The Unusual Link Between Lard and Your Metabolism

One of my clients recently shared a transformative journey that they experienced with their diet and health—a story that’s likely relatable to many. They once identified as a committed vegetarian, though not due to ethical reasons.

While they certainly believe that animals deserve humane treatment, even those raised for food, their reason for avoiding meat was health-related. At the time, they firmly believed that animal products were linked to chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease.

Yet, despite their belief in the health benefits of a vegetarian diet, their body told a different story. They frequently felt unwell, often falling sick and experiencing low energy.

Their hair lacked vitality, their skin appeared dull, and their mood was consistently low. Although they weren’t overweight, they struggled with excess body fat. Their diet was primarily low-fat, with grains, pasta, bread, and rice forming the bulk of each meal.

Healthy fats were minimal—sometimes a drizzle of olive oil, but more often, they opted for vegetable oils or low-fat substitutes.

After years of following this plant-based, grain-heavy diet, my client began researching and discovered the difference between healthy and unhealthy fats.

They found that much of the conventional wisdom on nutrition had misrepresented the role of animal foods and fats. Humans, as they learned, evolved eating a very different diet than what modern dietary guidelines often recommend.

This revelation led them to adopt a more primal, ancestral approach to eating. Slowly, they reintroduced animal proteins, starting with fish, then poultry, followed by beef and pork. They also eliminated grains and vegetable oils from their meals. With these changes, their energy surged, their body composition improved, and their skin regained a healthy glow.

In place of soy burgers and canola oil, they began cooking with traditional fats, including grass-fed beef and even lard. And though lard has long had a negative reputation—often associated with clogged arteries and weight gain—it turns out to be one of the healthiest fats for cooking.

So, what makes lard beneficial, and why does it belong in a healthy, balanced diet?

Lard and the Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet has long been praised for its health benefits. And you might also know that this way of eating relies heavily on a type of fat called monounsaturated fat (MUFA). Research shows that monounsaturated fats (MUFAs)can help to:

• Balance blood sugar
• Boost HDL (or good) cholesterol
• Protect LDL cholesterol from oxidation
• Reduce belly fat
• Reduce levels of CRP – a key marker of inflammation

We most commonly associate monounsaturated fat with olive oil and avocados. But this is also the primary fat found in lard. Monounsaturated fat accounts for 48 percent of lard’s composition.

Surprising, right?

What may be even more surprising is that many traditional Mediterranean diets – contrary to popular belief – are also high in saturated fat (which comprises 41 percent of lard).

Can Saturated Fat Reduce Heart Disease?

So what about the idea that saturated fat causes heart disease?

It’s just not true.

In fact, a growing body of research shows that saturated fats have been wrongly accused of causing cardiovascular disease.

A review in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition evaluated data from 21 different studies. These studies involved more than 350,000 people. And the results? The researchers found “no significant evidence” that eating more saturated fat increased the risk of heart disease or stroke.

Another study published in the same journal found that saturated fat actually prevents the progression of coronary artery disease in women with metabolic syndrome. The researchers coined this phenomenon “The American Paradox”.

Multiple studies of Pacific Island populations who get as much as 60 percent of their total calories from saturated fat also show that cardiovascular disease is nearly non-existent.

Dr. Jeff Volek is a university professor and leading researcher. His extensive research shows that a high healthy-fat, low-carbohydrate diet confers significant health benefits.

For decades, millions of people – at the urging of physicians and the fatally-flawed USDA pyramid – have avoided saturated fats for fear of disease. Lard has been especially vilified (even half the fat in lard is monounsaturated).

Instead, we have substituted polyunsaturated fats – like soy, corn, safflower, canola and other “vegetable” oils – much to our own demise.

Death by Vegetable Oil

While “vegetable oils” have been promoted as the healthy alternative, the truth is that these fats that are destructive to your health. A high intake of vegetable and seed oil is associated with inflammatory diseases including:

The reason? Vegetable oils cause free radical damage and inflammation. These are two primary contributors to chronic disease.

Chronic Disease

Because of their weak structure, vegetable oils break down readily (go rancid) simply when exposed to light and oxygen. Adding heat further damages their delicate structure. This generates more free radicals and dangerous compounds called lipid oxidation products (LOPs).

LOPs cause oxidative damage in tissues, cells and genes. They also cause cholesterol to oxidize and become “sticky.” This is a major risk factors for heart disease!

And that’s not all. By attacking cells and tissues, LOPs have also been found to promote cancer, macular degeneration, IBD, asthma, Parkinson’s disease, kidney damage, preeclampsia and more.

But saturated fats are different. They are resistant to rancidity and oxidation. And they remain stable under heat.

Choose Stable Fats 

So, toss your vegetable oils and any packaged foods (including salad dressings, crackers, sauces, mayonnaises) that contain “vegetable oils” such as  canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil and vegetable shortening.

For sautéing, stir-frying, pan searing, baking or other cooking methods, opt for fats with a high ratio of saturated fats – like lard, tallow, ghee and coconut oil.

And when choosing lard – or any animal-derived fat – be sure that it is pasture-raised without hormones or antibiotics