This month, on my blog, I’m sharing an article I came across while scrolling through my LinkedIn feed. And guess what? This scientific study conducted by a team of researchers has been banned from publication 🙄. Of course, we wouldn’t want people to become healthy, would we?
This study highlights the importance of the quality of the soil and the food given to the animals we consume. It caught my attention because my patients often tell me during my consultation, “But meat and eggs are healthy foods, right?” … And I always respond with, “Yes, but...”
Zoom in on Your Cell Membrane
Before going any further, let's have a look at the cell membrane. It mainly comprises fats (and proteins to a lesser extent): phospholipids, omega-6, omega-3, omega-9, omega-7, saturated fatty acids, cholesterol… And where does this fat come from? From your plate! It’s not to bother you if we, nutritionists, keep harping on about fats! And we’re not even telling you to eat less of them, just to consume them differently. Yes, as you’ve guessed, the type of fats you ingest will alter the fatty composition of your cell membranes. Now, you might say: “And so what?” Well, here are two crucial impacts on your health:
The first is that the better the fatty acids in your cell membranes, the better the fluidity of these membranes. This means that passive and active transport of molecules across the membrane will be much more efficient, allowing nutrients, ions, and waste to enter or exit the cell more effectively. The result? Your metabolism and detoxification system are much improved.
The second is that depending on the type of fat present in your cell membranes, the synthesis of immune response actors will lean towards producing either pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory cells. In concrete terms, this means that the more bad fats you have in your cell membranes, the more likely you will experience significant (or even excessive) inflammatory and/or allergic reactions.
Here an illustration from my course and published by the bionutrics laboratory where we clearly understand that the actors of the immune response are synthesized from the fatty acids of your cell membranes.
So, I hope I’ve convinced you that (good) fat is essential for life!
Science Prove it!
Now, back to our study. Indeed, when I talk about eating good fats, it’s not just about replacing butter with olive oil, flaxseed oil, rapeseed oil, camelina oil, or walnut oil. The fats we ingest also come from meat, eggs, fatty fish, and dairy products. We eat what the animals have eaten. Unfortunately, nowadays, most farm animals eat just as poorly as we do…
The study compared the fatty acid profile (fats) of the cell membranes of 40 participants. Group 1 had consumed animal products from animals fed with flaxseed, lupin, pea, and fava bean (in other words, seeds rich in good fats), while Group 2 had consumed animal products from animals fed with corn and soy (which is most common, unfortunately, and leads to the production of bad fats). The result was that Group 1 had significantly increased their omega-3 ratio and decreased their omega-6 ratio. But that’s not all! In 35 days, the cell membrane composition of Group 1 had completely changed (for the better, of course).
So yes, chicken, eggs, and yoghurt… are healthy foods at their base… but it depends on what the animal has eaten.
Daily, How to Make the Good choices ?
How do you find your way around the supermarket? Read the labels!! In theory, there are labels like Bleu-Blanc-Cœur and Label Rouge in France; Bleu-Blanc-Belge in Belgium; Demeter; USDA Organic in the USA; Soil Association Organic in England, or Naturland in Germany, which ensure that the animals have been fed with seeds/plants rich in omega-3. They also ensure farming practices that respect the animals and the environment. In practice, it’s always better to check the packaging to see if it specifies “rich in omega 3” or “from the linseed sector.” So yes, it’s true, “it costs too much,” as I often hear. To which I respond, it’s better to eat better but less, and on the other hand, add up your medical/supplement/medication expenses and ask yourself if it’s not worth addressing the problem at its root ;-)
Happy personal reflection to all,
Sophie
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