The Biggest Cause of Disease – Bad Fats!

The whole ‘good fats vs bad fats’ thing is one of the most commonly mentioned in magazines, health books, websites and blogs at the moment – and with good reason. The message is clear, but there are two key battles that need to be fought:

1. Educating people on the benefits of ‘good fats’ (omega 3 in particular) and how vital it is that we include these in our diet; and
2. Convincing people to stop consuming ‘bad fats’!

Even if this battle is only partly won, the effect it will have on the health of our race will be immense.

What has prompted this blog post is that in researching another article, I came across this amazing article from the Preventive Medicine Centre Library. I had read about the correlation between the increase in use of vegetable oils, margarines and other products high in ‘bad fats’ and the increase in degenerative disease in a few other places – but this site lists nine incredible epidemiological studies (definition) that highlight this link. The author, Edward Esko, highlights that studies highlighting food consumption patterns in the 20th century show that there has been a huge increase in the intake of saturated fats, refined sugar and additives/preservatives and chemicals – while at the same time there has been a decrease in the consumption of fresh vegetables.

Some of the highlights include:

The increasing incidence of breast and colon cancer in Japan following the Westernization of the Japanese diet. The rising consumption of milk and milk products. meat, eggs, oil, and fat that has occurred in Japan since World War II correlates with an increase in the incidences of breast and colon cancer over the past several decades. According to the National Cancer Institute, this increase is “consistent with the Westernization of the Japanese diet during recent decades, particularly with an increased intake of fat.”

The correlation between the incidence of breast and colon cancer in the United States and increasing consumption of meat and saturated fat, and the declining consumption of grains. The rising incidence of’ these illnesses correlates with significant changes in the American diet since 1900, especially the rising consumption of meat and saturated fat. and the declining consumption of grains and their products.

Changes in cancer incidence among Japanese immigrants to the United States. The rates of colon and breast cancer in Japan have, until now, remained rather low, while the incidence of stomach cancer has been high. The opposite is true in the United States. Within three generations, however, Japanese immigrants in the U.S. shift from the cancer incidence patterns common in Japan to those common in the United States. This shift correlates with a change from the standard Japanese way of eating to the modern American one, with a corresponding increase in the intake of meat, chicken, cheese, and dairy food.

The scary thing is, that we do not really need research to know that this is true – just by looking around at our daily lives it is quite clear that as a society our diet is poor. The food industry is partly to blame, as they are allowed to keep pumping out foods labelled as healthy which are anything but that and are more often than not stuffed full of bad fats, sugar, preservatives, chemicals and salt. The ‘heart healthy’ margarines are the most shameful examples of this as they rely upon a loophole in the law to state that their products are high in healthy fats. What they do not tell you is that in the process of turning the liquid fats into a solid margarine, every last fat is made extremely toxic.

The most harrowing thought, however, was highlighted by the excellent Jamie Oliver series ‘Jamie’s School Dinners’ which showed, without doubt, that the vast majority of the children in the UK are given meals every single day that are sending them down the same path that Esko highlights above: low in nutrients and high in saturated fats, refined sugar and chemicals (if you are a parent – please see Jamie’s action pack).

So the question has to be asked – with all of the knowledge we have on ‘bad fats’ and ‘good fats’ are we actually doing anything about this?

Quick Guide Sources of Omega 3′s

One of the biggest stumbling blocks for people who are looking to increase their intake of omega 3 fatty acids is that they do not know how. Some great sources of omega 3′s include:

• Leafy Green Vegetables
• Nuts: Walnuts, Brazil Nuts, Hazelnuts, Pecans
• Seeds: Especially sesame seeds.
• Tahini
• Houmous
• Oils: Linseed/Flaxseed Oil, Hemp Oil, Soya Bean Oil
• Eggs

If you are not convinced that you will be able to include adequate (and healthy) amounts of these foods in your diet each and every day, I would recommend an oil blend, like Udos Choice – but as ever, supplementation is not always a must if you can achieve the correct proportions through diet.

Quick Guide Reducing ‘Bad Fats’

• Reduce butter intake to less than 1 tablespoon per day
• Limit refined vegetable oils to 1 tablespoon per day
• Remove all visible fats and skin from meats
• Avoid processed foods that contain fats such as packaged sausages and bacon
• Reduce consumption of cheese, milk and other dairy products to just once or twice per week (try switching to soy milk if you are a tea/coffee drinker

If the above can be achieved we are likely to see a reverse of this trend and an astonishing increase in our own health, energy and wellbeing.

For further reading on Essential Fatty Acids:

• PCRM
• Wikipedia
• Udo Erasmus
• Energise EFA Resources

Note: This blog is only my opinion. It is not medical advice or diagnosis. Only opinions based upon our own personal experiences or information detailed in medical/academic journals or other publications is cited. WE DO NOT OFFER MEDICAL ADVICE or prescribe any treatments. Please consult with a medical professional before making any diet or nutrition changes. Refer to our full disclaimer for more information.