For decades fat has been demonised in nutrition, warning against heart disease and other health issues. This is true depending on what fat you are consuming. In this article I am going to explain where the theory of ‘fat is bad’ came from, the health benefits of consuming the right fats and which fat to consume for optimal health.

Where is started

In the 1950’s there was a spike in heart disease and increased mortality rate. The World Health Organization (The WHO) were desperate for answers. Scientists worked around the world trying to figure out why the increase.

Enter a scientist names Ancel Keys. He conducted a study and wrote a paper on the ‘7 Countries Study’ in 1958. In this study he researched countries that had the highest fat and cholesterol consumption with the correlation to the highest mortality rate. What he failed to disclose at the time was that he in fact studied 22 countries, but only presented on the 7 countries that supported his hypothesis.

The WHO was desperate for answers, so they accepted the first plausible theory that was presented to them. What they didn’t do, was research the validity of the study or the conclusion resulting from the study.

As such, the low-fat era was born.

Today

Almost 70 years later, why is heart disease still one of the biggest killers around the world today, despite the low-fat dogma, and cholesterol lowering medication, being the number one selling pharmaceutical around the world?

In 2014 Time magazine published the truth about Keys studies, and yet the world leaders are still harping on that ‘fat is dangerous’ and to ‘watch your cholesterol’. They treat all fat as being the same and their answer to high cholesterol is take a drug, rather than identify why your cholesterol is elevated.

Our leaders make a lot of money from our food and pharmaceutical companies, so it is in their best interest to keep pushing this agenda. There’s a lot of money to be made from people being sick.  

The truth is it all depends on what fat you are consuming, how much sugar you are consuming and your lifestyle.

The 7 countries that Keys reported on, had the highest mortality rate and heart disease rates because they consumed high levels of sugar and the highest consumption of processed food, not the highest level of fat and cholesterol. The 15 countries in the study that Keys failed to report on refuted his hypothesis. They had high consumption of fat and cholesterol but reduced consumption of sugar and processed foods and lower rates of heart disease and mortality.

Definitions

Triglycerides are three molecules of fatty acids that link together and travel through the blood used as energy source. Any triglycerides not used get stored as subcutaneous fat, the fat the sits over the muscle and under the skin.

Trans-fats are fats that have been manufactured or transformed through chemical processing, warping their composition and making them bio-unusable by the body. These increase the risk of heart disease and mortality. 

Cholesterol is a type of lipid (fat). 85% of the body’s cholesterol is manufactured in the body to fight off inflammation. 50% of breast milk is made of cholesterol to help optimal growth in infants.

HDL Cholesterol (High density lipoproteins, known as ‘good cholesterol’) are large, round, buoyant and fluffy lipoproteins, travelling through the arteries freely. They take cholesterol from the cells through the body and back to the liver for filtering.

LDL Cholesterol (Low density lipoproteins, known as ‘bad cholesterol’) are small, round, buoyant and fluffy lipoproteins, travelling through the arteries freely. They take cholesterol from around the body to the cells.

VLDL Cholesterol (Very low-density lipoproteins, which are in fact the ‘bad cholesterol’) are lipoproteins that have had the cholesterol removed. They are warped in shape, get stuck in artery walls and increase inflammation and arteriosclerosis.

*These are never mentioned by medical professionals. They do not differentiate between the 2 low-density lipoproteins.

Blood Tests:

If your cholesterol appears elevated in your blood tests, check your triglycerides levels. If under ‘1’ then your cholesterol is not elevated due to food. It is over ‘1’ then you need to adjust your nutrition to reduce your cholesterol levels.

If triglycerides are under ‘1’ it is ideal to request your inflammation levels to be tested, and investigation on what else could be causing the elevated cholesterol to focus on resolving that issue rather than going straight to cholesterol lowering medication. It could be stress related, bad sleep, too much caffeine or alcohol consumption or signs of other illness or disease.

The Benefits of Good Fats and Cholesterol:

• They help synthesise ALL hormones including
  • Serotonin – happy hormone
  • Melatonin – sleep hormone
  • All sex hormones
  • Thyroid hormone
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• They keep your cells round, protect the nucleus, keep them permeable, firm but not too hard, and keeps cells healthy.
• Help improve immune function.
• Increase your libido
• Increase fertility
• Required for brain function; 2/3 of the brain is made of fat and cholesterol.
• Saturated fat contains Palmitic Acid and Stearic Acid which help the heart cope with stress
• Saturated fat produces lung surfactant which improves lung function. This reduces symptoms of breathing problems associated with illnesses such as Asthma and also helps with cardio fitness capacity, which helps with fat loss.
• Required to synthesise bile which is required for digestion. The better your digestion the better your fat loss results.
• Helps synthesise vitamin D required to absorb calcium for bone health
• Help reduce cortisol hormone, your stress hormone which then increases metabolism and promotes fat loss.
• Help reduce inflammation in the body which promotes fat loss.
• Monounsaturated fats help break down visceral fat, which is the dangerous fat that sits around your organs.
• Omega 3 fats help regulate insulin sensitivity which means your body can manage your blood glucose more efficiently, reducing fat storage.
• Good fat contains more calories than protein or carbs, which helps you feel satiated for longer, reducing your overall calorie intake for the day, helping fat loss.
• Good fat triggers the leptin hormone, which is the hormone that notifies your brain that you are full.

Good Fats Include but are not Limited to:

• Omega 3 – Polyunsaturated fats. These are essential fatty acids that our body cannot manufacture therefore we need to consume them.
  • High levels found in foods such as:
    • Wild fish
    • Seeds
    • Nuts
    • Pastured eggs
    • Meat and dairy from grass fed animals

• Omega 6 – Polyunsaturated fats. Non-essential fatty acids, that our body can make and so we don’t have to consume them. Thes are consumed in high levels, so no need to go out of your way to consume extra, nor is it ideal to supplement with these.
  • High levels found in foods such as:
    • Grass fed and/or organic animal products
    • Nuts
    • Seeds

• Omega 9 (Alpha Linoleic Acid) – Usually monounsaturated. They are non-essential fatty acids, that our body can make and so we don’t have to consume them.
  • High levels found in foods such as:
    • Olive Oil
    • Cashew Nut Oil
    • Almond Oil
    • Avocado Oil
    • Peanut Oil
    • Nuts
    • Seeds

• Good Monounsaturated fats – liquid at room temperature, solid in the fridge
  • Found in food such as:
    • Olive oil
    • Plant based oils such as coconut oil, avocado oil and macadamia oil (not vegetable oil)
    • Nuts
    • Seeds

• Good Polyunsaturated fats – liquid at both room temperature and in the fridge
  • Found in food such as:
    • Plant based oils such as as coconut oil, avocado oil and macadamia oil (not vegetable oil)
    • Nuts
    • Seeds

• Good Saturated fats – solid at room temperature (can liquify if the room temp warms up) and liquid when heated
  • Found in food such as:
    • Grass fed and/or organic animal products
    • Coconut oil

NB – Most food contains various levels of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and saturated fats. They are simply classified in line with what they contain most of.

We need a good balance of Omega 4, 6 and 9 fatty acids.

Signs of Deficiency of fatty acids:

• Dry skin, often with bumps around the hair follicle.
• Acne
• Skin conditions such as eczema
• Inflammatory conditions.
•  
• Mood swings.
•  
• Joint pain and inflammation.
• Memory deficits.
• Heart conditions.

Good Fat Food to Include in Your Diet:

• Grass fed and/or organic animal products
• Pastured Duck or Goose fat
• Pastured and/or free-range eggs
• Grass fed lard
• Organic and/or grass-fed butter or ghee
• Coconut oil
• Olive Oil
• Avocado Oil
• Macadamia Oil
• Sesame Oil
• Avocados
• Flax seeds
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Wild Seafood

Bad fats include but not limited to:

• Vegetable oil
• Rice Bran Oil
• Canola or Rape Seed Oil
• Soybean Oil
• Margarine (includes things such as Nutelex and other human-made butter alternative spreads)
• Processed food – Fats in processed food have been altered turning them into ‘trans-fats’. Look in ingredients for the words ‘trans-fat’, ‘hydrogenized’ or ‘partially hydrogenized’.

• Coach Terri

References – https://www.freedomfitnessforwomen.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/References-Nutrition.pdf