Healthy Fats - Highland Farm Style

When we talk about healthy fats, we bring controversy. With that in mind, read this post with an open mind and acknowledge that my choices may differ from yours. And that’s ok! I give you my views on healthy fats simply so you know what to expect from this website. If you agree, great! Many of my recipes will be right up your alley. If you disagree, that’s great too. Help yourself to whatever may be useful to you, and maybe tweak the recipes to your liking. Fats are one of the easier ingredients to swap out in recipes, so swap-away!

I first dove into the world of fats trying to find where I stood on the margarine-butter continuum. Raised with the fat-is-bad culture, I had to start at the beginning with my research. I pulled information not from propaganda (from any perspective), but from research and articles.

Fat is vital for human survival. Our bodies use fat for things like brain development, cell membranes, nerve conduction, hormones, vitamin absorption, and many other things. Without any fat we would die. End of story. The debate is not whether or not to eat any, but rather how much, and what kinds of fat we should eat.

A long time ago (100 yrs minimum), people used butter and animal fats as the primary source of fats in their diets. The type of animal fat varied by region. Farmers here in America used a lot of lard (pork fat), beef tallow, butter, even the fat from sheep or rabbit or whatever animal was being processed for consumption. Cultures in cold northern regions used a lot of seafood fat including fish, blubber from seals, whales, etc. Tropical regions could have used avocado, olive, or coconut fats, but in most areas animal fats were simply what was available. It wasn’t about healthy fats, it was about availability.

A History Lesson on Canola Oil

The ‘fat’ scene in America really changed during World Wars 1 and 2. The world had been through the industrial revolution in the 1800s, which lead to the creation of machines and factories. Machinery and engines need lubricants in order to work smoothly, and these were oil-based (most used rapeseed oil). There was a high-demand for production of machine-grade rapeseed oil (important – not for human consumption) for steam powered trains and ships, artillery, and airplanes during WWII.

The rapeseed lubricant had been imported from Europe and Asia, but with trades being cut off from the war we needed to find a way to produce it closer to home. Government incentives and guaranteed purchase prices helped with the creation of 79,000 acres of rapeseed by 1948.

Then two things happened. One, the war was over and demand for the oil decreased. Two, steam powered trains and boats were being replaced with diesel. What to do with all this rapeseed oil? It wasn’t fit for human consumption (see my sources at the bottom of this post for the nitty-gritty technical stuff). But, it was cheap to produce! Hence, efforts then began to make it “edible.”

Strains of crops were specially bred and were genetically modified to tweak the components of the oil. Animal studies repeatedly showed bad health effects from consuming it, so more tweaks continued. Eventually a variety was produced which was indeed regarded as edible. In the 1970s, 4 million acres were being changed over to the genetically modified and highly adjusted varieties of rapeseed.

While the oil was being sold for humans, the pulp (or meal) of the seed was used for animal feed. These animals were having bad outcomes, however, as it caused thyroid problems and malnutrition. Again, the rapeseed plant was tweaked and adjusted and processed until another variety came along. This one’s oil could be processed for humans and the meal made into animal feed. The now 5 million acres of crop were changed over to the newest variety. Since the crops were very different than original rapeseed, it was given a new name, and “canola” was on the scene. Canola is a rapeseed plant, but a highly adjusted one which is grown for human consumption.

Canola oil is highly processed. As such, it is refined, bleached, and degummed using chemical processes and high heat. Even at the end, it is not very stable and goes rancid quickly. Hence, it is deodorized, which turns the omega 3s (good) into trans fats (bad). Basically, rapeseed oil started out as “toxic.” They found a way to make it no longer poisonous, but that doesn’t mean it’s good for you.

Of note: random tangent here. You may see varieties of canola oil claiming to be bio-engineered and genetically modified organism (GMO) “free.” This is because in order to be considered GMO, a product must have “detectable” DNA which has been modified or engineered. Canola oil is so processed it doesn’t have enough DNA left, so it can’t be identified as modified or not. Therefore, the claim of Non-GMO can’t be challenged because there’s no DNA to test. Hence, it can legally be used.

Canola isn’t the only processed oil which made an entrance in the later 1900s. Other highly processed vegetable oils include soybean, safflower, sunflower, palm, corn, linseed, etc. Many of these undergo a similar process to make the raw plant oil shelf stable, palatable, and edible.

Hydrogenation

A “hydrogenated” fat is a fat which was liquid at room temperature and was chemically altered to be a solid instead. These include shortening and margarine, among others. In general terms, hydrogenated fats are not good for you and contain trans fatty acids. These are not healthy fats.

Propaganda and Agendas

Canola oil was cheap to produce – much cheaper than animal fats. Hence, the government wanted a way to get Americans to stop eating animal fats and turn to canola. A biased ‘study’ was done comparing 50 countries and the correlation between saturated fat and heart disease. Only 11 of the countries were used, and of those, the data was skewed to show a link between saturated fats and heart disease. This one study has been the founding “research” for the whole “saturated fat is bad!” campaign. Turns out, it was actually trans fats, not saturated fats that had this correlation, but hey. They had their platform, and the push has been there ever since to consume cheap, seed oils which are far inferior health-wise.

Margarine was labeled as better than butter. Canola was the latest health food on the block. And shortening was the new household staple. These fats do not have naturally occurring saturated fats. Instead they have polyunsaturated fats. Those guys, however, break down and oxidize with heat, turning into oxidized fatty acids. Bad for the heart, inflammatory, and cancer-causing.

Polyunsaturated fats like canola oil are also considered long-chain fatty acids, which is the type of fats primarily stored as fat by the body. Short and medium chain fatty acids are easily used by the liver and mostly go toward metabolism and energy when consumed.

Now, they aren’t all bad, and moderation is key when talking about anything related to food or health. Some polyunsaturated fats do occur in animal fats too, but it’s not very much. Don’t feel like a drop of processed oil will mess you up for life. I am simply drawing comparisons and stating what I view to be “better” fat sources.

Nutrition of Processed Vegetable Oils

‘Processed’ vegetable oils can include canola, safflower, sunflower, palm, corn, and linseed oil, among others. Because of how ‘processed’ these oils are (chemically extracted, purified, refined, altered, deodorized, hydrogenated, etc), most of the healthy components they may have started with are gone. The finished oils have the following attributes:

Too high in Omega 6s
Oxidize easily (break down, creates “free radicals” which are inflammatory and damage our cells)
Hydrogenated oils are high in trans fats (contributes to a plethora of diseases and poor health)

Good Vegetable Oils (Healthy Fats)

Some vegetable oils are not ‘processed’ oils and are thereby much healthier. Olive, coconut, and avocado are the main un-processed oils used today. While there are others, these ones are mainstream so I’ll focus on them. I use these in my cooking and recipes, both at home at on this website.

Extra-virgin Olive Oil (extra-virgin means less processing)

High in monounsaturated fats (good for brain health)
Oleic acid (anti-inflammatory)
Antioxidants (help slow down or prevent diseases, fights free radicals/oxidation)

Coconut Oil

Medium-chain fatty acids (easily usable as energy, good for metabolism and brain health, act as natural antibiotic, helps with urinary tract and kidney infection symptoms)
High in saturated fats (not hydrogenated, good for cholesterol)
Lauric Acid (reduces yeast like candida, fights bacteria)
Does not need pancreatic enzymes to break it down, so good for people with gallbladder issues
Good for oral health
Increases calcium absorption in the gut

Avocado Oil

High smoke point (doesn’t break down easily with high-heat cooking)
Monounsaturated fats (good)
Antioxidants (good)
Lutein (an antioxidant which is very beneficial to the eyes)
Vitamin E

Fats From Animal Sources (More Healthy Fats)

Along with the three previously mentioned vegetables (olive, coconut, avocado), I also use animal fats. Some of the animal fat benefits are listed below.

Butter

Contains oleic acid, myristic acid, and conjugated linoleic acid, which are cancer-fighting
Contains vitamin K2 (helpful for osteoporosis and arthritis)
High in cholesterol (good for brains, nervous systems, babies/breast milk, and myelin on nerves)
High in antioxidants like vitamins A (immune system, fetal development) & E, and cholesterol
Lecithin
Selenium
Iodine (essential for thyroid function)
Glycospingolipids (health of intestinal wall, fights GI infection)
Short and medium chain fatty acids (used for energy, not stored)

Tallow and Lard

Two of the most common animal fats
Primarily composed of saturated and monounsaturated fats (both good)
Vitamins A, D, K, E and B12
Omega 3s (needed for brain and nerves, helps cognitive function)
Choline
Stable at high heat (high smoke point)
Has other health uses (topically)
Good fatty acids which are anti-inflammatory (including oleic, palmitoleic, stearic, & linoleic acids)
Building blocks for hormones like cortisol and testosterone
(see my posts about making lard/tallow if interested)

Healthy Fats – Highland Farm Style