Does a low-fat diet promote health?

As with most things, the Nutrition worldFats are in fashion again. Fats are back in style, at least certain types and certain amounts. Although some healthcare providers still advocate a low fat diet, is it healthy? Here’s the scoop on fats, what they are, which ones are good (or bad), and what to do about them.

Low Fat Diets

It’s no secret that fats have had a bad reputation in recent decades. They’ve generally been discouraged by most in the medical community and nutritional fields. Since Ancel Keys’ lipid heart hypotheses, doctors have been praising the benefits of a low-fat and fat-free lifestyle.

In more recent years though we’ve seen a turnaround when it comes to dietary guidelines for fat. Scientists have recognized that some fats are necessary for health. While the medical community isn’t as quick to embrace things like butter and coconut oil, high-fat diets are currently more popular with the public.

For those with gallbladder or health issues, it might be medically necessary to switch to lower-fat diets for a certain period. Discuss this with your functional nutritionist or healthcare practitioner. Here’s a list of nonfat and low-fat options:

List of Low Fat Foods

Dietitians and doctors recommend these foods. However, they are not all healthy choices. The less nutritional value of our processed food, the more we process it.

• Lean cuts like poultry without skin are popular. Popular lean cuts include chicken breast.
• Choose white fish like flounder or pollock. Opt for wild caught.
• Whole grains such as brown rice, whole wheat cereals and whole-grain loaf (see below)
• Legumes, beans, and lentils (here’s my Take on beans)
• Dark leafy greens
• Fresh or frozen fruits
• Vegetables
• Low-fat dairy (don’t recommend)
• Egg whites

What I think about the above

I usually avoid grains due to health concerns. On the rare occasion that I do consume rice, it’s white riceYou can use brown instead. You also won’t find me with whole wheat sandwich bread. These grains have antinutrients such as phytic and arsenic, and are difficult to digest. Ancient grains, like einkorn and Fermented grains(sourdough), and are better alternatives.

Artificially reduced fat content, like low-fat cream, also doesn’t make my healthy eating list. Other options that are often recommended include low-fat cottage cheese and fat-free cream-cheese, skim-milk, and low-fat yoghurt. Pasteurized low-fat dairy products are devoid of nutrition and can cause blood sugar to spike. They’ve also been linked with higher rates of obesity.

Some options are better to choose if someone wants to cut down on fat for a short time.

Fear of Fat

Many foods that are considered “healthy” by the majority of Americans carry a low-fat label. I once had a friend tell me she was going on the slim-fast and Special-K diet (cringe) because it was “low-fat.”

If fat had been associated with weight gain or diseases, I could have understood the fear. Or maybe if America’s obesity epidemic had lessened since the low-fat craze. Or perhaps a low-fat eating plan would actually cause weight loss on a long-term basis (has anyone ever tried this?).

It is sad that many people think fat is bad and don’t realize how much we actually need it. Within the past decade fat intake from certain “good fats” has gone up, but what makes a good fat? What are they for?

What You’re Made of

All fats are chemically made of varying amounts of hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen molecules. Each carbon atom bonds to two other carbons. The more carbons in a fatty acid the longer the molecule will be. Fatty acid chains with longer chains have higher melting points and provide more energy when they are metabolized.

Let’s break down the different types of fat and what they mean.

• Saturated fats They are also saturated with hydrogen. They’re also solid or firm at room temperature. Examples include butter and coconut oil.
• Monounsaturated fats have fewer hydrogen atoms so they’re liquid at room temperature. Avocados and nutsHere are some examples.
• Polyunsaturated fatty acids tend to be liquid and they’re considered essential. Meaning our body can’t make them, we have to get them from food. Omega-3 and omega-6 are the main types. Where and how we obtain them is the issue.
• Trans FatsSome animal foods contain small amounts of unsaturated fats. The bad fat is unsaturated, which has been artificially altered. One type of fat is linked to diseases.

Why Fat?

What does it mean for the world of nutrition now that we have cleared up the biology?

Our bodies need essential fatty acid to absorb fat-soluble vitamin. They’re also necessary for healthy skin, hair, and cell function. According to Harvard, they’re essential for blood clotting, muscles, building our cells, and fighting inflammation. These are only a few.

In the body, fats break down into fatty acid and glycerol to provide energy. When toxic levels in the body reach unacceptably high levels, the body will try to counteract them by storing the toxins in fat tissue. If we’re eating high levels of toxins (not fats) our body can store them, leading to disease.

So does fat make you fat?

Although dietary fats are often blamed for weight increase, nothing happens in isolation. The body can breakdown fat into glucoseYou can use the sugar in your blood to generate energy. This process requires more energy to complete than the use of sugar in our blood. Grains, carbs and sweet fruit are all easy sources of energy.

These easy sources of energy can cause insulin and leptin resistant over time. Insulin resistance may lead to metabolic disorders and type 2 diabetes. Any extra carbohydrates we don’t use right away for energy end up stored as fat. Constantly feeding our body quick carbs means we don’t tap into our energy reserves (body fat). It is because of this that too much sugar, carbs, and processed food can cause us to gain weight.

So if fats aren’t entirely to blame, what fats are we supposed to eat and what to avoid?

Saturated Fats – Friend or foe?

The American Heart Association recommends that we consume no more than 6% of calories as saturated fat. This fat, if consumed in excess, can cause high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. Dietitians and physicians once believed that heart health was dependent on cutting saturated fats.

Even mainstream medicine is beginning to recognize that heart disease risk is much more nuanced. A 2010 meta-analysis of nearly 350,000 people showed there’s little to no evidence saturated fat increases the risk of heart disease. Harvard says that replacing saturated fats by carbs can have a negative impact on heart health.

They still hold that too much saturated fat can increase “bad” LDL cholesterol. Yet studies show this increase doesn’t lead to a higher death rate. 

Foods High in Saturated Fatty Acid

Saturated fatsThey are essential for the proper functioning of your body. Also, they are the most criticized by the low-fat crowd. We need saturated fatty acids to:

• You can absorb certain vitamins
• Calcium uptake
• immune function
• Cell membrane structure

Contrary to the majority of experts, a traditional, healthy diet rich in whole foods and saturated fats can help you lose weight. Some also report better skin, more energy and fewer cravings.

These foods are high in saturated fat.

• Red meat (Beef, pork, lamb)
• Chicken (especially skinned)
• Tallow and lard
• Dairy products made from grass-fed milk (butter, cheese and ice cream).
• Eggs
• Coconut oil and coconut products
• Palm Oil (many people do not use it because of sustainability concerns)
• Olive oil (has a very small amount of saturated fatty acids)

Monounsaturated Fats 

They are the most widely used fats. I use monounsaturated fatty acids in moderation in my meals. In varying quantities, you can find these fats in:

• Olive oil
• High oleic sunflower oil is better for you
• Sesame Oil
• Flax oil
• Peanut butter and oil (both mono- and polyunsaturated fats).
• avocados
• Nuts and seeds

However, some monounsaturated fatty acids may not be suitable for cooking. There’s some concern high temps can create unhealthy free radicals. Research shows olive oil is safe to cook and bake with, but it’s not my first choice. Save my expensive olive oil for salad dressings, or to drizzle over soups. I used to eat a lot of olive oil when I was trying to lose weight.

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

PUFAs (Pufas) are Vegetable oilsEven at cold temperatures, they are liquid. Heat can cause them to go rancid, and even break down into free radicals. They’re also the most likely to be used for frying foods. You’ll also find them in butter substitutes, like margarine.

These oils are also hydrogenated. This allows them to last longer on shelves. However, they’re unusable to the body since we can’t metabolize them. Free-radical damage can be caused by them.

You’ll see polyunsaturated fats under names like corn, cottonseed, canola, vegetable, soybean, peanut, etc and most of them often carry the title “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated.” My general advice to everyone is to completely avoid these types of fats, especially if they have been heated.

While I don’t ever recommend highly processed polyunsaturated fats, there are some positives.

Omega-3: the Good Side of PUFAs

In certain animal and plant foods, PUFAs are naturally present. Omega-3 fatty acid anti-inflammatory compounds are also present in these foods. The issue is when they’re highly refined and out of balance. Most people eat way more omega-6 fats, but ideally, we’d have omega-3 and omega-6 in a 1:1 ratio. Many people take omega-3 supplements to combat this.

I get as much omega-3 from animal products as possible. Grass-fed, pasture-raised foods are higher in omega-3. Animals raised on conventional grain feed have higher omega-6 fats.

Here are a few examples of polyunsaturated (also known as omega-3) fats that are healthy.

• Fatty fish (anchovies sardines salmon). etc.)
• Grass fed beef
• Free range eggs

The body is unable to convert ALA omega-3 from flax and chia. I still use flax and chia for their health benefits, but they’re not the best source of omega-3s.

Omega-3s are good for the brain, they fight inflammation and increase energy. Many foods now contain the ALA, DHA and EPA fats. I get omega-3s through dietary sources like anchovies, sardines and other fish.

Trans Fats

This fat completely deserves the heat it’s been getting. Hydrogenated trans fats aren’t healthy in any amount. This process transforms unsaturated fats to much more harmful trans fats. Our cells can’t absorb it which messes up their function.

These guys are linked to diabetes, heart disease, obesity and abdominal fat. Trans fats are one of my arguments against the “everything in moderation” idea, as they aren’t safe in any amount.

The FDA has banned all trans fats by 2020. It has been phased out in many countries. Scientists responded by creating fully hydrogenated oils, which are created by replacing a part of the fat molecules with stearic acids.

These “interesterified fats” are what allow snack makers to place that lovely “no-trans fat” label on their packaging. Don’t be fooled! The dangers of interesterified fats is just as great. Some studies have shown that they can negatively impact heart health and slow down metabolism.

They haven’t been thoroughly studied for safety and there are still unanswered questions. We don’t fully know yet how they affect fat and The glucose metabolismInflammation or blood health. The majority of studies are done on young healthy males. This leaves out the vast majority of people.

What I Do

When I began eating real food I was a huge advocate for saturated fats. I’d typically drink 1/4 cup of coconut oil a day in coffee and tea. I also relied heavily upon foods such as free-range egg and red meat. Although saturated fats from healthy sources are still a great option for many people, it’s not for me.

After getting my genetics tested I found out my body doesn’t process saturated fats (or eggs) very well. Personally, I’ve felt a lot better focusing more on fish, poultry, and olive oil for my fat sources. This article shares my personal views on oils and fats. short podcast episode here. Everyone is different though and what works for me won’t necessarily work for the next person.

It is important to consume healthy fats as little as possible and from whole foods.

Low Fat Diets: What’s the Bottom Line?

I think we’ve established how important healthy fats are for body and brain function. We need the right fats.

Recap:

What kind of fats are you eating? Avoiding certain types of fats is a good idea. Please leave a message and let me now!