Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook That Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and The... (8 page)

  
Cholesterol:
Mother's milk is high in cholesterol because it is essential for growth and development. Cholesterol is also needed to produce a variety of steroids that protect against cancer, heart disease and mental illness.

  
Glycosphingolipids:
This type of fat protects against gastrointestinal infections, especially in the very young and the elderly. For this reason, children who drink skimmed milk have diarrhea at rates three to five times greater than children who drink whole milk.
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Trace Minerals:
Many trace minerals are incorporated into the fat globule membrane of butterfat, including manganese, zinc, chromium and iodine. In mountainous areas far from the sea, iodine in butter protects against goiter. Butter is extremely rich in selenium, a trace mineral with antioxidant properties, containing more per gram than herring or wheat germ.

One frequently voiced objection to the consumption of butter and other animal fats is that they tend to accumulate environmental poisons. Fat-soluble poisons such as DDT do accumulate in fats; but water-soluble poisons, such as antibiotics and growth hormones, accumulate in the water fraction of milk and meats. Vegetables and grains also accumulate poisons. The average plant crop receives ten applications of pesticides—from seed to storage—while cows generally graze on pasture that is unsprayed. Aflatoxin, a fungus that grows on grain, is one of the most powerful carcinogens known. It is correct to assume that all of our foods, whether of vegetable or animal origin, may be contaminated. The solution to environmental poisons is not to eliminate animal fats—so essential to growth, reproduction and overall health—but to seek out organic meats and butter from pasture-fed cows, as well as organic vegetables and grains. These are becoming increasingly available in health food stores and supermarkets and through mail order and cooperatives.

Before leaving this complex but vital subject of fats, it is worthwhile examining the composition of other dietary fats and oils in order to determine their usefulness and appropriateness in food preparation:

  
Duck and Goose Fat
are semisolid at room temperature, containing about 35 percent saturated fat, 52 percent monounsaturated fat (including small amounts of antimicrobial palmitoleic acid) and about 13 percent polyunsaturated fat. The proportion of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids depends on what the birds have eaten. Duck and goose fat are quite stable and are highly prized in Europe for frying potatoes.

  
Chicken Fat
is about 31 percent saturated, 49 percent monounsaturated (including moderate amounts of antimicrobial palmitoleic acid) and 20 percent polyunsaturated, most of which is omega-6 linoleic acid, although the amount of omega-3 can be raised by feeding chickens flax or fish meal, or allowing them to range free and eat insects. Although widely used for frying in kosher kitchens, it is inferior to duck and goose fat, which were traditionally preferred to chicken fat in Jewish cooking.

  
Lard
or pork fat is about 40 percent saturated, 48 percent monounsaturated (including small amounts of antimicrobial palmitoleic acid) and 12 percent polyunsaturated. Like the fat of birds, the amount of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in lard will vary according to the diet of the pigs. In the tropics, lard may also be a source of lauric acid if the pigs have eaten coconuts. Like duck and goose fat, lard is stable and a preferred fat for frying. It was widely used in America at the turn of the century. It is an excellent source of vitamin D, especially in third-world countries where other animal foods are likely to be expensive. Some researchers believe that pork products should be avoided because they may contribute to cancer. Others suggest that only pork
meat
presents a problem and that pig
fat
in the form of lard is safe and healthy.

  
Beef and Mutton Tallows
are 50-55 percent saturated, about 40 percent monounsaturated and contain small amounts of the polyunsaturates, usually less than 3 percent. Suet, which is the fat from the cavity of the animal, is 70-80 percent saturated. Suet and tallow are very stable fats and can be used for frying. Traditional cultures valued these fats for their health benefits. They are a good source of antimicrobial palmitoleic acid.

  
Olive Oil
contains 75 percent oleic acid, the stable monounsaturated fat, along with 13 percent saturated fat, 10 percent omega-6 linoleic acid and 2 percent omega-3 linolenic acid. The high percentage of oleic acid makes olive oil ideal for salads and for cooking at moderate temperatures. Extra virgin olive oil is also rich in antioxidants. It should be cloudy, indicating that it has not been filtered, and have a golden yellow color, indicating that it is made from fully ripened olives. Olive oil has withstood the test of time; it is the safest vegetable oil you can use, but don't overdo. The longer-chain fatty acids found in olive oil are more likely to contribute to the buildup of body fat than the short-and medium-chain fatty acids found in butter and coconut oil.

  
Peanut Oil
contains 48 percent oleic acid, 18 percent saturated fat and 34 percent omega-6 linoleic acid. Like olive oil, peanut oil is relatively stable and therefore appropriate for stir-frys on occasion. But the high percentage of omega-6 presents a potential danger, so use of peanut oil should be strictly limited.

  
Sesame Oil
contains 42 percent oleic acid, 15 percent saturated fat, and 43 percent omega-6 linoleic acid. Sesame oil is similar in composition to peanut oil. It can be used for frying because it contains unique antioxidants that are not destroyed by heat. However, the high percentage of omega-6 militates against exclusive use.

  
Safflower, Corn, Sunflower, Soybean and Cottonseed Oils
all contain over 50 percent omega-6 and, except for soybean oil, only minimal amounts of omega-3. Safflower oil contains almost 80 percent omega-6. Research continues to accumulate on the dangers of excess omega-6 oils in the diet, whether rancid or not. Use of these oils should be strictly limited. They should never be consumed after they have been heated, as in cooking, frying or baking. High oleic safflower and sunflower oils, produced from hybrid plants, have a composition similar to olive oil, namely, high amounts of oleic acid and only small amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids and thus are more stable than traditional varieties. However, it is difficult to find truly cold-pressed versions of these oils.

  
Canola Oil
contains 5 percent saturated fat, 57 percent oleic acid, 23 percent omega-6 and 10-15 percent omega-3. The newest oil on the market, canola oil was developed from the rape seed, a member of the mustard family. Rape seed is considered unsuited to human consumption because it contains a long-chain fatty acid called erucic acid, which under some circumstances is associated with fibrotic heart lesions. Canola oil was bred to contain little if any erucic acid and has drawn the attention of nutritionists because of its high oleic-acid content. But there are some indications that canola oil presents dangers of its own. It has a high sulphur content and goes rancid easily. Baked goods made with canola oil develop mold very quickly. During the deodorizing process, the omega-3 fatty acids of processed canola oil are transformed into
trans
fatty acids, similar to those in margarine and possibly more dangerous.
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A recent study indicates that "heart healthy" canola oil actually creates a deficiency of vitamin E, a vitamin required for a healthy cardiovascular system.
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Other studies indicate that even low-erucic-acid canola oil causes heart lesions, particularly when the diet is also low in saturated fat.
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