. Salmon is also high in B vitamins, potassium and astaxanthin, an antioxidant that gives salmon its color. This antioxidant lowers LDL levels while also increasing HDL which has shown to be protective agains heart disease. It is recommended that people eat at least 2 servings of fatty fish per week that are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Many experts also recommend an intake of 250-500 mgs of combined EPA and DHA daily.
Nuts
Nuts are rich in energy and a great source of monounsaturated (MUFA) and the polyunsaturated (PUFA) fats, DHA and EPA. Nuts have been shown to improve glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes, increase HDL and lower LDL and decrease systemic inflammation. They also contain antioxidants including carotenes and resveratrol that have been shown to decrease risk of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease and even some infections. Nuts are also high in vitamin E, another powerful antioxidant. They are rich in magnesium, iron, calcium, zinc, manganese and B vitamins. Peanuts are technically a legume but have a similar nutritional profile as nuts. Peanuts can cause digestive issues for some people and have a higher concentration of phytates that can bind to zinc and calcium and prevent their absorption. Peanuts also can have a higher level of aflatoxin, a toxin produced by mold found on peanuts. Aflatoxin has been linked to liver cancer. Dry roasting destroys about 50% of the toxin and dry roasting, blanching and grinding into peanut butter can decrease the amount of aflatoxin up to 90% but this is not standard across all brands of peanut butter. So better to indulge in more tree nuts and limit peanut intake.
Eggs
Eggs should be classified as a “superfood.” They are incredibly nutritious. An average egg contains 6 grams protein and 5 grams of healthy fats and A and B vitamins. And don’t worry about the cholesterol in eggs, only 30% of people who eat eggs will have only a mild increase in their LDL levels. And the LDL typically change from a small size, which increases risk of heart disease, to larger sized molecules that are associated with a decreased risk. Eating eggs is a great way to increase your HDL. Eggs contain choline which is used to help build cell membranes but also makes up one of the signaling molecules in the brain. Eggs that are raised from hens that are pastured or fed omega-3 enriched feeds tend to be higher in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are associated with all kinds of goodness, such as lowering heart disease and diabetes risk and decreasing systemic inflammation. See our blog on How to Increase Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Your Diet.
Coconut or Almond Milk Based Yogurt
Yogurt, coconut or almond milk based, is a great source of fat because it comes with all of the health benefits of coconut combined with the probiotic properties of yogurt. Yogurt has shown to increase the biodiversity of the microbiome, the collection of bacteria/fungi an viruses that Iive in your gut. The live cultures in yogurt help build the microbiome and this in turns decreases leaky gut and systemic inflammation.
