Nature’s Natural Foods  -

Fat Facts and Your Health  By Gayle Eversole

Saturated fats have gotten bad press for 50 years as a result of the anti-fat campaign promoted by the food industry that has great influence over the USDA, the FDA, the ADA, consumer groups and the media.

Nutrition researchers report that omega-6 oils and trans fatty acids, such as canola oil and all hydrogenated oils can lead to serious health problems. Trans-fats contribute to cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol, Crohn’s disease, cirrhosis of the liver, eczema, PMS, breast disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, poor pituitary and thyroid function, heart disease, immune system dysfunction, sterility, learning disabilities, growth problems and osteoporosis. 

It is best to avoid all hydrogenated and trans-fats, including canola oil and margarines.  Canola oil is unsuited for human consumption because it contains a fatty acid called erucic acid.  Erucic acid is associated with fibrotic heart lesions and is toxic to the liver.  It goes rancid easily.  Baked goods made with canola oil mold quickly. A recent study indicates that canola oil creates a deficiency of vitamin E required for a healthy heart.

Nutrient-rich traditional fats such as butter have nourished people for thousands of years. 
Today butter consumption is down, yet cholesterol intake is up just 1%.  Vegetable oil consumption (margarine, shortening and refined oils) is up about 400%.

Independent researchers such as Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD, point out that there is a real need for correcting wrong advice given to the public regarding consumption of dietary fats.

Fat made by the human body is saturated fat.  It is needed for energy and many other functions. Saturated fat helps flax oil (ALA) convert to fish oil-type fatty acids (EPA and DHA). Research shows that these substances act like anti-oxidants, and play important roles in lung and kidney health. 

Four fat-soluble vitamins are necessary for health: Vitamins A, D, E, and K.  Without fat you cannot absorb and assimilate these essential nutrients.  Butter is the best source of these important nutrients. Vitamin A is more easily absorbed and utilized from butter than any other source. 

Lauric acid, a saturated fatty acid, is found in butter, and breast milk.  When lauric acid is in the diet, omega-6 fatty acids enter the body where they belong, even when essential fatty acid consumption is low.

Phospholipids made from saturated fats are required for the brain to work effectively.  Arachadonic acid, a prostaglandin found in butter, is an important constituent of cell membranes. Prostaglandins protect against heart attack, stroke, and inflammatory diseases like arthritis, lupus and asthma. They aid in the movement of calcium and other substances into and out of cells, regulate pain and secretions including digestive juices and hormones, and support fertility.  They induce birth, lower blood pressure, and regulate temperature and clotting.

Sources of traditional fats are olive oil, butter, coconut oil, lard, animal fats, organ meats, eggs, seaweed, and cod liver oil supply prostaglandins.  Deficiencies of biotin, vitamin E, protein, zinc, B₁₂ and B₆ interfere with enzymes involved in prostaglandin production. Useable B₁₂ is found only in animal foods. B₆ is mainly found in animal foods. Zinc absorption is inhibited by phytic acid in whole grains, legumes, and particularly soy.

All the non-fat and low fat food you eat keeps you from absorbing the important fat dependent mineral calcium. 

Essential fatty acids should be about 4% of the diet.

Avocado has an alkaline reaction and is best eaten raw.  It combines well with all fruits and vegetables. Avocado oil acts as an antioxidant blocking LDL (bad) cholesterol.  It is one of the richest sources of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant that blocks thirty carcinogens and potent viruses.

Avocado is a low carbohydrate fruit of high nutritional value containing the highest percentage of oil in any fruit except the olive.  The high phosphorus content supplies energy.  Fourteen other minerals regulate body function and red blood cells.  It is high in vitamin A, contains protein, thiamine, riboflavin, lecithin and essential fatty acids.

Healthy avocado protects from heart disease, obesity and cancer, treats eczema and dry skin.  It helps circulation and lowers cholesterol, is crucial for hormone production and balance, helps immune health, diabetes, pregnancy, asthma and MS, prevents cataract, bruising and stroke, and reduces kidney stones.  Holistic veterinarians recommend avocado for skin and coat health.

In 2002 the National Academy of Sciences recommended that you eat avocado daily. 

© 2003 Gayle Eversole, DHom, PhD, MH, CRNP

Someone else says about avocado: "Eating avocados will lower cholesterol. Mine was at 239. So I began eating an avocado each day and still do. Yesterday my cholesterol was 193, a drop of 46 points. Woweee... The LDL lipids dropped 17 points, HDL dropped 2 points and I hoped that would rise a bit. The VLDL dropped 19 points and the triglycerides dropped 95 points. And my eyesight improved from 20/40 to 20/30." Avocados contain: Master Antioxidant Glutathione, Healthy Monounsaturated Oil, Heaps of Carotenoids, Vitamin E, Stacks of Fibre, Potassium & B6"