Jennifer McLagan on Fat

[Magictofu]

I am a big fan of Jennifer McLagan previous book: Bones. I saw this article on the CBC website about Jennifer's thinking about animal fat in our diet:

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/09/15/f-mclagan-fat.html

Interesting quotes include these ones:

"No one has ever been able to prove the supposed link between a diet high in animal fats and CVD. That's why we have the French paradox, and other such people, like the Inuit, who eat a lot of animal fat and who do not suffer high rates of heart disease."

"At the turn of the last century, lard was the No. 1 fat in the kitchen," she states. "Now it's vegetable oils, and most such oils are very high in omega-6."

Along with omega-3, omega-6 is what's known as an essential fatty acid (EFA) that the human body requires but cannot produce on its own. People have to acquire such fats through their diets, and animal fats, especially from ruminants, are an excellent source of omega-3.

As McLagan writes, "An ideal [consumption] ratio would be around two to one - twice as much omega-6 as omega-3 - but by replacing animal fats with vegetable oils ... many of us now consume up to 20 times more omega-6 than omega-3. An excess of omega-6 has been linked to cancer, heart disease, liver damage, learning disorders, weight gain, and malfunction of the immune, digestive, and reproductive systems."

The article provides few details about the book itself but if it is of the same quality as Bones, it might proves difficult to ignore it even if I am not sure I am ready to completely buy her ideas about animal fat yet.

[feedmec00kies]

Thanks for the link, Magictofu!

As for the fats that are being argued, although it seems unintuitive, I am not ready to write off what she has to say. After all, we still don't really understand how nutrition works, and it's very possible that everything she is saying is accurate. That said, I'll be looking for this one, and for her other book.

[chezcherie]

i loved "bones", and will definitely pick up "fat". i wonder what's next..."skin"? mmm...cracklin's.

[Magictofu]

Feedmec00kies:

I agree that our knowledge of nutrition is far from complete and this is why I am not ready to go either way on this debate.

In regards to animal fat, I assume that a distinction should probably be made between grass fed animals and grain fed animals, at least in terms of its composition and notably Omega 3 fatty acid content.

Chez Cherie: A book on skin would be great! Tendons and cartilages will be book 4 and 5?

[feedmec00kies]

In regards to animal fat, I assume that a distinction should probably be made between grass fed animals and grain fed animals, at least in terms of its composition and notably Omega 3 fatty acid content.

←

I was thinking that too, about Omega 3 fatty acid, when I read that, but I wasn't 100% sure. Hopefully she'll mention something about that in the book.

[Lindacakes]

You forgot Organs.