Good Fat Science:
Rethinking What We Know About Fat
“Healthy fats are essential for overall well-being. Omega-3s support heart, brain, and eye health but aren’t abundant in most foods. Prioritizing omega-3-enriched whole foods is key to improving health.”
Annessa Chumbley, RD
Fat Isn’t the Problem- It’s the Type of Fat that Matters
For years, fat was blamed for everything from heart disease to weight gain. But research tells a different story.
Healthy fats, especially omega-3s, are essential for brain function, heart health, hormone regulation, and reducing inflammation. The real issue? Modern diets have too many inflammatory omega-6s and not enough omega-3s.
Fat isn’t bad. Unbalanced fat is.
The Evolution of Fat in our Food
How Fat Got a Bad Wrap & How We Can Fix It
The story of fat in the American diet is one of dramatic shifts—from natural, nutrient-rich fats to industrial substitutes, from full flavor to fat-free everything. What began as innovation turned into overcorrection, with lasting impacts on health.
Now, a return to balance is underway and natural fats are finally getting the credit they deserve.
How Did Fat Get a Bad Reputation?
The Foundation of Change
- Agriculture industrialized, prioritizing centralized, high-yield systems
- Animal diets became increasingly grain-based and uniform
- Seed oil processing (like cottonseed) began, but use was still limited
- Traditional fats like butter, lard, and pasture-raised animal fats began to decline
Introduction of margarine and Crisco products to marketplace
Early feed and processing changes set the stage for widespread fat imbalance in the decades to come
The Food Processor Revolution
- Fat was linked to heart disease, leading to government-endorsed low-fat dietary guidelines
- The 1977 U.S. Dietary Guidelines encouraged Americans to reduce fat intake, despite limited evidence
- Seed oils like soybean, corn, and canola became widely used in both processed foods and animal feed
- Intensive livestock feeding programs took root, prioritizing fast growth and higher yields using omega-6-rich rations
Food processor revolution and packaging stabilizers begin to be common practice.
As nutrient quality declined, both animals and consumers experienced rising inflammation and metabolic stress
Nutritional imbalance became systemic—impacting the entire food chain
The Low-Fat Craze
- Emergence of low-fat diet – fat is bad!
- Fat avoidance became mainstream, driven by policy and industry trends
- Food companies replaced fat with sugar, refined carbs, and omega-6-rich oils
- “Healthy” ultra-processed products filled shelves—with unintended consequences
Omega-6 consumption surged while omega-3s plummeted, disrupting human and animal health alike
Not All Fat Created Equal
Higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and chronic disease. As fat intake dropped, health problems skyrocketed. Modern science now confirms:
- Not all fats are bad—omega-3s are nutritionally beneficial
- Imbalance of inflammatory omega-6s are not the real issue, they are part of the issue
- Trans fats become a central health issue
- Re-engineering of food processor begins, it’s not all about packaging anymore
- The rebirth of functional foods begins
Healthy Fats Poised for a Comeback
- Researchers rethink fat’s role in health.
Harvard’s Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian and others lead studies showing that omega-3s reduce inflammation and protect heart health, while excess omega-6s increase chronic disease risk. - Adjust how we make food formulations for livestock, not just about parametrics. Portions must deal balancing saturated Omega-6 to Omega-3 intake
A better way to eat, still in progress.
Naturally nutrient-rich foods are entering the market, but most Americans still consume too much omega-6. Raised Omega Right is helping lead the shift toward a safer, more balanced food future.
What’s the big deal with omega-6 and omega-3 balance, and why should I care?
Omega-3 fats compete with omega-6 fats for the same conversion enzymes, as well as for positions in cell membranes—which is why we often hear about the importance of a balanced ratio between these two families.
(source: Nutrivore)
Too much dietary omega-6 can interfere with omega-3 metabolism, and is associated with a number of chronic health conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.
The Solution?
Restoring balance. Raised Omega Right® helps rebalance this ratio – starting with livestock nutrition.
