Why You Shouldn't Be Afraid Of Animal Fats, Or How Nutritionists Justified Them

History of the issue

In 1961, Dr. Ansel Keys published his study, according to which in countries with a high level of animal fat consumption, people are more likely to face the problem of heart attacks and strokes. The study became a real sensation, the idea of "harmful fats" and dangerous cholesterol was immediately picked up by the media. On this basis, an entire industry of fat free or "cholesterol free" products has grown. For decades, animal fat was cursed, and "fatty" was encouraged only in the form of vegetable oils. People abandoned butter in favor of what they thought was "healthy," margarine. Omelets for breakfast also fell out of favor, replaced by sweet cereals with juice. Although, as it turned out later, it was not only useless, but even harmful. If the composition of the butter is always clear - cow cream,then in margarine they are replaced by several lines of questionable and unhealthy components. Pre-cooked cereals have not been tested for health benefits either, as they contain simple carbohydrates that quickly raise blood sugar levels.

Dr. Atkins was the first to challenge Kees's theory of "bad fats." In 1972, his book "The Diet Revolution" was published, which states that restricting carbohydrates plays a decisive role in weight control, and fat does not need to be restricted. Despite the success of the weight loss technique, Atkins and his protein diet were rightly criticized by doctors and then no one seriously listened to him.

The trend continued in the 1980s. And only in the 1990s, but most actively in the 2000s, serious clinical studies began to be carried out, which confirmed that the theory of "dangerous fat" is not true. In the end, scientists and medical professionals concluded that Keys had simply manipulated the facts. Because there are many countries - Holland, Sweden, Norway - where high consumption of animal fat does not correlate with being overweight and heart disease of citizens.

A real revolution in the minds of millions of people was the cover of Time magazine (2014) with the words “Eat butter. Scientists have declared fat the enemy. Why they were wrong. " In the text of the article, it was told in several turns that the real enemies of our health are simple carbohydrates (including sugar). They cause jumps in blood sugar, due to which the minute feeling of fullness is replaced by a sharp feeling of hunger, and we begin to overeat, as a result accumulating excess weight.

The benefits of fats

Fats are of vegetable and animal origin. The latter can be found in butter and various dairy products, meat and lard of animals. Despite the high nutritional and energy value of fats, they must enter our body in a large amount, accounting for up to 30% of the total calories consumed.

“If we talk about milk fat, which, according to statistics, is most often preferred to exclude from the diet, choosing dairy products with a low content of fat or even fat free, then you should not be afraid of it at all. It is easily and almost completely absorbed by the body. This happens, firstly, due to the fact that it melts at a temperature of 25-30 degrees Celsius (below the temperature of the human body), so that it enters the intestines in a liquid state. Secondly, this fat is found in milk in the form of tiny particles of several microns in size, each particle is completely enveloped in food juices in the stomach, and this also facilitates assimilation. Milk fat contains more than 140 types of known acids, in addition, it is rich in phosphatide - lecithin, which prevents vascular sclerosis, promotes proper metabolism of fats and prevents them from being deposited in the liver.

And, finally, fats of any kind in a certain amount are necessary for the body for the well-coordinated work of organs. For example, the gallbladder produces bile specifically to digest fat. If he has nothing to process, bile stagnates, stones appear,”says Svetlana Vitkovskaya, a representative of the Cheburashkin Brothers company. Family farm”.

Animal fat gives you a feeling of fullness for long hours, it makes food taste full, sending positive reinforcement to the brain "nutritious food received, you can not eat any more." It has a positive effect on the gray matter of the brain, and contains carotene and lecithin, vitamins A, E, D necessary for the normal functioning of the body.

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