The Real Skinny on Dietary Fats

If a low-fat lifestyle is good for our health and weight control, why are we a nation of chronically ill people who are overweight or obese? THE STATUS QUO For the last 30 years we've been told that a low-fat diet reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. But three large studies published in JAMA in 2006 found that low-fat diets do not reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer, or invasive breast cancer. In fact, the low-fat diet was associated with a slightly increased risk of heart disease among women in the studies. A HISTORY LESSON Before WWII, traditional saturated fats — butter, cheese, meat, coconut oil — were widely used and there was much less heart disease and cancer than today. During the war, Japan occupied the Philippines and cut off the U.S. coconut oil supply. American manufacturers developed alternatives. The polyunsaturated vegetable-oil era was born. By the late 1950s, public opinion had turned against saturated fats. Butter, eggs, and coconut oil were "out." Vegetable oils were "heart-healthy" — and the soybean industry helped keep coconut oil down because it was direct competition. THE BOTTOM LINE It's the TYPE of fat that matters. Cut hydrogenated vegetable oils and reduce chronic disease risk. But healthy fats — cold-pressed olive oil, virgin coconut oil, butter, ethically raised meat — are essential. Your body cannot function without adequate essential fatty acids. WHY ADEQUATE FAT INTAKE MATTERS * Fat is a dense energy source: 9 cal/g vs 4 cal/g from carbs or protein. * When fat is removed from packaged food, sugar and chemicals replace the flavor. * Fats are essential — your body cannot manufacture them; you must eat them. * Fat is required to absorb vitamins A, D, E, K and CoQ10. * Low-fat diets are linked to 20% less calcium absorption and weaker immune function. OMEGA-3 AND OMEGA-6 BALANCE Both are essential, but balance matters more than quantity. The optimal ratio is roughly 5:1 omega-6 to omega-3. The average American eats 15:1. Our food supply is flooded with omega-6 from corn, safflower, and sunflower oils. The fix: more omega-3 (fish, walnuts, flax, beans, olive oil, winter squash) and less omega-6. Omega-3 has been shown to support: * Cardiovascular health (lower triglycerides, slower plaque growth, lower BP) * Brain health (DHA reduces depression symptoms, lowers dementia risk) * Liver health (omega-3 may help prevent some liver cancers) If supplementing, look for mercury-free, pharmaceutical-grade, molecularly distilled — with both DHA and EPA, ideally a 3:2 ratio. TRANS-FATS: AVOID Trans-fats are vegetable oils twisted by hydrogenation. They raise LDL ("bad") cholesterol, lower HDL, and have no safe amount. Avoid: * Baked goods (commercial cookies, crackers, cakes, pie crusts, pizza dough) * Fried foods (commercial doughnuts, fries, chicken nuggets, taco shells) * Snack foods (commercial chips, microwave popcorn, candy) * Hard margarines and vegetable shortening * Pre-mixed cake, pancake, and chocolate drink mixes Read labels. "Partially hydrogenated oil" means trans-fat — even if the label says "trans-fat free." THE TAKE-HOME Learn to incorporate good fats and reduce the bad. Americans now eat less fat than in the 1960s — and we're significantly more obese. When we cut fat, we usually replaced it with sugar and refined carbs. Time to rethink. — Lezah