Rethinking Nutritional Dogma: A Holistic Approach to Fats and a Functional Nutrition Perspective on Cholesterol

Elizabeth Priest
Apr 12
8 min read

For too long, mainstream nutritional advice, often influenced by large corporations and government agencies, has perpetuated a dogma that needs re-examining. We've been told to fear fat, especially saturated fat, and prioritize carbohydrates. As a functionally trained holistic nutritionist, I believe it's time to challenge this narrative and embrace a more nuanced understanding of nutrition, prioritizing whole foods, healthy fats, and individual needs.

Let's go back 100 years and look at how Americans were eating

In an 1895 cookbook compiled by a group of ladies from a church, the recipes they used featured a variety of ingredients. These included butter, lard, suet, coconut meat, coconut oil, cream, and various cooking fats such as drippings. The cookbook also included recipes with canned oysters, fish, and seasonal vegetables, which were mostly served cooked. Organ meats like liver, sweetbreads, scrapple, heart, and tongue were also part of the recipes, along with eggs and cheese. Salads were prepared when lettuces were in season, and dressings typically included egg yolk for fat, mustard, olive oil, melted butter, cream, and animal fats.

Stats:

1921- FIRST RECORDED Myocardial Infarction (HEART ATTACK) in the US

1930- 3,000 US deaths from Myocardial Infarction

1960- 500,000 US deaths from Myocardial Infarction

650,000- 900,000 deaths from heart attacks today

Why?

One theory that makes sense is the decline in the consumption of animal fats and saturated fats, along with an increase in the consumption of vegetable oils, mainly partially hydrogenated oils.

Another theory is the Diet-Heart Theory, also known as the Lipid Hypothesis.

The Fat Phobia Fallacy

The low-fat craze, largely fueled by misinterpretations of biased research, the "lipid hypothesis," became widely accepted scientific dogma and led to a surge in processed foods laden with sugar and refined carbohydrates. As people were being brainwashed to believe that cholesterol and saturated fats were terrible for their health, there was a dramatic rise in obesity and chronic diseases, and many Americans succumbed to chronic diseases, including heart disease, while consuming diets loaded with refined carbohydrates, hydrogenated oils, and artificial ingredients.

The truth is, not all fats are created equal. The type and quality of fat we consume matter far more than the total amount.

The Power of Healthy Fats

Healthy fats are not the enemy; they are essential for countless bodily functions:

Energy Production: Fats provide a highly efficient and stable source of energy.
Hormone Production: Essential for producing hormones vital for various bodily processes.
Organ Protection: Fat deposits act as cushioning and insulation for vital organs, protecting them from damage.
Cell-to-cell communication
Cell Membrane Integrity: Fats form the building blocks of cell membranes, ensuring their proper function.
Nutrient Absorption: Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) require fat for absorption. Fat helps with this process, making these nutrients more bioavailable.
Brain Health: Crucial for brain function and development, the brain is primarily made of fat tissue
Inflammation Modulation: Certain fats, particularly omega-3 fatty acids, have anti-inflammatory properties.
Satiety: Fats promote feelings of fullness, helping with appetite regulation.

Simply put, humans cannot live without cholesterol.

The Foundation of a Healthy Diet: Fats and Meat

A diet built on a foundation of healthy fats and high-quality meat offers significant health advantages. Let me explain why:

Essential Fatty Acids: Our bodies cannot produce all the fatty acids they need; we must obtain them through our diet. Essential fatty acids like omega-3s, especially EPA and DHA from animals and fish, are crucial for brain function, hormone production, and reducing inflammation. However, the modern Western diet is often imbalanced, containing far too many omega-6s and not enough omega-3s. (more on this later)
Saturated Fats: Saturated fats, found in meat, dairy, coconut oil, and other sources, have been unfairly demonized. Emerging research suggests that saturated fats from whole, unprocessed foods, especially when part of a healthy, balanced diet, may not pose the cardiovascular risks previously attributed to them. Saturated fats, in general, are solid at room temp- butter, fatty cuts of meat fats, coconut oil, tallow, and lard- they are not solid in the human body- 98 degrees (ish)- they are liquid in the body.
Nutrient Density: Meat is a rich source of protein, iron, zinc, vitamin B12, and other essential nutrients and amino acids often lacking in vegetarian or vegan diets. Choosing grass-fed and pasture-raised meats ensures higher nutrient density and lower levels of unhealthy fats.

Therapeutic Diets: Keto and Carnivore

While not suitable for everyone, the ketogenic and carnivore diets highlight the importance of prioritizing fat. By significantly reducing carbohydrates, these diets force the body to burn fat for fuel, often leading to weight loss, improved blood sugar control, and reduced inflammation. However, these diets require careful monitoring and are not suitable for everyone. Individual needs and health conditions must be considered and guided under the supervision of a nutrition practitioner.

A Functional Look at Lipids

First, it is essential to note that approximately 90% of cholesterol is MADE BY THE BODY- leaving only 10% or less coming from the diet.

Research shows that total cholesterol is actually not predictive of cardiovascular risk. In a conventional medical model, LDL levels in particular are often used as predictors of heart disease, but the literature shows that both total cholesterol and LDL are poor predictors of cardiovascular risk. Instead of solely focusing on isolated numbers like LDL cholesterol, a functional approach considers the entire lipid profile and its context:

Total Cholesterol: Total cholesterol is one of the main markers included in the lipid panel. Total cholesterol is the total of all the cholesterol-carrier lipoproteins found in the body, including LDL, HDL, and VLDL. A functional range for Total Cholesterol is much wider than conventional lab ranges. I find the sweet spot is beteen 160- 220mg/ dL. When I see total cholesterol levels elevated, The first question I ask myself is why? Why is the body calling on cholesterol production to be upregulated?

To travel in the bloodstream and be used, cholesterol and triglycerides are wrapped in proteins, creating a sphere-shaped lipoprotein that transports the fats to wherever they are needed in the body.

The two most common lipoproteins are high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL). LDL is commonly called the "bad" cholesterol, while HDL is the "good" cholesterol. Both descriptions are inaccurate in part because neither of these

are actually cholesterol themselves but cholesterol-transporting proteins. Also, both have critical roles- one is not "good" and the other "bad."

LDL-C ("Bad" Cholesterol): LDL-C is a carrier protein that transports cholesterol to every cell in the body. This is a critical job. I like to think of LDL as small Amazon trucks that deliver raw materials to the body for use. Think about this..... ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE ON OR BEING RECOMMENDED STATIN DRUGS (yes, the caps mean I am screaming at you). Suppose you shut down the production of cholesterol in the liver. What happens to the body when it needs cholesterol as raw material for hormone production, fat-soluble vitamin absorption, cell membrane health, and brain health? Elevated LDL-C can contribute to plaque buildup in arteries, but this is only part of the story. A functional approach investigates why LDL-C is elevated. Underlying inflammation, hormonal imbalances, and oxidative stress can all contribute.

HDL-C ("Good" Cholesterol): I think of HDL-C as street sweepers. This test teslls you how well am I clearing cholesterol from your vessels. HDL removes cholesterol and plaque from the arteries, and after cleaning up, it deposits the excess buildup in the liver, reducing the risk of atherosclerosis and stroke. A healthy HDL level indicates efficient cholesterol removal and improved cardiovascular health. Guess what the best way to increase HDL-C is: exercise, especially high intensity cardiovascular activity.

Interesting side note: It has been shown that low-fat diets lowered HDL levels without affecting LDL levels. In other words, low-fat diets actually increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. High-fat diets consistently improve HDL levels. 🤔

Conventional medical doctors typically only look at a basic lipid panel and are hyper-focused on two numbers: Total Cholesterol (better hope it's under 200mg/dL or, guess what, you're getting a statin 😉) and LDL Cholesterol. From a functional approach, I cast a wider net to better understand lipid health. I may also look at the following:

LDL particle size
A or B LDL pattern
Oxidized LDL
Homocysteine
hs-CRP
Glucose, Insulin, and A1c
Sex hormones and thyroid hormones
Omega 3:6 ratio

Omega 3:6 Ratio

The omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids ratio is critically important for overall health. A diet high in omega-6s (common in processed foods and vegetable oils) and low in omega-3s (found in fatty fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts) can promote inflammation. Maintaining a balanced ratio reduces inflammation and improves various health markers.

You might be surprised by the number of omega-6 imbalances I encounter; it's pretty concerning. A few interesting facts regarding omega-3:6 ratios:

When we were hunter-gatherers, before the dawn of agriculture, our diets contained a much better balance between omega 3s and Omega 6s. The ratio was likely around 1:1 to 1:4. In today's modern world, however, with the addition of agriculture and processed foods, the average American's omega-3:6 ratio is around 26:1. That's over 20% more omega 6s than omega 3s, shifting our entire system toward inflammation and away from healing.
High levels of omega-6 fatty acids in the body can cause you to burn more quickly in the sun. Since Vitamin D is synthesized from cholesterol, if you're burning in the sun, you're not converting cholesterol into vitamin D. Plus, burning in the sun leads to oxidation and can have harmful effects.
Omega-6 fatty acids are inflammatory and often oxidize in the body—oxidation is akin to rust. Rusty cells lead to increased aging, which we want to avoid.

So, you are probably thinking, how do I bring my Omega 3:6 ratio into optimal balance?

Reduce intake of foods high in Omega 6 fatty acids. Common culprits are grains and refined seed oils.

Increase intake of foods high in Omega 3 fatty acids such as wild caught seafood, grass fed beef and bison.

Seed oils

At this point, I've made my stance on seed oils pretty clear… But in case I haven't, let me just get right to the point:

They're not good
They're pro-inflammatory
They increase oxidative and cellular stress
They even increase your chances of getting sunburned
You're not eating real food

Refined seed oils are toxic; your body doesn't know how to process them, and they just become sludge in the body. Clearly, I have an opinion on this topic, and I welcome any attempt to get it out of the mouths of as many people as possible!

Conclusion:

This is not a call for everyone to adopt a ketogenic or carnivore diet. It is a call to critically assess the mainstream nutritional dogma, rewrite the fat narrative, and embrace a more holistic and individualized approach. Focusing solely on lowering total fat intake is outdated and ineffective and has many effects on our health!

It's best to take a balanced approach, focusing less on limiting saturated fat and more on eating an overall metabolically healthy diet with a variety of nutrient-dense, unprocessed foods, which includes some saturated fat-containing foods like unprocessed meat, eggs, butter, tallow, and maybe some raw dairy.

My advice? Use your beef tallow to fry up a steak, and top it off with bone marrow or compound butter!

Are you ready to ditch the outdated fat phobias and embrace a healthier, more vibrant you? Book a call with me to discuss your needs and create a bio-individual plan!