Page 21 - Spring2012

Diet. Therein, he proclaimed excess arachidonic document defines a “nutrient-dense” food as one The natural
25
acid “your worst biological nightmare.” Not only whose “nutrients and other beneficial substances fats present in
is it inflammatory, he wrote, but it “is so potent . . . have not been 'diluted' by the addition of calo-
and so dangerous that when you inject it into the ries from added solid fats, added sugars, or added foods carry
bloodstream of rabbits the animals die within refined starches, or by the solid fats naturally all of their
three minutes.” present in the food.” This peculiar definition fat-soluble
36
Despite these sensational claims, arachi- of “nutrient-dense” allows the addition of liquid
donic acid is not inherently inflammatory. Its oils but requires the removal of natural solid fats. vitamins, and
deficiency, in fact, produces a number of inflam- “Solid fats” are defined as “fats with a high con- added fats
matory symptoms, including dandruff, hair loss, tent of saturated and/or trans fatty acids, which further
infertility and irritated, red, sore, swollen, and are usually solid at room temperature.” Using
scaly skin. 26,27 Inhibiting supposedly “inflamma- this definition, one could ostensibly make milk increase their
tory” products made from arachidonic acid such more “nutrient-dense” by replacing its natural bioavailability.
as prostaglandin E using over-the-counter non- butterfat with corn oil.
2
steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can The natural fats present in foods carry all of
produce a number of inflammatory outcomes. their fat-soluble vitamins, and added fats further
These drugs induce intestinal pathologies that increase their bioavailability. Human trials, for
closely resemble celiac disease in laboratory ani- example, have clearly shown that butterfat in-
37
mals in response to gluten or even egg white, 28,29 creases the absorption of vitamin E, and that
and they interfere with the resolution of autoim- canola oil increases the absorption of carotenoids
38
mune conditions. from salad. The more fat one adds, according
30
Although it is true that our bodies use to these studies, the greater the absorption of fat-
arachidonic acid to initiate inflammation—a soluble nutrients. This can hardly be considered
vital process if we want to survive to adulthood a decrease in nutrient density!
without being wiped out by pathogenic microbes Animal experiments, moreover, suggest that
—our bodies also use this fatty acid to suppress fats and oils low in PUFA provide the best ab-
inflammation or to resolve inflammation once it sorption of fat-soluble nutrients. When compared
has run its course. We use arachidonic acid to to corn oil, for example, olive oil roughly doubles
make cell-to-cell junctions that form physical the absorption of lycopene and astaxanthin in
39
barriers against toxins and pathogens, 31-33 to cre- rats. If the lower absorption seen with corn oil
ate a unique environment in the gut that causes is a result of its higher PUFA content, then so-
our immune system to react to food proteins called “solid fats” might prove superior even to
with tolerance instead of intolerance, and to olive oil, and certainly to canola oil.
34
make important molecules called lipoxins that
help resolve existing inflammation. 30,35 We even THE TRUTH SHALL SET US FREE
use arachidonic acid to signal the conversion of Clinical trials have failed miserably to
omega-3 fatty acids to resolvins, another class support the hypothesis that replacing saturated
of molecules that help resolve inflammation. It animal fats with polyunsaturated vegetable oils
30
makes little sense to characterize this fatty acid would prevent heart disease. They have shown
as singularly inflammatory in nature when it instead that vegetable oils likely promote cancer
has so many anti-inflammatory functions, and and perhaps even heart disease. Arachidonic acid
when it is present in so many traditional foods in animal fat is not "deadly," but is necessary
consumed by populations free of inflammatory for our bodies to initiate, suppress, or resolve
diseases. inflammation as needed. These are all vital
processes that allow us to respond appropriately
MYTH 3: SOLID FATS = EMPTY CALORIES to our environment. “Solid fats” do not “dilute”
The third myth, that “solid fats” are empty the nutrient density of our food. On the contrary,
calories with no nutritional value, has emerged they carry fat-soluble nutrients and provide for
more recently with the latest revision of the their absorption.
USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This When we observe the ease with which these
Wise Traditions SPRING 2012 SPRING 2012 Wise Traditions 21

89494_text.indd 21 3/13/12 1:46 AM