In case you’ve been hiding under a rock, fat is anything but bad. Well, with a few caveats. First of all, it’s possible to overdo anything, fats included. You could be someone who doesn’t digest fats well, or, you could be overeating fat-rich foods and thus gaining substantial amounts of (unnecessary) weight. (See my post on Gaining Weight on Keto.) Second, and perhaps even worse, you could be consuming the wrong kind of fat that can put your health in jeopardy (more on this later). Whether it’s protein, carbohydrates, or fat, quality is very important. It’s like comparing packaged, deli ham to pork, or white flour to whole wheat. With fat, the same reasoning applies. There’s a major difference between hydrogenated oil and olive oil. So, whenever we’re talking about any macronutrient, we need to be careful before labeling something as good or evil. Even though I adore the keto diet and jump on it cyclically, I am never on it for long, as I love my good, healthy carbs from seasonal fruits and vegetables. I also like to enjoy the occasional treat that will without a doubt knock me out of ketosis. Hence why no macronutrient is inherently bad. It’s how much you consume, as well as the form. This is why I felt compelled to make today’s post defending fat. Because quite frankly, there’s still this stigma that fat is evil, that it’s going to make you fat (spoiler: it won’t… not unless you’re taking it in it like a fish to water). Truth be told, there’s a good and bad side to everything. And we’re going to uncover that for fat in today’s post. So, let’s not delay things any further, and get started.

Good Fats

Time to introduce our heroes, the good types of fat: monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and even the misunderstood saturated fat. Just remember context is everything. Even if you embark on a low-fat diet, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re on a 0% fat diet. So, let’s give each of these good fats a chance to shine:

Monounsaturated Fat (MUFAs)

This type of fat is the darling of the Mayo Clinic and medical community. It’s been linked to:

• Improved levels of blood cholesterol (i.e., raising good HDL cholesterol while lowering bad HDL cholesterol)
• Insulin and blood sugar control
• Lowering inflammation
• Cutting down breast cancer risk (potentially)

[1] [2]

The Mediterranean Diet,which is probably the undisputed champion of longevity and optimal health (especially in the medical community), is rich in MUFAs (thanks to olive oil). It also contributes to the effectiveness of one of the Blue Zones, Loma Linda, in that it can be found in one of its dietary cornerstones- nuts.

You can find MUFAs in:

• Avocados
• Olives and Olive Oil
• Nuts (almonds, primarily, followed by cashews, pecans, pistachios, and macadamias)
• Peanut Butter

[3] [4]

Try these recipes and load up on MUFAs:

Apple Avocado and Arugula Salad
Blueberry Almond Butter Sandwich

Polyunsaturated Fats

Also known as PUFAs, these types of fats are considered as essential fats. Meaning that although they’re very important for numerous bodily processes, we cannot produce them on our own (unlike, say, Vitamin D when exposed to sunlight), therefore it is essential that we obtain them through our diet. The most famous (and perhaps powerful) type of PUFA is Omega-3 fatty acids, with honorable mentions to Omega-6 fatty acids. Polyunsaturated fats are needed for a number of things, and their benefits include:

• Building cell membranes and covering up our nerves
• Lowering blood pressure, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), stroke, inflammation, diabetes, and heart disease risk
• Improving blood cholesterol
• Muscle movement
• Blood clotting
• Brain health
• Slowing the build-up of plaque in arteries

[1] [5] [6]

Once more, Omega-3’s is a superstar nutrient in healthy diets like the Mediterranean diet due to their presence in foods like fish. Same thing again with Loma Linda- walnuts happen to be a good source of (plant-based) omega-3s. You can find this type of PUFA in foods such as:

• Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, anchovies, herring, sardines)
• Krill
• Cod Liver oil
• Oysters
• Caviar
• Raw dairy
• Grass-fed beef
• Pasture-raised or omega-3-enriched eggs
• Walnuts
• Chia, flax, sacha inchi, and hemp seeds

[7] [8] [9] [10]

If you’re looking to load up on your omegas, try out these recipes:

Salmon Salad Stuffed Avocado
Chia Pudding

A note on Omega-3s vs Omega-6s: Omega-6 fatty acids are not evil, but when they outnumber omega-3s, then you’re in trouble. In excess amounts, omega-6 becomes pro-inflammatory. In our Western diet, they tend to dominate over omega-3, which scientists speculate is a common cause for modern-day inflammation. [11] Omega-6 fats can be found in poultry, eggs, nuts and seeds, and yes, even olive oil (albeit in small amounts). But their most prominent sources tend to be industrialized vegetable oils (i.e., sunflower, cottonseed, soybean, sunflower, corn, canola, and peanut oil). Optimizing the precious balance of omega-3 to omega-6 involves consuming plenty of the omega-3-rich foods (listed above) while eliminating processed vegetable oils, in addition to having 1-2 servings of fatty fish a week. You may also want to consider adding in an omega-3 supplement; just be sure to get the ok from the doc! [12]

Saturated Fat:

Time for some controversy. Listen, I’m all for a healthy debate. But before we get vicious, let’s consider the research. Yes, saturated fats from processed meats and dairy can raise harmful LDL cholesterol. But critics of it (many of whom are plant based) still consume it via nuts, seeds, and coconut, which is loaded with saturated fat. (Yes, nuts and seeds mostly contain MUFAs and PUFAs, but they do contain small amounts of saturated fats. They’re not devoid of it.) Next, a lot of the studies that have linked saturated fat to heart disease have actually, to put it lightly, not been so fair and balanced. Remember the scandal back in 2016 when the sugar industry was caught funding researchers to make fat look back in the 1960s? [13] A meta-analysis covering 21 studies even reports that there was insufficient evidence to conclude that saturated fat does indeed cause heart disease. Their main takeaway was that replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat (PUFAs) “may” reduce heart disease. [6] But again, quality. Saturated fat from natural, whole foods is way different than that found in garbage, industrial foods. (If you want to learn more about the controversy surrounding saturated fat as well as coconut oil, I suggest you read the following post here.)

Furthermore, saturated fat has its benefits, such as:

• Raising good (HDL) cholesterol (bad LDL cholesterol is raised as well, but it’s wrong to ignore the fact that HDL receives a boost) while converting LDL from small, dangerous particles into large, mostly harmless ones
• Bone health- in order to properly absorb calcium, our bones require a degree of saturated fat
• Hormone production
• Liver health (by protecting it from damage due to drugs or alcohol)
• Cell membrane health (they need to be at least 50% for optimal function)

[14] [15] [16]

You can find saturated fat in plenty of foods, including:

• Coconut(oil, butter, meat)
• Dairy
• Meat, from chicken to beef to fish
• Egg yolks
• Palm Oil
• Nuts and seeds (in varying, smaller amounts)

[17]

Get a healthy dose of saturated fat in the following recipes:

Pan Seared Tuna with Shiitake Coconut Cream Sauce
Breakfast Egg & Mustard Yogurt Sandwich

To conclude, fat is not your worst enemy. Not if it’s sourced from whole foods such as wild caught fish, nuts and seeds, eggs, olive, and coconut. If you’re avoiding fat but are still munching on packaged ramen noodles and low-fat cookies, then you’re definitely in need of a wakeup. We’ve relied so much on factory foods that we’ve lost sight of the natural order and benefits that come from foods grown and made from the earth. How can you compare something like chicken soup to takeout fried chicken? Or homemade dressing to bottled dressing that’s meant to last for months on end? If you’re still not okay with eating high fat, that’s fine. Do what works for you. But know that fat is still important for your health, and that even a low-fat diet is devoid of fat.

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below, and what you think of articles like this that really dive deep into the research!

Sources:

[1] https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/fat/art-20045550
[2] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/monounsaturated-fats#section6
[3] https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/mufas/faq-20057775
[4] https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000785.htm
[5] https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000747.htm
[6] https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-truth-about-fats-bad-and-good
[7] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-omega-3-rich-foods#section12
[8] https://www.americangrassfedbeef.com/grass-fed-natural-beef.asp
[9] https://www.organicpastures.com/blog/2019/2/1/5-ways-that-drinking-raw-milk-can-improve-your-health
[10] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23107745
[11] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19022225
[12] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/optimize-omega-6-omega-3-ratio#section6
[13] https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/13/493739074/50-years-ago-sugar-industry-quietly-paid-scientists-to-point-blame-at-fat
[14] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/saturated-fat-good-or-bad#section9
[15] https://baumancollege.org/saturated-fats-myths-and-facts/
[16] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4808795/
[17] https://daa.asn.au/smart-eating-for-you/smart-eating-fast-facts/nourishing-nutrients/where-do-i-find-saturated-fats-in-food/