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A dietician sent me an email questioning the wisdom of consuming full-fat foods due to the potential for stored toxins in the fat.
This is apparently the recommendation of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) which urges members to use low-fat or skim dairy products to reduce exposure to toxins that may be contained in the whole fat portion of those same products.
Those of you who read this blog know that I myself eat plenty of healthy fats and have for many years. During the winter months, my fat consumption approaches 60% of my caloric intake. In the summer, it is closer to 50%.
The fat I consume is primarily saturated fat in the form of whole milk, cheese, eggs, kefir, cream, butter, and the fat in the meat of grass-fed animals. This mimics the seasonal fat intake and diet of traditional Northern European cultures, from which I obtain my genetic heritage.
If you wish to determine the appropriate fat intake for your personal cultural heritage, I suggest you read the epic and groundbreaking work of Dr. Weston A. Price, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration.
On a side note, don’t believe the doctor-speak baloney that saturated fat will clog up your arteries and give you a heart attack.
It’s the factory fats (margarine and spreads, vegetable oils, trans fats) and sugar-laden processed foods that will cause problems, NOT whole, natural fats from grass-fed animals such as our chronic disease-free ancestors ate for thousands of years.
Remember, the saturated fat-laden egg has been exonerated for over a decade as a cause of heart attack or stroke after decades of demonization (source: American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, July/Aug 2009).
Animal Fats Contain Nutrition Not Found in Plants
Are you still eating egg white omelets? You are waayyyyy behind the times, my friend!
Saturated fat does not cause a heart attack or stroke! When will our “behind the 8 ball” medical system wake up to the facts and stop recommending the devastating, diabetes and chronic disease-promoting low-fat diet to the American public?
Ok, sorry about that digression.
Am I concerned about the EWG warnings about toxins stored in the fat of animals?
The short answer is, no, I am most certainly not. Here’s why:
- You cannot hope to be healthy for the long term without consuming plenty of whole, saturated fats. Animal fats are where all the vitamin A/D/K is located and if you avoid it, you are going to have some serious nutritional deficiencies to deal with. Supplements can never take the place of food, so opting for the supplement rather than food route doesn’t work nearly as effectively unless they are whole food-based such as cod liver oil or butter oil.
- A well-nourished body can handle the toxins that come its way, but a poorly nourished body that exists in a toxin-free bubble will fall apart anyway. In other words, you have to eat the fat whether or not it is loaded with toxins or you will become nutritionally deficient. If you get what you need nutritionally, your body will be strong and able to eliminate the toxins that come along with little problem. Trying to avoid toxins by eating low-fat is foolish, though, as you will become nutritionally deficient this way and your health will deteriorate even if every mouthful of food you ever eat is 100% organic and toxin-free! In short, always choose nutrition first. With nutrition, you have a good chance at health; without it, you have no chance even if the food choices are toxin-free.
Animal Fats can be Toxin-Free Too!
The points above about eating fat regardless of whether or not it has toxins does not mean that you should not actively seek out clean sources of fat!
I was simply outlining the worst-case scenario – if I could only get animal fat by eating SPAM, then I would eat SPAM rather than not get any animal fat at all. The good news is that you can find sources of clean, whole saturated fats from grass-fed farmers in your local area!
So, seek out clean, grass-fed sources of whole fats from farmers in your local area and get the best of both worlds: healthy, toxin-free fats! Put aside the short-sighted and misinformed warnings about the toxins in animal fats from vegetarian/vegan groups or organizations like EWG. You must consume animal fats to be healthy (and to reproduce successfully and have healthy offspring, incidentally).
Fat avoidance, particularly of animal fats, is not an option for those who seek vibrant, chronic disease-free health.
In my last sentence, by "not in this case," I mean, not in the case of trying to consume fewer fat-soluble toxins like PCB's and dioxins. Since you can't eliminate them, your only real shot is to try to not consume as many. Or hope that your body still works well, regardless of having larger amounts of toxins stored.
As many of you probably know, farmed salmon is a big source of these toxins, because of what the fish are fed. If I remember correctly, you will get about 1/4 the amount of toxins in farmed salmon, in fatty beef. So by no means is fatty beef or something like whole milk as bad as farmed salmon, but it is still something to keep in mind. Keep in mind also that butter is another way you get the cow's fat, with the stored toxins.
I would agree with the WAPF way of eating, IF there weren't so many horrible man-made toxins in our environment, that don't belong there.
You said, "If you get what you need nutritionally, your body will be strong and able to eliminate the toxins that come along with little problem."
I am not a scientist, but my understanding is that that is not true. There are fat-soluble toxins, and water-soluble toxins.
The water soluble toxins eventually leave through the urine, feces, etc. The reason fat-soluble toxins are so dangerous, is that one of the only ways they leave our body is through breastmilk, because it is fatty. (that is why some women are thought to test less positive for scary fat-soluble toxins like dioxins, after they breastfeed). Unfortunately, these toxins are going straight into your baby.
These toxins move up the food chain, in the same way that mercury moves up the food chain in fish. So you won't find many dioxins (or other fat soluble toxins) in olive oil or coconut oil, because coconuts are at the bottom of the food chain.
Unfortunately, eating grass-fed meats does NOT protect you from these toxins, according to what I have read so far. If there is a polluted stream feeding the grass that the cows are grazing on, or if the cows are downwind from a big polluted city, you'll get the toxins. Theoretically, if the corn the factory-farmed cows consume, by luck, was exposed to fewer of these environmental toxins, there would be less dioxins (for example) in those cows.
Once I began reading all this, it scared me. I still believe in the quality of good food, but I am trying to reduce my consumption of animal fats now. I would like to have children someday, and I don't want to pass these toxins down to them. Really, it is the polluters' fault, for allowing these chemicals into the atmosphere. Some of the toxins have been banned for 30+ years, but are still showing up in mammals.
I am not an expert, I am just a regular person who has done research online. I would encourage everyone to look for information online about PCB's and dioxins. What you read will scare you, I'm sure.
The only reason I am posting is because I am not sure of the accuracy of the information here. You seem to imply that a healthy body can eliminate these toxins, but that is not what I have read. The whole problem is that they are nearly impossible to eliminate, and they should have never been introduced.
The second fallacy is that grass-fed is somehow better when we are talking about fat-soluble toxins. Unfortunately that does not seem to be the case. Grassfed is probably better for other reasons, but not in this case.
I NEVER work out. I eat lots of coco oil, pastured lard, grass-fed beef tallow and pastured meat and I'm thin.
Tina
Although I remain unknown, I must speak against something the Anonymous said earlier. Publix does indeed sell some grass-fed meats, by Maverick Ranch and White Oaks Ranch. Both are a little more costly and only ground beef is available grass-fed, but it's a start and shows that demand will help grocers to carry more of these wonderful products. We have gotten more humane meats and poultry this year than ever before. Remember, the consumer controls the market and supermarkets, it is that simple. Also trying places like Whole Foods and private grocers is another start for great foods and meats. Thank you for allowing me to speak.
Pavil, I think the belief that all earlier people had shorter lives is based on science that is flawed.
Quite simply,the common method of estimating how old a person was by examining skeletons is to evaluate the bone density. The theory is that the bone density will diminish with age. The problem is that the bone density is compared with modern skeletons. Earlier peoples eating nutrient dense real food would have much stronger and denser bones than modern peoples who have been starved of real food.
It would not surprise me if the skeleton of a 70 year old ancient roman would be as dense as the skeleton of a 30 year old modern person. However, science would evaluate the roman as having died at 30, since his bone density would be that of a modern 30 year old.
One out of every 6 members of the legions of the roman republic were over 60, and were called triarii. They could march over 20 miles a day, carrying over one hundred pounds of armor and equipment, and fight in hand to hand combat when needed. That is what real food could do.
Actually, I think that pointing out the short life spans of people from antiquity is probably a valid point and we should be able to reconcile it.
What we consider Real Food may not not have been available to everyone all of the time. I suspect that a large portion of the peasant population would have lived on grain based products. I can think of no other reason for the cultivation of grains than that it is a cheap and practical way to fill bellies. If bellies are full, people will stay and work. If the worker population is healthy enough to reproduce, who cares if they don't live very long.
In truth, I have no idea what percentage of the population would have access to the foods that we champion. And I don't know that my grain theory fully explains the broad sampling of short lives. So, naturally this is a topic of continuing interest for me.
I do trust that Dr. Price was faithfully reporting what he observed. But, how closely did the instances of population that he observed reflect life and culture in the more populated and volatile areas of medieval Europe.
Now, as to the science of the matter. I think our science on nutrition is fairly solid and aggressive. And yes, I do dismiss the corporate science that produces the garbage that stocks the shelves of our grocery stores. I happen to remember the 'indisputable' scientific studies that 'proved' the safety of tobacco. Whenever there is a fortune at stake, honest science is the first casualty. There is no shortage of people willing to whore their degrees for the funding needed for research. No money, no research, no paycheck. Corporations are smart enough to discontinue funding to unfavorable research, and they clearly know how to play the 'science' game.
FWIW, I don't workout and I have no difficulty maintaing the weight that I have lost and my daily caloric ratio of fat intake exceeds 2:1. To use a cheese metaphor, Its my double cream life style 🙂
It's interesting how the insults always come anonymously .. ? ha, ha.
Just one question, Anonymous .. have you even read the book by Dr. Price? Sounds like the answer is no. And, no – I don't work out that much. Just a couple times a week for about 45 minutes or so if that. I spent too much time blogging!
Wow some one is testy!! Maybe she/he needs to be spoon fed some butter until they are happier:-)
Why read this blog if you don't like it?
"Anglo-Saxons back in the Early Middle Ages (400 to 1000 A.D.) lived short lives and were buried in cemeteries, much like Englishmen today. Field workers unearthed 65 burials (400 to 1000 A.D.) from Anglo-Saxon cemeteries in England and found none who lived past 45." So I have no idea what you are talking about in your statement "Those of you who read this blog know that I myself eat a high fat diet and have for many years. During the winter months, my fat consumption approaches 60% of my caloric intake. In the summer, it is closer to 50%. The fat I consume is primarily saturated fat in the form of whole milk, cheese, eggs, kefir, cream, butter, and the fat in the meat of grassfed animals. This mimics the seasonal fat intake of traditional Northern European cultures, from which I obtain my genetic heritage." and think that's a good thing. "The wisdom of eating animal fats is historical and in keeping with what wise cultures have done for thousands of year. True arrogance is defying the laws of nature and ignoring the lessons of history and expecting to be healthy." What is your definition of a "wise culture?" Where on earth do you think people in this modern era of city living can find pastured animals that are grass-fed? I live in Florida too, and there is no way I could find such a thing. I shop at Publix like the majority of Floridians do. Your discounting of scientifically proven concepts are not "truths" as you like to say. You debunk nothing with your blog. It only proves that you are totally brain washed as to the teaching of a dentist who came up with this wacky idea back in the 30's. We have come a long way since then with REAL scientific studies. Why don't you try reading them. Also, I bet you work out a couple of hours a day to maintain your figure if you eat the crap you say you do.