dietary fats Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Ghee: Is It Better Than Butter?

The AHA! Team — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 05:09:52 +0000

Rachael Link, MS, RD via Dr. Axe – So what is ghee butter, and why should you add it to your pantry? Keep reading. With the surge in popularity of health trends like the ketogenic diet, healthy fats have garnered a lot of attention. Right alongside familiar favorites like olive oil and coconut oil is ghee, a type of fat made by heating butter — ideally grass-fed butter — to boost its natural nutrient profile and flavor. It is full of fat-soluble vitamins and healthy fatty acids, and ghee benefits can range from building stronger bones to enhancing weight loss. Used for thousands of years and a staple in Ayurvedic healing practices, ghee is one of the most powerful healing foods out there. So what is ghee butter, and why should you add it to your pantry? Keep reading. What Is Ghee? Ghee is similar to clarified butter, which is produced by heating butter to remove the milk solids and water. However, in comparing ghee vs. clarified butter, ghee is simmered longer to bring out the butter’s inherent nutty flavor and is left with a higher smoke point than butter, meaning that it can be heated to a higher temperature before it starts to smoke. Not only that, but ghee is rich in beneficial nutrients and contains several fatty acids that are important to health. Plus, there are numerous benefits of ghee, and some of its components have been shown to do everything from boost weight loss to improve digestion and relieve inflammation. Ghee has been used for thousands of years, quite literally. It’s truly an “ancient” health food and definitely not a fad. The first known use of butter was back in 2000 B.C. It became very popular in the cooler northern parts of India but didn’t survive well in the southern warmer regions. It’s believed that the southerners started to clarify butter in order to keep it from spoiling. Ghee quickly was integrated into the diet, into ceremonial practice and into Ayurvedic medicine. It’s believed to promote both mental purification and physical purification through its ability to cleanse and support wellness. Ghee benefits the body both inside and out and is actually used topically as well. Ghee benefits for skin include treating burns and rashes and moisturizing the skin and scalp. Much like coconut oil, it’s a multi-use fat that is healthy in many ways. Although ghee originates in India, it is also commonly found in South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines and is used now around the world. Although fat was once vilified as unhealthy and disease-causing, we are now beginning to understand the importance of including healthy fats in your diet. Today, ghee is recognized not only for its intense flavor and versatility, but for the numerous health benefits associated with it. Nutrition Facts Ghee benefits come from the nutrition ghee provides. It’s high in fat and provides an extra dose of several fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin A, vitamin E and vitamin K. A one-tablespoon serving of ghee (about 14 grams) contains approximately: Calories: 123 Total Fat: 13.9 g Saturated Fat: 8.7 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5 g Monounsaturated Fat: 4 g Protein: 0.04 g Sodium: 0.3 mg (

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Fat Can Make You Thin?

The AHA! Team — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 08:07:52 +0000

Al Sears, MD, CNS – Most mainstream doctors are horrified when they hear I teach my patients about the benefits of more fat. The patients who come to the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine tell me as much. But I’m not just talking about adding more healthy fats – like butter, lard, coconut oil, or omega-3s – to your diet. I’m also talking about a special kind of fat you already have in your body… A fat that makes you thin. Broadly speaking, there are two main types of fat in your body – white fat and brown fat. And, despite what doctors and nutritionists will tell you, the more brown fat you have, the better. Until a few years ago, scientists thought only babies had brown fat – that this was nature’s way of keeping them warm before they develop the ability to shiver. Unlike white fat – which shows up as flabby bellies, love handles, and plump thighs – brown fat burns calories rather than storing them. But studies show brown fat is very different from white fat in another important way… Brown fat contains mitochondria, which are full of iron and give this fat its brown color.1 As you may know, mitochondria are the energy-generating organelles in your cells. They are the power plants that turn fuel into energy for your body. Brown fat is also healthy. It cuts your risk of multiple conditions, including:2 Type 2 diabetes Cardiovascular disease High blood pressure Congestive heart failure Although most of your brown fat disappeared when you were a baby, your adult body retained small amounts – mainly in your neck, around the collarbone and the upper half of your spine. And even in small quantities, brown fat has the ability to burn huge amounts of calories. Although it makes up less than 5% of all your fat, it burns up a staggering 70% of your total calorie expenditure each day. By contrast, white fat burns almost no calories at all. Now astonishing new research shows you can easily transform your flabby white fat into calory-burning brown fat. The clue lies in a little-known protein called Zfp516. Animal studies conducted at the University of California, Berkeley, found that Zfp516 works to turn white fat into brown fat, and can be triggered by exposure to cold temperatures.3 The researchers found that mice with boosted Zfp516 levels had “browned” parts of their white fat, and as a result gained 30% less weight than the control mice. The good news is you don’t have to expose yourself to extreme temperatures to “brown” your own white fat. I experienced extreme below-freezing temperatures when I was climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. It was a life-changing experience, but I don’t want to subject myself to cold temperature if I don’t have to! Turn Flabby White Fat Into Calorie-Burning Brown Fat Luckily, there are much more comfortable ways to brown your fat. Here are three: Supplement with berberine: This ancient herbal medicine for treating diarrhea, and now one of the most effective treatments for diabetes, also activates Zfp516 and helps turn flabby white fat into healthy, pound-shedding brown fat.4 Berberine is a plant phytonutrient extracted from a number of medicinal herbs, such as barberry and goldenseal. A dose of 1,000 mg to 1,500 mg is effective for most people, and it has been shown to have no nasty side effects. Use the power of flavanols: Recent studies conducted by scientists in Japan reveal that foods rich in these antioxidant plant compounds – also known as flavan-3-ols – have the ability to turn white fat brown.5 Flavanols have long been known to have multiple health benefits, including antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, cardioprotective, antimicrobial, antiviral, and neuroprotective properties. Foods that are rich in flavan-3-ols include apple, grapeseed, berries, legumes, citrus fruits, red wine, and green tea. But the two best sources are dark chocolate and cocoa powder. Don’t forget to PACE yourself: Studies at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Australia show that exercise is just as effective as cold exposure for “browning” white fat.6 The researchers found that an hour of moderate exercise was equivalent to 10 to 15 minutes of shivering in the cold for turning white fat brown. I recommend my PACE exercise program. It stands for Progressively Accelerating Cardiopulmonary Exertion. It uses brief but vigorous routines of increasing intensity – so, the beauty of it is that you only need to exercise for 12 minutes a day, instead of an hour. To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS References: 1. Minwoo N and Cooper MP. “Role of energy metabolism in the brown fat gene program frontiers in endocrinology.” Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2015;6:104. 2. Cohen P and Spiegelman BM. “Brown and beige fat: molecular parts of a thermogenic machine.” Diabetes 2015;64:2346–2351 3. Depriver J, et al.” Cold-inducible Zfp516 activates UCP1 transcription to promote browning of white fat and development of brown fat.” Mol Cell. 2015 Jan 22;57(2):235-46. 4. Song, NJ, et al. ‘Induction of thermogenic adipocytes: molecular targets and thermogenic small molecules.’ Exp Mol Med 49, e353. 2017. 5. Ishii Y, et al. “Repeated oral administration of flavan-3-ols induces browning in mice adipose tissues through sympathetic nerve activation” Nutrients. 2021;13(12):4214. 6. Lee P, et al. “Irisin and FGF21 are cold-induced endocrine activators of brown fat function in humans.” 2014. Cell Metabol. 19(2):302-309 To read the original article click here.

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This Modern Fad Is Making You Sick

The AHA! Team — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 08:26:47 +0000

Al Sears, MD, CNS – The government declared war on fat almost 50 years ago. And as a result, we got slower, sicker, and fatter. In fact, the results of this big fat lie “led to some pretty disastrous consequences…that caused Americans to get fatter.” Those are the words of one of the most famous nutritionists in the world. Dr. Walter Willett, Chair of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, was one of the first mainstream physicians to admit that the campaign to eliminate fat in the diet was a big mistake. But lately, he’s shifted gears. And today, he’s declared war on meat. I couldn’t disagree more… We come from hunter-gatherers who evolved over millennia to thrive on meat. We have canine fangs like dogs and wolves. These teeth are meant to rip and tear flesh from animals. Being a vegetarian is a modern fad. It was the brainchild of Reverend Sylvester Graham. He believed that all of America’s moral failings could be traced back to an “unholy diet.” So he created a strict meat-free meal plan that would “cure” the country of its “immoral urger.” He preached a gospel of fruits, vegetables, and whole-wheat crackers that would eventually bear his name. But Graham and his followers got it wrong. Big time. They didn’t understand that humans are born meat eaters. And that being vegetarian takes a real toll on your health. When vegetarians give up meat, they force themselves to get the bulk of their calories from wheat or other grain products. So they wind up eating more bread, pasta, cereals, and other processed foods. Being vegetarian takes a real toll on your health In other words, they eat a lot of junk. Sound familiar? It’s the same thing that happened with the war on fat. For more than 20 years, I’ve seen firsthand the health problems of vegetarians in my practice. I’ve found that vegetarians: Have low energy and feel frail Get sick more often and age faster Have poor digestion and weaker bones Can’t produce growth hormones, testosterone, and thyroid hormone Have low sperm counts and more fertility problems And despite what Dr. Walter Willett declares, vegetarians don’t live longer… An important study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at data from two studies of more than 60,000 people in the U.K. It found no difference in mortality rates between vegetarians and meat eaters.1 And despite what you hear from the mainstream media, studies show vegetarian diets don’t lower the risk of heart disease2 or cancer.3 But a plant-only vegan diet does cause genetic mutations that increase the risks for both heart disease and cancer.4 The latest research shows that eating a plant-based diet also makes you depressed,5 increases your risk of broken bones,6 and decreases phospholipids.7 Phospholipids are vital for a healthy brain. You see when you don’t eat meat, it’s impossible to get many of the essential nutrients you need every day. If you were – or still are – eating a plant-based diet, you’re missing out on a number of key nutrients. Here’s how to get a few of them back: Supplement with B12. This vitamin, so vital to humans, is only found in meat. While some vegetarians claim that B12 can be found in algae, tempeh (a soy product sometimes used as a meat substitute), or even brewer’s yeast, these are false assumptions. I recommend at least 100 mcg per day. But I advise many of my patients to take as much as 2,000 mcg, especially if they are vegetarians. Replenish your zinc. Most vegetarians have a zinc deficiency. This is a problem. You can’t have a well-functioning immune system without this antioxidant. It also reduces your risk of metabolic syndrome, age-related macular degeneration, osteoporosis, and memory loss. I recommend taking 30 mg a day. CoQ10: CoQ10 is only found in animal products. You’ll find high concentrations of this heart- and brain-critical nutrient in organ meats. But you’ll also get it from the meat itself. CoQ10 supplies your cells with ATP, the energy required by every cell in your body for metabolism, energy production, and life itself. I recommend at least 50 mg of ubiquinol CoQ10 every day. This form is eight times more absorbable than conventional CoQ10. To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS References: 1. Appleby P, et al. “Mortality in vegetarians and comparable nonvegetarians in the United Kingdom.” Am J Clin Nutr. 2016 Jan;103(1):218-30. 2. Kaiser J, et al. “A systematic review of the association between vegan diets and risk of cardiovascular disease.” J Nutr. 2021 Jun 1;151(6):1539-1552. 3. “Does being a vegetarian lower your risk of cancer?” https://www.wcrf.org. 2020. Accessed on May 24, 2023. 4. Caspermeyer J. “Are we what we eat? Evidence of a vegetarian diet permanently shaping the human genome to change individual risk of cancer and heart disease.” Mol Biol Evol. 2016 Jul;33(7):1887-8. 5. Kohl I, et al. “Association between meatless diet and depressive episodes: A cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the longitudinal study of adult health.” J Affect Disord. 2023 Jan 1;320:48-56. 6. Webster J, et al. “Risk of hip fracture in meat-eaters, pescatarians, and vegetarians: results from the UK Women’s Cohort Study .” BMC Med. 2022 Aug 11;20(1):275. 7. Menzel J, et al. “Dietary and plasma phospholipid profiles in vegans and omnivores—results from the RBVD study.” Nutrients. 2022 Jul; 14(14):2900. To read the original article click here.

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Fats That Heal Vs. Fats That Kill. Do You Know the Difference?

AHA Publisher — Fri, 02 Dec 2022 08:00:58 +0000

Dr. Don Colbert – It’s not hyperbole. In many foods you eat, there are fats that heal, and there are fats that kill. Some dietary fats promote systemic inflammation, artery plaques, and disease. Some dietary fats fight inflammation, fight oxidative stress, and promote health in your brain, eyes, heart, and throughout your body. As you look down a grocery store aisle, or even in your own pantry, can you distinguish the fats that kill vs. fats that heal? Do you know which foods are loaded with them? Do you know easy steps to avoid the killers and nourish your body with the healers? If you don’t know yet, you certainly will by the end of this article. Take a look, and choose fats that heal while avoiding the ones that kill. Fats That Kill Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. Fats that kill are everywhere in the modern diet. They promote inflammation, high amounts of dangerous oxidized cholesterol in your arteries, and modern health conditions. They also have another thing in common. The primary offenders are found in processed foods and fast foods. Which fats kill? TRANSFATS You may think you have a good handle on transfats. Thankfully, this is becoming more and more true. During the last decade, many Americans have become more aware of transfats, or partially-hydrogenated fats, and have begun weeding them out of their diets. Here’s what you need to know about deadly transfats. Transfats are produced when food chemists take a fat that is naturally liquid at room temperature, and add hydrogens to make it solid at room temperature. You can think of oil becoming margarine or Crisco. Beyond the obvious sources, through, these shelf-stable man made fats can be found in many processed foods. Look for “partially hydrogenated” or “hydrogenated” fats on your ingredient lists. Transfats can be listed as zero grams on a nutrition label anytime it only contains 0.4 grams or less per serving. Unfortunately, transfats cause harm even in very small amounts. So, do not trust the nutrition label. Look at the ingredient list and weed out all sources of transfats. Transfats cause harm to the human body by promoting inflammation and becoming oxidized. Inflammation is at the root of many modern health conditions. Furthermore, when cholesterol is oxidized, it becomes “sticky,” and sticks to artery walls and other cholesterol units, forming plaques. SOYBEAN OIL Technically, soybean oil could be categorized as a transfat since it’s often hydrogenated, or as a polyunsaturated fat (below), since it is polyunsaturated in its natural state. However, it deserves its own “Fats that Kill” entry because it is incredibly detrimental to health, and it is found virtually in every processed food. Why? It’s cheap. The biggest issue with soybean oil is that it is a concentrated source of omega-6 fats. Omega-6s fats, while necessarily in small amounts, become dangerous as our diets are loaded with them compared to omega-3 fats. These 2 types of fats are antagonists. The more omega-6 fats, the more problems. Soybean oil and concentrated omega-6 fats affect: Metabolic Health. Lab studies show that soybean oil is one of the most detrimental foods to metabolic health (1). Cardiovascular Health: Soybean oil has been shown to cause harmful abnormalities to cholesterol and triglycerides (2). Overall health and inflammation: Many studies have concluded that concentrated sources of omega-6 fats increase inflammation in the body (3). POLYUNSATURATED FATS IN FRIED FOODS Polyunsaturated fats are vegetable oils that become easily oxidized in the arteries (again, these form plaques). They become especially dangerous when they are first used at very high heats when deep frying. Almost all deep-fried fast foods, chips, and fried snack foods are loaded with these harmful fats. What’s more, they are also concentrated sources of omega-6 fats and contribute to the same problems listed above for soybean oil. Here is a list of polyunsaturated vegetable fats you should avoid and the amount of omega-6 fats in each of them per 1 tablespoon (in grams). For reference, a good goal for omega-6 fats in oils is no more than 2 grams, used sparingly. Safflower oil (10.1 gm Omega-6 per 1 tablespoon oil) Grapeseed oil (9.5) Vegetable Oil (7.9) Wheat Germ Oil (7.5) Corn Oil (7.3) Walnut Oil (7.3) Cottonseed Oil (7.0) Soybean (7.0) Sunflower Oil (5.4) Canola Oil (3.0) Fats That Heal Now, for some good news. There are many fats that heal your body, fight inflammation, and support health from your brains to your eyes to your heart. Here are the fats that heal: OMEGA-3 FATS Omega-3 fats come primarily from seafoods (specifically krill, fatty fish, seaweed, etc.) and to a lesser extent, vegetarian sources such as hemp seeds, flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and more. These incredibly healthful fats are a potent source of healing in the body. First, they tip the balance in favor of omega-3 fats versus omega-6 fats, which fights inflammation. They encourage great eye health and heart health. They also specifically support brain health. Omega-3s encourage: Cognitive Function: Researchers have found improved outcomes in at least one aspect of cognitive function studied (working memory, executive function, verbal memory, short-term memory, perceptual speed, etc.) when omega-3s are added to the diet. They concluded that omega-3 supplementation might have a positive effect on cognitive function and could be used as a preventive or therapeutic tool for cognitive decline in aged or older adults (4). Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Protection: TBI increases the levels of brain cell death and damage. A recent animal study found that omega-3 supplementation before traumatic damage offered neuroprotection (5). Additionally, it’s been established that dietary supplementation of omega-3s can reduce the oxidative stress and inflammation developed in the brain due after TBI by improving the survival of brain cells (6). Reductions in Cognitive Decline: Another recent study found that omega-3s may improve the immune factors that are important to brain function in those with cognitive decline (7). A study from 2017 found that omega-3 supplementation increased the unfolded protein response and improved amyloid-β phagocytosis by macrophages of patients with mild cognitive impairment (8). Lastly, another 2015 study found that omega-3 supplementation reduced brain inflammation in those with mild cognitive impairment (9). OMEGA-9 FATS There are 2 great oil options for omega-9 fats in your diet rather than omega-6 fats. Olive oil and avocado oil. Olive oil can be used as a dressing/sauce over vegetables and other foods, as well as cooking at low and medium temperatures (it cannot be used to deep fry as it will reach its smoke point). Why use olive oil? It contains: Antioxidants Galore: Olive oil contains vitamin E, vitamin K, and hydroxytyrosol (HT). Hydroxytyrosol is a nutrient with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties (10). Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Bacterial Compounds: Chronic inflammation is at the root of many modern chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, obesity and more. Olive oil contains an antioxidant called oleocanthal, which is strongly anti-inflammatory. In fact, it works similarly to anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen (11). Heart Protection: To support heart health, olive oil reduces inflammation and cholesterol oxidation in artery walls (12). It can also lower blood pressure and reduce the need for hypertension medications by up to 48% (13). What’s more, studies have found that those who consume olive oil have a significantly lower risk of stroke than those who don’t (14). Anti-Aging Nutrients: The most prominent fat in olive oil, oleic acid, is strongly anti-aging. What’s more, vitamin E, olive oil’s polyphenols, and vitamin K all support youthful cells, strong bones, improved gene expression and more (15). Brain Health Compounds: Olive oil may help remove Alzheimer-associated plaques from the brain, beta-amyloid plaques (16). In addition, studies have found that olive oil may improve cognition (17). When you need an oil for higher temperature cooking, or for baking, use Avocado Oil. SMALL AMOUNTS OF MEDIUM CHAIN TRIGLYCERIDES Medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) are special fats, found in foods like coconut oil, that are medium in length, easy to digest, and offer benefits to the brain and body. What’s more, MCTs support ketone production and energy for those in the Keto Zone. The 2 main fatty acids in MCT oil and MCT oil powder are C8 and C10. These are readily converted to ketones and produce many beneficial health effects. MCT Oil has been studied at length. Studies show it supports: Heart Health. The amazing MCTs in MCT Oil Powder have been shown to improve cholesterol profiles by decreasing LDL cholesterol while increasing HDL cholesterol (18). Reduced Inflammation. After a diet with MCTs, researchers have found significantly reduced C-Reactive protein, a marker for inflammation (19). Brain Health. Ketones produced from MCTs can reduce brain degradation from aging and improve brain function (20). Weight Loss. Consumption of MCTs has been correlated with reduced weight, body fat, and BMI in studies. What’s more, you won’t go hungry since they also increase satiety (21, 22). Blood Sugar Balance. MCTs can improve blood sugars and decrease insulin output, thereby improving health and fat breakdown (23). Healthy Digestion. Amazingly, MCTs can fight unhealthy yeasts while supporting an increase in healthy bacteria and absorption in the digestive tract (24). Energy and Athletic Performance. MCTs increase the energy output of the mitochondria in the cells in your body, significantly improving overall energy (25, 26). Simple Ways to Choose Fats That Heal It’s important to first recognize which are fats that heal and fats that kill. Then, take simple steps to improve your diet. Avoid processed foods at much as possible. Make as much of your food as you can at home. This is simple and important, but not easy. We all have busy schedules and homemade foods take time. But, you will know what ingredients go into your foods, and you can easily avoid the harmful ones. When you do buy commercial foods and condiments, look at every ingredient. Be on the lookout especially for soybean oil, any hydrogenated oils, and the concentrated omega-6 oils listed below. Avoid fast food, especially deep fried items, like the plague. Ask what oils are used in restaurants. Avoid foods that are fried or made with soybean oil specifically. When cooking, be careful what oils and fats you use. Use olive oil and avocado oil. Avoid the oils listed on the high omega-6 list. When taking omega-3 supplements (such as Krill oil), avoid supplements that are omega-3/omega-6 complexes. These complexes were first designed to deliver a healthy omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, but did not consider that most modern diets are already overloaded with omega-6 fat! There’s no need to add more omega-6s! Listen to Dr. Colbert Want to hear more? Of course you do! Check out our recent podcast on good fats and bad fats to hear insight from Dr. Colbert! Bottom Line Now you know: there are fats that heal and fats that kill. Use our guide and simple steps to consume fats that heal each day. Avoid the ones that are detrimental to your health. Take time to listen to Dr. Colbert speak on this subject. You can make a big difference with these small steps! To read the original article click here.

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