Saturated Fats, Cholesterol Lard and Vitamin D

[Vulcan59]

Re: Cholesterol-myth

Dr. Uffe Ravnskov is also the spoke person for "The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics" or THINCS. Many well written articles on cholesterol by various doctors at the site. He also has his own website.

Found him and THINCS almost 10 years ago when I was looking into cholesterol and I thought I had mentioned this here somewhere but apparently not.

 

[anothermagyar]

Re: Cholesterol-myth

Thank you very much Bear for the information!
I will get the material.
Thank you Vulcan also for the reply, very appreciated, you both! :)
I still have a lot to read!

 

[Leo40]

Re: Lard and Vitamin D

I recently read that D3 taken as supplement is best assimilated in an oil base.

Here is some additional info from Dr. Blaylock's newsletter:

Vitamin D is a very complex substance. For over half a century vitamin D was thought only to
mineralize bones. But studies indicate that it does much more:
• Regulates calcium in all cells (especially braincells)
• Protects the immune system
• Regulates cell growth and cell death
• Provides antioxidant and antiviral benefits

Vitamin D from foods is metabolized in the liver and the kidneys to form the active vitamin D-3.
Many forms of commercial vitamin D supplements are not the active form. So, when
you buy vitamin D supplements make sure it is vitamin D-3.

What Are Recommended Doses?
Recent reviews by health “experts” have revised the recommended doses for vitamin D from 400
IU to 2,000 IU a day, a dramatic five-fold increase.
This means that the “experts” have been keeping people in danger of contracting a number of
serious diseases, many deadly, for over a century— more bad advice from a government that is
quickly moving to control all of your health decisions (universal healthcare).

A dose of 800 IU a day (twice RDA levels) has no effect on bone fracture reduction, but 2,000 IU
a day produces a profound reduction. At 4,000 IU a day there is no reported hypercalciuria (a
condition that causes kidney stones), a previous fear of the “experts.”
Daily doses of 10,000 IU or less have been shown to produce no complications.
For daily maintenance in otherwise healthy people, 2,000 IU a day appears to be adequate.
For those with autoimmune diseases, cancer or viral illnesses (flu), higher doses may be needed —
doses as high as 5,000 IU a day.

 

[Mayb]

Re: Lard and Vitamin D

In my family house we used lard for frying and cooking. Oil was only used for salats. The lard (processed )was also served on bread with some chopped onion and red peper as snack.
Also during the respiratory problems , the lard was lubricate on chest , covered with flax linen and hold it during the night .I remember that I had pneumonia and my ant applied raw pig fat linings for one or two night.

 

[Voyageur]

Re: Lard and Vitamin D

RyanX

I've become acquainted with a new food called Lard

Thanks, interesting; might just become reacquainted myself. :)

 

[Vulcan59]

Re: Lard and Vitamin D

I've been using lard to cook for quite sometime. Here's how I make my own lard cooking oil. I buy about 3kgs to 4kgs of lard from the Chinese butcher and cut them into cubes. Note that not all butchers are allowed to sell it and even the Chinese butcher that I buy it from has to do it under the table so to speak. Seems like he only sells it to people he knows. I didn't know that it was illegal to sell lard here!! Why is that not surprising?

So after cutting the lard into cubes, I place it in a big pot and heat it. Prior to heating, I place about 3 slices of ginger in it to get rid of the smell. Once you see oil in the pot, I take the opportunity to make some nice deep fried whole potatoes. Better than fires any time and also helps to rid the smell.

Once the lard is dark golden brownish in colour, I pour the oil out into containers and put it in the fridge. I noticed that when I had placed it outside at room temperature, it got mouldy after some time. Now don't throw away the remaining lard. Even if you don't do anything to it, you could add it to stir fried dishes. It gives a nice crunch to the dish.

What I do now is to get some thumb size turmeric, 5 bulbs of shallots, about 3 cloves of garlic, 5 dried chillies (add more chillies, if you like it really hot) and about an inch of ginger and grind them all up together. Pour about a table spoon of the lard oil and then fry this mixture until the oil separates. Throw in the lard pieces and stir fry it for awhile until the lard pieces are coated with the mixture. Once cool, place the contents keep it in a container. Now you have a spicy side dish with your stir fried vegetables or rice. :)

 

[Nawd]

Re: Lard and Vitamin D

This reminds me of my aunt! She put lard on pretty much any cut or wound when she would visit. I can't remember if it helped any, just that often times I smelled like bacon as a child.

In my family house we used lard for frying and cooking. Oil was only used for salats. The lard (processed )was also served on bread with some chopped onion and red peper as snack.
Also during the respiratory problems , the lard was lubricate on chest , covered with flax linen and hold it during the night .I remember that I had pneumonia and my ant applied raw pig fat linings for one or two night.

 

[Mikey]

Re: Lard and Vitamin D

Thanks Ryan, this was really interesting!

Lard had a permanent place in the families of my grandparents here in Austria. In my youth I ate lard breads with salt, lard cakes, etc., and liked it very much. By my parents it was 'judged' as bad because of cholesterol etc., so I too don't use it any more. Good to know that there is no basis for it and I'm looking forward to returning to lard!

 

[anothermagyar]

Re: Lard and Vitamin D

[quote author=Data]Lard had a permanent place in the families of my grandparents here in Austria. In my youth I ate lard breads with salt, lard cakes, etc., and liked it very much. By my parents it was 'judged' as bad because of cholesterol etc.[/quote]
This is reminding me to another thread about the cholesterol myth or cholesterol hoax.

http://www.cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php?topic=13340.0

Those "scientists" who did research on cholesterol, paid by Big Pharma, experimented on rabbits and of course as rodents
they -of course!- they died from fat!
And millions of people -if not billions- deprived themselves from the food what necessary meanwhile eating a lot of dairy and wheat!
Makes me sick!

 

[RyanX]

Re: Lard and Vitamin D

You're welcome everyone! I'm glad people are finding this information useful. :)

I must say, it has been kind of a challenge explaining myself to people on why I've chosen to use lard as a cooking fat/oil. It's been most difficult explaining this to my parents and people of their generation since they grew up hearing about the so called "dangers" of cholesterol. I have found that serious cooks do regard lard as quite positive in terms of frying and baking, although few of them have known anything about the potential health benefits from it.

I've been using lard to cook for quite sometime. Here's how I make my own lard cooking oil. I buy about 3kgs to 4kgs of lard from the Chinese butcher and cut them into cubes. Note that not all butchers are allowed to sell it and even the Chinese butcher that I buy it from has to do it under the table so to speak. Seems like he only sells it to people he knows. I didn't know that it was illegal to sell lard here!! Why is that not surprising?

It is very much a word-of-mouth process here in the states finding unpolluted lard. In some ways I'm kind of glad not a lot of people know about using lard. Right now I can get it for fairly cheap from a local organic farmer. He gets it in large bags from his butcher and usually he's trying to get rid of it due to lack of freezer space. I wouldn't be surprised if there are also laws in the states prohibiting the sale of lard that is untreated. Something similar to the milk pasteurization laws. I will have to do some more research on this.

So after cutting the lard into cubes, I place it in a big pot and heat it. Prior to heating, I place about 3 slices of ginger in it to get rid of the smell. Once you see oil in the pot, I take the opportunity to make some nice deep fried whole potatoes. Better than fires any time and also helps to rid the smell.

Vulcan, this is really interesting. Thanks for sharing this. I never thought about adding ginger or other herbs to get rid of the smell.

Those potatoes sound good too! I might have to try this, or maybe try making lard hash browns. Mmmmm :D

 

[anothermagyar]

Re: Lard and Vitamin D

Thank you RyanX for the info!

I used to go a Hungarian butcher for sausages and salami and Hungarian bacon. Yumm!
I fry the bacon and sometimes excess fat from pork on slow flame sometimes add onions and garlic.
I used to eat it with bread... not anymore.

 

[MichaelM]

Re: Lard and Vitamin D

I was in San Francisco last week and I made a trip to the Ferry Building Marketplace (website here: _http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/) because I wanted to visit Boccalone, a salumi shop.
I read this thread before making the trip and found out about lardo: _http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lardo

Lardo is a type of salume made by curing strips of pig fat with rosemary and other spices.

I bought myself a block of lardo but haven't tried it yet. Maybe this weekend.
From what I've read, you could eat is as is (since it's cured) or thinly slice it and wrap it around fruit (I've read peaches and melons) or cook with it in soups or top on pizza or toast (if you still eat bread).

Of the shops I visited, two carried lard in what looked like pint-sized containers. Though I wasn't able to check the price, I would assume it would be pricey, given that the place seems to cater to upper-middle class clientele.
Boccalone Salumeria: _http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/boccalone_shop_page.php
Prather Ranch Meat Co: _http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/prather_ranch_meat_co.php

 

[dugdeep]

Re: Lard and Vitamin D

In my search to peal away dietary disinformation, I came across lard as a source of cooking fat/oil in Sally Fallon's book, Nourishing Traditions (_http://www.amazon.com/Nourishing-Traditions-Challenges-Politically-Dictocrats/dp/0967089735). This book is listed as a "cookbook" on the cover, but it goes far beyond just recipes and dives into serious research on the subject of health. One of the big points she makes is that the way we procure our food from the source of raw ingredients to the method of preparation can make a HUGE difference in the nutritional quality of the food. Things like soaking grains, flours, fermenting vegetables and dairy, heat of cooking, etc. She explains why certain steps are necessary in the food preparation process and backs it up with a lot of research. The book is highly recommended for those who want to cut through the dietary disinformation promoted by the "diet dictocrats" as she calls them or as the "pathocracy" as they're generally known here.

I don't want to hijack the thread here, but I just wanted put in another recommendation for Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions that RyanX mentioned at the beginning of this thread. Really a fantastic book, if for no other reason than the discussion of fats at the beginning. Lots of invaluable information on traditional eating based on the work of Weston A. Price (_http://westonaprice.org/splash_2.htm) at the turn of the century - traditional eating that, incidentally, pre-dates the chronic disease that has accompanied our switch to "modern diets" yet contains all the things we're currently taught are "bad" for us, including lard. My copy of this book is well-worn as a result of my referencing it so often.

 

[OzRich]

Re: Lard and Vitamin D

I don't want to hijack the thread here, but I just wanted put in another recommendation for Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions that RyanX mentioned at the beginning of this thread. Really a fantastic book, if for no other reason than the discussion of fats at the beginning. Lots of invaluable information on traditional eating based on the work of Weston A. Price (_http://westonaprice.org/splash_2.htm) at the turn of the century - traditional eating that, incidentally, pre-dates the chronic disease that has accompanied our switch to "modern diets" yet contains all the things we're currently taught are "bad" for us, including lard. My copy of this book is well-worn as a result of my referencing it so often.

I second that. I bought the book after RyanX first mentioned it and regard it as one of the best on the subject of nutrition.

 

[Z...]

Is Cholesterol really bad?

This is the question Uffe Ravnskov M.D. PhD. has been asking for some time.
Anti cholesterol campaign is fairly recent as it started as late as 80-ies.

Very interesting interview with Ravnskov:
http://peter-one-instant.blogspot.com/2009/11/is-high-cholesterol-cause-of-heart.html


summary:

I am confident that we will see a change in the next few years. There is a growing skepticism among medical scientists. What is happening in Sweden these days may hopefully inspire researchers in other countries to air their skepticism openly. Recently experts selected by WHO and FAO published a new report. Here the authors concluded that there was no satisfactory or reliable evidence to support the idea that saturated fat causes heart disease, or diabetes or obesity. A revolutionary change of direction, you may say. However, they did not change their recommendations.

Together with Kilmer McCully, the discoverer of the association between homocysteine and atherosclerosis, I have presented another hypothesis. We think it is much more likely because we are able to explain the many observations that do not fit with the present one. If anyone wants to read the full paper I shall send it on request.