Still eating lard? Get to know the truth about lard

What comes to mind when lard is mentioned? Probably quite a few people think of "high calories," "high saturated fat," and "causing cardiovascular disease." But if you have seen the "most nutritious foods" lists from media such as the BBC and National Geographic, you will find a completely different "lard." The Science and Technology Channel of Economic Daily-China Economic Net noted that in a study analyzing the nutritional composition of 1000 foods, lard ranked as the eighth "most nutritious" food. So, is lard really the "most nutritious" food? Is the media reporting inaccurately, or is the analysis method of the research paper itself flawed?

Saturated fat is not "poison"

Lard also contains a large amount of saturated fat. Saturated fat refers to fatty acids that do not contain double bonds. Generally speaking, animal fats such as beef tallow, butter and lard contain more saturated fat than plant fats. But this is not absolute; coconut oil, cocoa butter and palm oil are also rich in saturated fat. Among animal foods, livestock meat is richest in fat, and it is mostly saturated fat.

Since the 1970s, the idea that eating saturated fat directly increases the risk of heart disease has been a core concept in nutrition science. Meat and dairy products contain large amounts of "unhealthy" saturated fat. Nutrition theory encourages us to eat more "healthy" fats contained in vegetable oils as well as foods such as fish, nuts and seeds.

According to World Health Organization statistics, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the world, with 17 million people dying from such conditions each year, accounting for as much as one third of all deaths. The WHO predicts that by 2030, the number of deaths from cardiovascular disease will reach 23 million per year.

When you eat fat, it reaches the small intestine, where it is broken down into the components of fat - fatty acids and glycerol. It is then absorbed by the epithelial cells of the small intestine, and then wrapped together with cholesterol and protein before entering the blood. These small spherical groups are called lipoproteins. Lipoproteins enable water-insoluble fat and cholesterol (the two together are called lipids) to reach the places where they are needed.

The more fat you eat, the higher the lipoprotein content in your blood. Traditional belief holds that this is the root cause of harm to health.

But new research shows that there is no association between saturated fat intake and the risk of heart disease. And when people eat large amounts of starch, or sugary foods, the risk of heart disease doubles. In fact, saturated fat lowers your risk of stroke, and not only does it not make you gain weight, it can even help you lose weight. What truly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease is sugar, staple foods, starchy high carbohydrates and the like, not saturated fat.

The body automatically balances the amount of cholesterol. When cholesterol intake is high, the cholesterol synthesized in the body automatically decreases, and vice versa. Therefore, the effect of dietary cholesterol on the body's cholesterol is negligible.

The benefits of lard

Protects heart health and helps fight cancer. Saturated fat is inversely related to heart disease and stroke, meaning that a higher intake of saturated fat can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. The monounsaturated fat in lard, a substance found in olive oil, has been shown to protect the heart and even has anti-breast-cancer properties.

Promotes calcium absorption in the human body. Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption. Vitamin D can also help improve cardiovascular function, maintain the health of the lungs and respiratory tract, enhance muscle function, and help the body resist infection. Among all food sources of vitamin D, lard ranks second, after only cod liver oil. One tablespoon of lard contains 1000 international units of vitamin D. And lard is far more common than cod liver oil.

Reduces the risk of depression. The oleic acid content in lard is especially high, and increasing the intake of linoleic acid and oleic acid in the diet can reduce the risk of severe depressive mood.

Moisturizes and protects the skin. Animal fat, especially lard, is a very stable fat and plays a major role in improving dry skin, moisturizing and nourishing the skin. It does not contain any chemicals and is very beneficial to the skin.

Good thermal stability, suitable for stir-frying. The main component of most vegetable oils is polyunsaturated fat, which has very poor stability and is prone to oxidation. When heated at high temperatures for a long time, it will release some toxic substances. Lard, however, has good thermal stability, so it is suitable for stir-frying.