Page 16 - Spring2012

Good Fats, Bad Fats:

Separating Fact from Fiction

By Chris Masterjohn

ew driving factors have had such a profound influence
on the transition from traditional to modern industrial

Fdiets as the campaign against animal fats and tropical
oils. We have responded to this campaign not only by depriv-

ing ourselves of the nutrient-dense animal foods so important
to human health, but also by replacing these traditional fats

with processed foods laden with refined vegetable oil, flour,
and sugar.

Since its inception, this campaign has been based on a series of
myths. These include the myths that saturated fat is the “bad fat” while
polyunsaturated fat is the “good fat,” that arachidonic acid is the “bad
fat,” and that so-called “solid fats” are empty calories with no nutritional
value. We will consider each of these myths in the pages that follow.

16 Wise Traditions SPRING 2012 SPRING 2012 Wise Traditions

89494_text.indd 16 3/13/12 1:46 AM