GRASS-FED BUTTER MIGHT ACTUALLY BE GOOD FOR YOUR CHOLESTEROL
Here at Phat Fudge, quality ingredients are a non-negotiable.
The building blocks of the product that you have grown to love started with identifying and combining ingredients that make you feel your best. Ingredient quality can mean the difference between kicking ass all day and taking a nap. We want you crushing it, knowing that we have your back. All ingredients are organic, naturally gluten free and paired to reduce inflammation while increasing your body’s natural energy system efficiency.
As part of the ingredient highlight series, we’ll be shining a light on the intentionally chosen building blocks of Phat Fudge by discussing how they fit into any lifestyle as a catalyst of crush!
Today's star ingredient, Grass-fed Butter!
I don’t think we need to go down the route of talking about the rich history of fat demonization that was fathered by Dr. Ancel Keys and how it started a multi-decade epidemic of sugar dependency. He cherry picked some subjects, it supported his corollary hypothesis between dietary fat and coronary disease and it ultimately caused some major problems in the way that Americans consume food. Lets let it go, dwelling on the past means less time for being a badass. Fuel yourself with Phat Fudge, take on the world.
We are going to review a few key points about the importance of high quality butter in YOUR diet and how to best incorporate it into your lifestyle. You butter believe you are going to learn a thing or two in this three part series!
TRANS FATS: MAN VS. NATURE
Trans fats come in two varietals: naturally occurring and manufactured. There is a big difference in how the human body processes both which has an important downstream affect on your cardiovascular health.
The difference between naturally occurring versus man made trans fats comes down to a process called hydrogenation. In a nutshell, liquid vegetable oils go through a variety of different processes ranging from high heat to chemical solvent exposure. Why take an unhealthy oil and denature the crap out of it? Well because it changes the resting state of the oil from liquid to solid, which makes them useful for mass manufacturing of processed foods. Lowered food production costs, longer shelf life and a more addictive flavor profile make trans fats a gold mine for big food and a hazard for the general population (1).
SO WHY DOES THIS MATTER?
- Trans fats are made from cheap vegetable oils with sub par omega 3 to 6 ratios which drive increased systemic inflammation up
- Hydrogenated trans fats increase arterial blockages, leading to heart disease
You may have heard of cholesterol, and its damaging effects on your heart .. not so fast! Naturally occurring trans fats can be found in dairy and meat, and some limited clinical trials have shown a positive effect on your cholesterol ratios. Manufactured trans fat, usually in the form of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, have a negative impact on your cholesterol ratios. We have two different types of cholesterol, LDL (bad cholesterol) and HDL (good cholesterol) in our bodies. HDL, known as high-density lipoproteins, protect against narrowing blood vessels, whereas LDL, known as low-density lipoprotein, may cause arterial narrowing.
Consumption of trans fats can be directly linked to coronary disease and has even begun to be linked to insulin resistance (2). So next time you reach for something out of a wrapper, have a gander at the back and see if you are eating to promote general badassery or not.
So what did we learn:
- Trans fats come in two varieties, man made and natural
- Hydrogenated vegetable oils can be found EVERYWHERE, and should be avoided at all costs
- Cholesterol comes in two forms, LDL and HDL. Your cholesterol ratio is just as, if not more important than your total cholesterol
