The Best Fats to Fight Inflammation (and Which Ones to Avoid)

photo: Thought Catalog

With inflammation being at the root of chronic disease, it’s very important that we keep it in check. But is all inflammation bad? 

Not exactly. Acute (short-term) inflammation is your body’s natural response to a stressor, such as a cut on your arm or being exposed to a virus. It’s how your body protects itself from danger, but we run into problems when inflammation becomes chronic. Our inflammation levels depend on our diet, digestion, lifestyle, toxin load, exercise regimen, mindset, environment and to a lesser degree, genetics. Reducing inflammation with an anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle is an ongoing process, but if we aren’t actively working to keep inflammation down, we’re unknowingly fanning the flames of disease.  

Before we take a look at how fats affect this, it’s important to note that we MUST consume plenty of antioxidants from vegetables and fruits to prevent fats from turning rancid internally and becoming harmful. 

The Best and the Worst 

Trans-Fat 

Trans-fats were created by food manufacturers to extend shelf-life, provide flavour and make food cheap and widely available. Seem too good to be true? It is. These hydrogenated fats are highly inflammatory and extremely damaging to our cellular health. They increase “bad” LDL cholesterol and risk of heart disease, damage the brain and nervous system, contribute to aging and affect energy production within our mitochondria. 

Avoid: 

• Anything deep-fried 

• “Hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” ingredients 

• Margarine and processed spreads and dips 

• Processed meats, crackers and other refined snack foods containing vegetable oils – canola, cottonseed, safflower, sunflower and soybean oil. 

• Rancid oils, even rancid olive oil 

Saturated Fat 

Saturated fats are crucial for many functions in our bodies, including building cell membranes, hormones and hormone-like substances. Aiding the absorption of minerals and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, converting beta-carotene into absorbable vitamin A, providing fuel for energy production and some even have anti-viral properties, such as from coconut oil. Furthermore, studies have shown saturated fats decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease and lower “bad” LDL cholesterol levels, while increasing “good” HDL cholesterol. 

Best Sources of Saturated Fat: 

• Coconut meat, oil and milk; MCT oil 

• Animal fats from organic, grass-fed and grass-finished beef and lamb, wild game and organic chicken.  

• Cocao butter 

• Ghee made from grass-fed butter, if tolerated 

Bacon: Pork is not a clean source of protein and fat, so I don’t recommend consuming it. 

Cholesterol 

Cholesterol is not the enemy. In fact, it’s so important to consume that our liver actually produces more of it if we don’t get enough in our diet. Cholesterol makes up sex hormones and bile acids, which are necessary for fat digestion. Consuming foods containing healthy saturated and unsaturated fats will help raise “good” HDL cholesterol and lower “bad” LDL. 

Best Sources of Cholesterol: 

• Organic, free-range eggs (the yolks are most nutritious!) 

• Organic, grass-fed meats and ghee (if tolerated) 

Omega-3s 

The average diet is very low in anti-inflammatory omega-3s and very high in inflammatory omega-6s. In conventional beef, the ratio between omega-6 and omega-3 is extraordinarily high, landing upwards of 20:1, whereas grass-fed beef is around 3:1. Focus on increasing omega-3 fatty acids in your diet, and decreasing omega-6 and 9, which is found in high amounts in processed oils. 

Best Omega-3 Sources: 

• Fish: wild Alaskan salmon (not farmed), sardines and anchovies (low mercury) 

• Fish oil (made from anchovies and sardines) 

• Avocados 

• Avocado oil 

• Extra-virgin olive oil 

• Olives 

• Raw nuts and seeds: chia, flax, hemp, pecans, walnuts, etc. 

• Grass-fed and finished beef 

This week, make an easy swap of your current cooking oil for avocado or coconut oil! 

Asher Kleiber 

Registered Holistic Nutritionist™ 

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Sources: 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5642188/ 

Fat For Fuel by Dr. Mercola 

Staying Healthy with Nutrition by Elson M. Haas, MD 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27215959