Fats- Fact or Fiction

Fats – Facts and Fiction
by Dr. Tony Vendryes

Fats have been getting a bad reputation these days, and with good cause. Excess fat in our diet is a major contributor to the epidemic of chronic degenerative disease that now plagues our society. Myths and half truths about fats abound. Let's try to separate fact from fiction.

THE FACTS:

* Fats primary function is to store energy. A relatively small amount is necessary for building certain tissues - e.g. nerves.

* Fats can be divided into 3 groups depending on their chemical structure : Saturated fats,  usually from animals. Monounsaturated fats like olive oil. Polyunsaturated fats life corn oil.

Usually animal fats are saturated and fats from plants are unsaturated. There are important exceptions. Fish oils can be high in polyunsaturated fats and coconut is relatively high in saturated fats.

* Some fats are nonessential as the body can manufacture them while others are essential and must be obtained from the diet as the body cannot make them. Essential fats come primarily from plants. When they are found in animals, they originated from the plants that the animal ate.

* Our requirements for essential fats is very little - less than I percent of our total calories. Brown rice has 2 percent of it's calories as essential fats, corn has 3, and whole wheat bread 4 percent.

* Food fat is a primary cause of obesity. "The fat you eat is the fat you wear" . We have an almost limitless capacity to store fats.

* Dietary fats promotes common cancers - breast, colon, prostate, uterus, kidney and testicle.

* Animal fats raise cholesterol, while most vegetable fat lowers cholesterol thereby lessening the risk of heart attacks.

*Animal fats cause the blood to clot, increasing the risk of strokes and heart attacks. Vegetable fats thin the blood and lessens the risk.

* Excess of either vegetable or animal fats increases the risk of gallbladder disease.

* Food fat may elevate the levels of male and female hormones and cause hormone related problems like breast lumps, breast cancer, heavy menstruation, uterine fibroids, uterine cancer, and PMS in women. In men fat may encourage baldness, prostate enlargement and prostate cancer.

* Cholesterol is a waxy lipid substance that is produced by the body and is present in animal products. 999 out of every 1,000 persons can control their cholesterol by proper nutrition alone. Yet, the sale of cholesterol lowering drugs continues unabated despite their dangerous side effects and high cost.

FICTION:

*White meats like chicken and fish contain no cholesterol. False. All meats are high in cholesterol.  A pound of chicken, turkey, or tuna contain virtually the same amount of cholesterol as a pound of beef.

* Coconuts and avocados contain cholesterol. False. Cholesterol is only found in animals and animal products. Plants and plant products contain absolutely no cholesterol.

* All vegetable fats and oils are harmless. False. Excess of plant fats can promote cancers and circulatory problems too.

* Margarine is healthier than butter. Margarine is processed from plant oils. The process, called hydrogenation, makes the fat very toxic by producing a type of fat called trans fats. These hydrogenated fats are in almost all processed and preserved foods, especially baked goods, cakes and pastries. Avoid eating any foods that contain hydrogenated fats. Don't be fooled by the big "NO CHOLESTEROL" on the label. It's a trap. Butter with it's saturated fats is actually safer than the margarine with the hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Just like oil and water, fact and fiction cannot mix. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.