Healthy Fats and Oils

AlkalizeForHealth

"The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease."
- Thomas Edison

See also our page on coconut oil.

Hydrogenated oils such as margarine have a higher melting point than body temperature. They melt at about 112ºF.

Coconut oil melts at 76ºF.

Most animal and vegetable fats and oils are long-chain fatty acids. Coconut oil and palm kernel oil are medium chain fatty acids, and so these fatty acids rarely end up as body fat. Instead they are burned by the body for energy.

People who eat butter have half the risk of heart disease compared to those who eat margarine.
- Nut Week 91;21(12):2-3

There has been a 10 fold increase in macular degeneration in the past 30 years. Much of this is due to the consumption of vegetable oils.

Heating vegetable oils for 30 minutes creates a chemical called HNE (4-hydroxy-trans-2-nonenal) that is related to the formation of atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and liver disease. Think of this the next time you eat French fries or other deep fried food. The oil has probably been heated for days.

Monitor your body composition with the Tanita Body Composition Monitor.
 

It is a good idea to eat some fats with each meal, because they make you feel "sated" or "full" and help transport fat-soluble nutrients into the body. Healthy saturated fats include coconut oil and organic butter (or ghee made from organic butter). We emphasize "organic butter" because many pesticides are fat soluble and become concentrated in butter and cheese.

It is good to eat three to four tablespoons of coconut oil daily. Coconut oil may be the healthiest oil for cooking, followed closely by olive oil. Most cooking oils break down at about 350°F. In general, it is better to cook longer at lower temperatures so that oils used in cooking are not damaged. Butter and ghee are also good for cooking.

Moderation is a virtue. The overall idea with fat is not so much to eat a "low fat" diet, but rather to replace the bad fats with good fats, and to eat about equal quantities of omega-3 and omega-6 oils.

Good fats include coconut oil, butter, extra virgin olive oil (omega-6), and flaxseed oil (omega-3). Flaxseed oil is highly unstable, must be kept refrigerated, in an enclosed container so that it is not exposed to oxygen, and in darkness. Flaxseed oil is consumed as a dietary supplement and/or in salad dressing (we use half flax oil and half olive oil in our salad dressing, together with apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, water and herbs). Other healthy oils include fish oils, palm and sesame oils. Coconut oil and palm kernel oil are two of the best natural remedies for infections due to the medium chain fatty acids that they contain.

Bad fats are the modern refined vegetable oils produced at high temperatures (soy, corn, safflower, cottonseed, canola), hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, and all oils heated to high temperatures during frying. The fat that clogs arteries is called trans fat. For more information on fat, two good web sites that we highly recommend are http://www.udoerasmus.com/articles/udo/fthftk.htm and  http://www.westonaprice.org

You may have read about a fat called Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) that is reported to reduce cancer tumors by 50%. The artificial form of CLA that is available in stores is unhealthy to consume. The only healthy form of CLA is produced by grass-fed cows and is found in their meat and milk.

From a cancer prevention point of view, the fat you really need to avoid is excess body fat due to the estrogen that these fat cells produce. Eating a balanced nutrient-dense diet including an abundance of raw foods and healthy fats, regular exercise plus unplugging your TV should help you control your body fat.

About Omega-3 and Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids

The omega-3 and omega-6 oils are the essential fatty acids (EFA's). There are omega-9 oils, but these are not essential because the body can produce omega-9 oils from other oils. However, omega-3 and omega-6 oils MUST come from your diet because the body cannot make them. Not only must you eat both of these oils, but you must eat them in approximately the right proportion relative to each other. Too much omega-3 will lead to omega-6 deficiency, and too much omega-6 will lead to omega-3 deficiency. The human brain contains omega-3 and omega-6 EFA's in a ratio of 1:1. For a healthy person, eating these oils in a 1:1 ratio may be ideal. However, the present day typical diet has these oils in a ratio of about 1:10 due to a preponderance of vegetable oils in the diet that contain virtually no omega-3 and lots of omega-6. For therapeutic purposes, to restore balance in the body a ratio of 2:1 is useful. 

The EFA's are MAJOR nutrients needed in tablespoon amounts each day (adults need about one tablespoon for every 50 pounds of body weight). If you eat enough of the omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids in proper balance, then they are used by the body to produce energy (improving strength and endurance, plus faster recovery from fatigue), they improve the quality of your blood so that oxygen and nutrients are transported more efficiently, and the mind is more alert. Animals also benefit from eating a proper balance of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids, though the quantity they need will vary according to body size and other factors.

Other benefits from consuming the omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids in proper balance include:

• you have more energy so you feel inclined to exercise more, with all the benefits that exercise brings;

• cravings for sugar and carbohydrates are less. If not used by the cells as fuel, these carbohydrates are converted by the body to saturated fat and stored. Here is a reason why eating the right fats helps you lose weight;

• the brain is made mostly from fat. Eating omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids in proper balance leads to better brain development, higher IQ, greater alertness and calmness of mind. It is very important that pregnant mothers consume these essential fats for proper development of the fetus. These essential fats are of great help for children with learning problems, hyperactivity and other behavioral problems;

• improvements are seen in many disease situations including depression, mental illness such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia, Parkinson's, Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS), and multiple sclerosis;

• skin becomes softer, tans better, and problem areas (dry, flaky, oily) tend to clear up. Hair and nails improve. The EFAs are sometimes considered to be "edible cosmetics";

• the EFA's come out as part of sweat, and carry with them fat soluble pesticides and other harmful chemicals that they encounter in the body. This makes the essential fats a useful aid to hyperthermia;

• the EFA's help prevent "leaky gut", food allergies, and reduce inflammation;

• all the organs and glands require the essential fats in order to function properly;

• the EFA's are required for sperm formation;

• women need more EFA's than men because EFA's are taken up by the fetus during pregnancy. Not knowing this, many women experience extreme deficiency in EFA's, with all the problems this involves. This is a reason why women experience more of certain diseases than men, including depression (including post-partum depression), fibromyalgia, lupus, thyroiditis, multiple sclerosis, Lou Gehrig's, and other degenerative conditions. The health of the fetus is also at risk as the mother's EFA's become depleted;

• blood platelets are less "sticky" leading to improved circulation, lower blood pressure, lower risk of heart attacks and strokes, the kidneys function better resulting in removal of excess water from the body (a partial cause of overweight), mineral metabolism is better resulting in stronger bones, the immune system functions better;

• plus many other benefits as listed on Udo Erasmus' web site http://www.udoerasmus.com/articles/udo/fthftk.htm

If your diet is insufficient in either omega-3 or omega-6 oils, then you will experience a range of deficiency diseases or symptoms. Omega-3 deficiency is probably the most common nutrient deficiency in the modern world. Omega-6 deficiency is rising as a result of people eating low fat diets.

Ratio of Omega-3 EFA's / Omega-6 EFA's in Edible Oils

 

	Omega-3 EFA's	Omega-6 EFA's
Pumpkin	0 - 15%	42 - 57%
Walnut	5%	51%
Soya Bean	7%	50%
Hemp	20%	60%
Chia	30%	40%
Flax	58%	14%
Olive	None	10%
Sesame	None	45%
Corn	None	59%
Grape	None	59%
Sunflower	None	65%
Safflower	None	75%

Due to the widespread use of refined oils such as corn, soy, canola, sunflower and safflower, the  modern diet contains insufficient omega-3 and too much omega-6 . This is a situation that contributes to cancer and many other diseases. However, too much omega-3 can also cause health problems. A healthy balance between omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids must be achieved.  Regarding the balance between omega-3 and omega-6, Udo Erasmus has concluded that 3.5 : 1 is too high and the modern diet containing 1 : 10 is too low. He suggests that for therapeutic purposes the upper limit should be about 2.5 : 1 with 2 : 1 being optimum. This allows a little extra omega-3 oil to balance previous excess omega-6, plus it balances omega-6 coming from foods.

This is why we recommend a half and half mix of flax oil and extra virgin (green) olive oil for use in salad dressings, etc. From the above table we see:

 

	Omega-3	Omega-6
Flax Oil	58%	14%
Extra Virgin Olive Oil	none	10%
Total	58%	24%

By combining equal quantities of flax oil and olive oil, the resulting combination oil has a ratio of approximately 2 : 1 between omega-3 and omega-6 oils.

Conversion of Oils by the Human Body

The basic omega-3 essential fatty acid is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). There are two omega-3 derivative oils found in fish oils. These are EPA and DHA. The body has the capability to convert ALA into EPA and DHA when required. The conversion process is facilitated by having lots of ALA for the body to work with. If you wish to bypass the conversion process by eating fish oil, then Dr. Williams recommends that you eat tinned sardines. Sardines are short-lived fish that do not have time to accumulate mercury such as is found in larger fish. Also, eating sardines bypasses the many potential problems involved in extracting fish oils that can significantly reduce its healthfulness. Plus, sardines are one of the best sources of nucleotides, an anti-aging nutrient with many health benefits.

The basic omega-6 essential fatty acid is linoleic acid (LA). Given enough LA to start with, the body converts LA into GLA, DGLA, and AA in various tissues, according to need.

Vitamins (B₃, B₆, C) and minerals (zinc, magnesium) are necessary for this conversion to take place.

Conversion between omega-3 and omega-6 does not take place in the body. This is why BOTH are considered ESSENTIAL.

From "Saturated Fats and the Kidneys" by Mary G. Enig, PhD. "the conversion of the flax oil-type omega-3 fatty acid (alpha-linolenic acid) to the fish oil-type omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) is enhanced when the diet contains saturated fat such as coconut oil. This conversion is hindered when there is extra omega-6 oils in the diet.^4" 4. Gerster, Int J Vitam Nutr Res 1998;68:159

About Omega Oils

Fats and oils are chains of carbon atoms. These carbon atoms link to each other and can also link to oxygen and hydrogen (in other words, fats and oils are hydrocarbons). With saturated fat, all possible links for hydrogen atoms are occupied by hydrogen atoms. With unsaturated fats, some of the links are still available.

Sometimes there is a double bond between two of the carbon atoms. A monounsaturated fat has one double bond. A polyunsaturated fat has multiple double bonds.

Omega-3 is the name of a family of polyunsaturated fatty acids. In this family, the first double bond is between the third and fourth carbon atoms as counted from from the methyl end, hence the name Omega-3 or N-3. The word omega comes from "alpha and omega" with "alpha" representing the beginning and "omega" the end.

Omega-6 is also the name of a family of polyunsaturated fatty acids. All fatty acids in the omega-6 family contain their first double bond between the 6th and 7th carbon atoms as counted from the methyl end, hence the name Omega-6 or N-6.

 

In a recent report from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (June 2001), researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health studied the relationship of types of fat to the risk of type-2 diabetes development. They prospectively (a superior "type" of study) followed over 84,000 women aged 34-59 years with no diabetes, circulatory disease, or cancer beginning in 1980 and followed them for over 14 years. The study revealed that simply substituting two percent of energy from trans-fatty acids with natural polyunsaturated fat (butter) could reduce the incidence of diabetes by a whopping 40 percent! Total fat had little to do with the development of diabetes, but the type of fat, namely trans fats, were the big culprit. - From Dr. Robert Jay Rowen's Second Opinion, April 2002, page 7.

 

IS VIRGIN COCONUT OIL THE HEALTHIEST OIL ON EARTH? Dr. Bruce Fife, a naturopathic doctor and the author of the book The Coconut Oil Miracle, thinks so. Modern research seems to back up this bold statement. Once wrongly accused of increasing cholesterol levels, coconut oil is now actually being used by doctors in the treatment of a variety of disorders, including Candida, Hypothyroidism, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and others. Studies show the medium chain fatty acids, while having anti-bacterial and anti-viral effects, also speed up metabolism and promote weight-loss. Purchase Tropical Traditions certified organic Virgin Coconut oil made from fresh coconuts and cold-pressed in the Philippines by small-scale farmers. http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/htn1.htm From HEALTHY UPDATE- Your Online Health Resource A HealthWorld Online Publication Vol. IX, Issue 16 -- November 11, 2003

For more information read:

Enig, Mary G., Know Your Fats: The Complete Primer for Understanding the Nutrition of Fats, Oils and Cholesterol, Bethesda Press, 2000.

Erasmus, Ph.D., Udo, Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill, Alive Books, 1993.

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