Food as Medicine: Fats and Oils
You can access a recording of this post here
Fat makes food TASTE good. Fat carries flavour.
Fat creates a feeling of satiety from eating a meal. It creates a sense of fullness. It balances our blood sugar and keep us feeling satisfied longer.
Fat increases the uptake of nutrients from the plant foods we are eating them with. Did you know that we absorb far fewer nutrients from a salad eaten with a low-fat or no dressing, than one that is liberally doused with a high quality oil.
Fats are IMPORTANT. So let’s make sure we are choosing the best ones to support optimal health. Which fats are best for our bodies?
Our cell membranes and brain are comprised of mainly fat. When we eat a diet balanced in the types of fats our ancestors ate, we improve cell membrane stability, reducing inflammation, damage and oxidative stress.
Many of the common chronic diseases affecting our population today are tied to INFLAMMATION. This inflammation is aggravated by stress, environmental influences, gut health and the foods we eat. Refined carbohydrates, GMO foods and industrial seed oils top the list of inflammation aggravating foods.
Here are a few things that have occurred over the past century that have changed the types of fats we consume and the effect of these fats in our bodies:
The predominant fat that most of our ancestors consumed living in temperate and colder climates was saturated fat that came to us from animal sources. The way animals are raised today is completely different from how they were raised a century or two ago. In the past, animal fats consumed came from animals that were wild, or pastured and/or grass fed. They were not fed a diet of predominately corn and soy, and certainly not GMO soy and corn. These animals were also not exposed to the multitude of chemicals that we are now all exposed to in this modern world. Many of these chemicals accumulate in the fatty portion of the animal tissue. All these factors taken together, significantly change the quality of the fat from animal sources
Saturated fats are neither omega 3 or 6 fats. They tend to be more more stable, less prone to oxidative damage and therefore more neutral in their effects on inflammation for most people. There is a subset of the population that is genetically more sensitive to the effects of saturated fats. So - as usual individualizing diet is key.
A lot of the inflammation in our bodies can be kept in check by honouring the delicate balance of omega 3 to omega 6 fats in our diet. Omega 3 fats reduce inflammation and are found predominantly in fatty cold water ocean fish. Most seed oils are much higher in the inflammation aggravating omega 6 fats.
The way industrial seeds oils are processed makes them prone to oxidation which makes them further damaging to our tissues. These industrial seed oils have only been in production since the 1920’s. They have come to represent the majority of fats and oils consumed in our modern world today. Almost all processed foods and restaurant foods are made using these industrial seed oils.
By making industrial seed oils the main oil consumed, we have significantly altered the delicate omega 3:6 ratio driving our bodies in deep states of inflammation. I like to say that most of us who have consumed predominately processed oils over the course of our lives could use a good “oil change”.
What are the best fats and oils to consume?
OLIVE OIL, COCONUT OIL AND AVOCADOS HAVE THE MOST RESEARCH BEHIND THEM IN TERMS OF HEALTH BENEFIT
Highest Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil has lots of robust research backing up its health benefits - both from its fatty acid composition as well as the powerful polyphenols contained in this oil. The more pungent the flavour, the higher the polyphenol levels. Olive oil is great used in sauces and dressings and is often added to foods before serving. When cooking with olive oil, avoid high heat. Tempering the oil with the addition of onions and or garlic will help stabilize it during cooking. Be aware that there is fraud on the olive oil market. Anyone can sell an oil and call it olive oil. There are no regulations around this issue. Do your research.
Coconut Oil is one of the best sources of saturated fat and is heat stable. Coconut oil has shown benefit both in raising HDL levels, as well as being neuroprotective - protecting our brain and nervous system. There are compounds in coconut oil that benefit our gut and immunity, as well as supporting fat burning in the body.
Avocados have been shown to have many health benefits including reducing cancer risk and supporting cell apoptosis. They are cardio-protective and support gut health. This oil is relatively heat stable and can be used for cooking. The research on avocado’s health benefits come mainly from eating the avocado itself. If using the oil, choose cold pressed avocado oil to avoid concerns with solvent extractions method.
THESE FATS ARE MORE NEUTRAL IN THEIR EFFECT ON INFLAMMATION AND MORE HEAT STABLE SO BETTER SUITED TO HIGHER HEAT COOKING
Coconut oil
Lard, tallow, schmalz, duck fat, butter and ghee from organic, grassfed and/or pastured animals not fed GMO corn or soy
MOST OILS IN NUTS, SEEDS and FISH ARE VULNERABLE TO DAMAGE SO SOURCE THEM WELL AND STORE WITH CARE
Raw nuts and seeds are beneficial to include in the diet. Most of these nuts and seeds are high in omega 6 fats, so keep their intake moderate so as to not throw off the delicate omega 3 to omega 6 balance. Research shows benefit with consumption of up to 1 oz or 30 grams daily. That’s somewhere in the range of 1/4 to 1/3 cup of nuts or seeds. If you like them roasted, best to roast them lightly yourself. Most commercially roasted nuts and seeds are roasted in poor quality oil. In some cases one might want to include a small amount of cold pressed oils from these nuts and seeds. In that case, consume them only fresh, and choose oils that are stored in a way that protects them from heat and light.
Consuming about 16 oz of wild caught, fatty cold water ocean fish weekly will help maintain the proper balance of omega 3s in your body, as long as you are not consuming too many omega 6 fats from seeds and their oils. If you are suffering from inflammation, you may want to consider supplementing with a high quality fish oil. Be particularly careful with quality as fish oil can often be contaminated with toxins and is vulnerable to oxidation.
If you want some ideas on how to use these healthy fats and oil in your diet, sauces and salad dressings are great starting point. You can access recipes for Sauces and Dressings HERE. And for my favourite green sauces HERE.
Enjoy! 💜