January 13, 2008
Just the fats, ma’am
Finally…FINALLY I read an article that backs up one of my long held beliefs about food. Fat is not evil. And natural fat is better than fake fat.
After my Dad had some heart trouble a few years ago and was told to watch his cholesterol he became almost religious about his “spreads.” You know the ones I mean - Smart Balance, Benecol, Take Control, etc etc. It started with plain old margarine but with each new study (Hydrogenated, saturated, trans fats, OH MY!) he had to find a slightly tweaked new version.
These spreads never sat well with me. The texture was weird, the flavor was fake, some were so slippery they wouldn’t stay on the knife long enough to spread on toast. The ingredients list reminded me of a chemistry experiment gone wrong. I also struggle with high cholesterol and am repeatedly reminded as to the virtue of these plastic tubs. Heck, some even add flax oil, canola, omega-3, or calcium so as to be even more “healthy.” Nothing I’ve been able to tell Dad about just using less of something natural has swayed him, and I had no “backup” for my theory.
Until now.
The February 2008 issue of bon appetit magazine has an article in their “Health Wise” column entitled “Just the Fats.” It says exactly what I’ve been thinking for so many years. As they point out, “trans fat-free” is a lie. All that means is that there’s less than half a gram per serving. And since I know I never measure my tablespoon of butter, and I’ve never seen Dad measure his spread, you could easily eat three servings and 1.5 grams of trans fats. The article points out that “according to the National Academy of Sciences, there’s no safe level of trans fats.”
They go on to discuss the issue of natural trans fats, those occurring in small quantities in “the fat of ruminant animals.” I’ve always been aware that these existed but didn’t know that these naturally occurring trans fats are so different than the man made that they can be beneficial. “One natural trans fat is called conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, which can build lean muscle and fight cancer.” Hurray!
I know that Dad will argue that his newest favorite spread is trans fat-free and probably contains some other cool, cholesterol fighting additive. But apparently the new techniques are different, not better, ways to solidify liquid oil. “Interestified fats do more to lower HDL, depress insulin, and raise blood sugar than palm oil.” Not so hurray.
This paragraph was so fabulous that I’m copying it in full…
“At home, use the fats of our foremothers: butter, lard, even coconut oils. On closer inspection, it’s become clear that natural saturated fats are good for you. Butter from grass-fed cows is rich in the newly discovered vitamin K2, which can build healthy bones and prevent calcification of the arteries. Lard, oddly enough, is mostly unsaturated oleic acid - the same fat found in olive oil. And coconut oil improves the all-important HDL/LDL ratio.”
I’m picking my parents up at the airport tonight. And I’m armed with a photocopy of this article for them to read. Whether it will change their minds or not is debatable, but it might make Dad think twice the next time he reaches for his favorite spread.
No comments:
Post a Comment