Plant Fats

All raw plant fats do not clog the arteries as cooked animal fats do.  Thus they are the good fats. They are also called “essential’ fatty acids because our body cannot make them, absolutely requires them, and must obtain them from food.  Essential fats are of 2 kinds: omega 3 and omega 6, which are also known as polyunsaturated fats. 

There are 3 types of Omega 3 fatty acids:

• ALA or alpha-linolenic acid and available from flax seed and walnuts.

• EPA or eicosapentaenoic acid and available from human breast milk and fish oils.

• DHA or docosahexaenoic acid and available from human breast milk, fish oils and algae.

There are 2 types of Omega 6 fatty acids:

• LA or linolenic acid and available from plants, seeds and nuts.

• AA or arachidonic acid and available from nuts, meat, eggs and dairy.

Excessive amounts of omega 6 fatty acids, especially from animal sources, promotes inflammation and contributes to the development of coronary heart disease, and the development of Alzheimer's. Therefore a proper balance of 1:1 or 1: 2 between omega 3 and omega 6 fats is necessary in our diet in order to promote ultimate health.

Then we have the "non-essential" Omega 9 fatty acids, also known as oleic acids or monounsaturated fats available from vegetable oils and almonds.  Unlike omega 3 and 6, omega 9 fatty acids are produced by the body, and also from foods. 

In general, raw plant fats are found in almost every fruit and vegetable,  raw nuts and seeds.  They are found naturally in abundance in avocado, raw olives and their oil, and and especially in raw flax seeds and their oil.  They contain antioxidants, insulate the nerve tissue, and protect us from pollution and from the harshness of present-day civilization.  Raw plant fats make our skin and hair shine while lubricating the mucus linings and joints of our body, necessary for building cell membranes, and helping your body absorb vitamins and minerals. Incorporating plant-based healthy fats into your diet is simple. "Eating the right kinds of fats feeds both the body and brain, all while keeping us full longer, so we're not as tempted to overeat or binge on sugary, crash-inducing snacks," wrote Business Insider contributor Hilary Brueck. By consuming fats, you're giving your body a major source of energy through which to thrive.  Raw plant fats are essentially important for ultimate good health and longevity.

One of the most widely known healthy fats, avocado makes an ideal addition to any dish at breakfast, lunch or dinner. It's also perfect as a stand alone snack! This powerhouse of a super food isn't only a monounsaturated fat – it's also loaded with folate, potassium, fibre and vitamins E, C and B6.

Benefits of “Essential” Good Fats

• Brain function - our brain is 60% fat!
• Digestion
• Energy production
• Improved hormone function
• Improved sleep
• Improves dry skin, hair and nail quality
• Improves gut integrity
• Improves vision
• Inflammation prevention
• Lowers cancer risks
• Required for proper hair growth
• Required for proper insulin function
• Required for production
• Stress prevention
• Weight management

How Much Fat Should You Eat Per Day?
The ideal daily fat intake is 20-30% of your total calorie intake.  We have been told that 1 gram of fat contains 9 calories, so let's say for example you figure out that the ideal calorie intake for your body and goals is 2000 calories per day, then 20-30% of 2000 calories is between 400-600 calories. Then divide 400 and 600 by 9 and get a range of 45-67 grams of fat per day.

Below is a chart to show the amounts of plant fats present in vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts and oils.  A generous intake of these will provide you with good fats for the day!

Per 100 g of Raw Fruits	Fats (g)		Per 100 g of Raw Vegetables	Fats (g)		Per 100 g of Raw Nuts, Seeds & Oils	Fats (g)
Apple	0.2		Arrow root	0.1		Almond nut	58.9
Apricot	0.4		Artichokes	0.1		Brazil nut	65
Avocado	14.7		Asparagus	0.2		Cashew nut	46.9
Banana	0.3		Bak Choy	0.2		Chestnut	2.3
Blackberry	0.5		Bean	0.2		Coconut (dry)	63.3
Blueberry	0.3		Beetroot	0.1		Coconut (flesh)	41.6
Cantaloup	0.1		Bitter gourd (melon)	0.1		Coconut (milk)	41
Cantaloupe	0.2		Broccoli	0.3		Coconut (water)	0.1
Cherry (red)	0.5		Brussel sprouts	0.3		Flax seed (Linseed)	42.2
Cranberry	0.1		Cabbage	0.2		Groundnut (peanut)	40.1
Currant (Black)	0.5		Capsicum (green)	0.2		Hazelnut	60
Date	0.2		Capsicum (red)	0.3		Macadamia nut	75.7
Durian	5.3		Carrot	0.2		Mustard seed	39.7
Fig	0.3		Cauliflower	0.2		Peanut	49.2
Gooseberry	0.6		Celery	0.1		Pecan	71.9
Grape	0.2		Cucumber	0.1		Pine nuts	68.4
Grapefruit	0.1		Egg plant	0.2		Pistachio nut	53.5
Guava	1		Kale	0.7		Pumpkin seed	45
Jackfruit	0.6		Leeks	0.3		Sesame seed	49.7
Kiwi fruit	0.5		Lettuce	0.3		Sunflower seed	0.2
Lemon	0.3		Mushroom	0.3		Walnut	64.5
Loquat	0.3		Onion	0.1		Water melon seed	52.6
Mango (ripe)	0.4		Parsnip	0.5		Extra Virgin Olive Oil	100.0
Orange	0.2		Peas	0.4
Papaya (ripe)	0.1		Potato	0.1
Peach	0.1		Pumpkin	0.1
Peaches	0.3		Radish	0.1
Pear	0.4		Rhubarb	0.2
Pineapple	0.2		Sweet corn	1.4
Plum	0.5		Sweet potato	0.3
Pomegranate	0.1		Tomato	0.2
Raspberry	0.6		Turnip	0.2
Star fruit	0.3		Watercress	0.3
Strawberry	0.5		Yam	0.1
Watermelon	0.2		Zucchini	0.3

Pecan Nuts

Macadamia Nuts

Raw plant fats contain no cholesterol, as there is no cholesterol in the plant kingdom. In fact, all animals, including humans, produce their own cholesterol and do not need additional cholesterol from an outside source. It appears the only ones who do not manufacture cholesterol are babies which was documented in David Wolfe's book "The Sunfood Diet Success System," which tells us that "infants are the only humans who need dietary cholesterol, which they get from their mother's milk, as they use it for healthy brain formation."

So what happens to plant fats when heated, hydrogenated, or pasteurized?  They cause many of the same problems associated with cooked animal fats or bad fats. Examples of cooked plant fats are margarine, all hydrogenated oils, and all liquid oils (soy, canola, corn, cotton seed, etc.), as well as all heated or roasted nuts and seeds.  Thus all heated vegetable oils and fats are harmful to the body and potentially carcinogenic!  It is no wonder that vegetarians are also susceptible to heart attack or stroke, or the need for medications to control high blood pressure, or the need for stents or by-passes. These plant fats become eventually bad fats which clog up the arteries and cut off blood flow. 

Therefore when a person eliminates bad fats from their diet, they would drastically reduce their chances of ever having a heart attack or stroke.  Animal protein and fat is the main cause or a contributing cause in many cancers, including breast, prostate, colon and uterine.  Bad fat is also the main cause of adult-onset diabetes.

Cashew nuts

In my recent research, I found an interesting fact that cashews have to be heated in order to remove them from their shells. Thus, there is no such thing as a "raw" cashew, even when labelled as such.   

Following are some examples of products containing cooked animal fats: most chips, dips, and crackers; all pasteurized dairy products; virtually all cheeses; most salad dressings and mayonnaise; all fried and creamed foods; all cooked meat, including bacon, sausage, hot dogs, etc.; most canned soups and baked beans; virtually all cooked deserts, cakes, ice cream, and the list could go on and on.

Dr. William C. Roberts, editor of the “American Journal of Cardiology” writes: “Human beings are not natural carnivores. When we kill animals to eat them, they end up killing us because their flesh, which contains cholesterol and saturated fat, was never intended for human beings, who are natural herbivores.” 

Animal source fats are good fats when consumed by carnivorous animals in their raw state, or in the raw milk consumed by the offspring of carnivorous animals. But when these same flesh and dairy fats are cooked, pasteurized, and consumed by herbivores (we humans) they become bad fats that clog up our arteries and do great harm to the body.  

I like to quote from Celine Bernstein, a Nutritionist who said:

“Cow’s milk is designed by nature for the nutritional needs of a growing calf (to turn a 30kg calf into a 275kg cow in 6 months) and not for the slower growth of a smaller human being. Cow’s milk is high in protein (contains 300% more casein than mother’s milk), high in cholesterol, low in carbohydrates and contains no fibre. The excess of casein in cow's milk is digested and assimilated easily by the calf. No farmer in his right mind would give milk to cows as food. Cow’s milk forms large, tough, dense curds which are difficult to digest….Mother’s milk forms very small, soft curds and these are easily digested by the infant….Animal milk is still not an ideal food for humans, especially after the age of three, because we do not secret the enzyme rennin to digest the casein (protein and calcium complement), nor the enzyme lactase to digest the lactose (sugar) in milk…many people are lactose intolerant. This intolerance results in diarrhoea, gas and stomach cramps. Milk protein acts as an irritant to the immune system in many people. Dairy products clog up your immune system with mucus. This mucus lodges in the sinus cavities and bronchial tubes and leads to many diseases, including the various childhood diseases, colds, flu, indigestion, stomach and bowel disorders, allergies, asthma, skin rashes, eczema, etc…dairy products can cause health problems…relating to the gastrointestinal tract and the skin…”

My HEALTH WEALTH has more to say about cow's milk.

By the way, when these animal fats are cooked and consumed by carnivorous animals, they become bad fats for the animals that consume them as well, even to the extent of causing their death. Any fat in flesh or dairy or even fat coming from plants for that matter becomes a bad fat when exposed to air, light, or heat. 

Now let's look at some healthy oils that are good for our body's consumption:

• Extra virgin olive oil is one of the safest of the oils. When buying olive oil make sure the label reads “extra virgin”, preceding the words “olive oil”.  This means the oil came from the first cold pressing of the flesh of the olive. If the label just reads “olive oil” it means the oil came from the heat processing of the seed.  Then “extra virgin olive oil” should be packaged in dark glass and avoid using it for the frying of foods; I daily use it sparingly only in its cold form in salad dressing, sauce and raw cream for my raw cakes and desserts.  

• Cold pressed Udo’s Oils and flaxseed oils, if processed properly, are other safe oils.  It is important they are in dark glass containers too, be found in the store refrigerator, and kept refrigerated at all times. These oils should never be used in cooking. 

• Organic virgin or extra virgin coconut oil is probably the safest and best oil available for cooking and is the only oil recommended for frying and cooking purposes. It has a sweet coconut scent and flavor and though it is a saturated fat, it is heart healthy and health promoting (antibacterial, antimicrobial), and it doesn’t require refrigeration.  It can be used in either an oil or 'butter' form, and which I use as one of my ingredients for the Raw & Non-Dairy Blueberry 'Cheesecake'.

©Joy Madden, October 2012; Updated August 2018 
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Bibliography

Rev. George Mulkmus, God's Way to Ultimate Heath, Saturated Fats, Hallelujah Acres Publishing, 1995.