6 Reasons Why You Should Start Eating THIS Food

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Lard. Think it's gross? It could be a superfood that you should be adding to your diet. Here are 6 Reasons to Add Lard to Your Diet.

After years of being programmed that fats are bad (especially animal fats) it can be hard to come to terms with the fact that lard is a healthy, nourishing source of energy for our bodies.

It’s not just a tolerable fat; it’s a desirable fat.

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Lard’s Bad Rap

Lard got a bad reputation because it is high in saturated fats. Do you know how saturated fats got a bad rep? Primarily because of the now-debunked cholesterol hypothesis. The cholesterol hypothesis claimed that saturated fats and dietary cholesterol gunked up your arterial walls which lead to heart disease.

Research has definitively proven that this is not the case.

In fact, there are a number of large scale studies that show animal fats like lard have a positive impact on health and that individuals who consume them have a lower risk of heart disease compared to those who do not consume them.

One of the longest-running and largest health studies ever done, called the Nurses’ Health Study, followed more than 80,000 nurses for twenty years. What researchers found was that consumption of saturated fats had no impact on the risk of heart disease, but that the increased consumption of refined starches and sugary foods doubled the risk of heart disease!

Lard. Think it's gross? It could be a superfood that you should be adding to your diet. Here are 6 Reasons to Add Lard to Your Diet.

6 Reasons to Add Lard to Your Diet

1. Lard is remarkably similar in its fatty acid composition1 to that of human breast milk. Mamas already have the perfect food with the perfect types of fat to nourish Baby. Turns out that this fat just might be a really amazing way to nourish our bodies too!

2. Soothes the Blues. Lard’s primary fatty acid is called oleic acid. Several studies have found liberal consumption of oleic acid to helps buffer blue feelings.

3. Vitamin D. Much of the American society is deficient in necessary vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential for good health and wellbeing. Those of us who live in the northern states, particularly, have a difficult time getting enough vitamin D as we’re cooped up inside all year long. Just 1 Tablespoon of lard contains approximately 1,000 IU’s of vitamin D!

4. Hormone Help. How many people do you know that deal with hypothyroidism, adrenal issues like fibromyalgia, or infertility? These are all problems somehow related to the production of hormones in your body. Interestingly, both cholesterol and vitamin D play a vital role in the production and regulation of hormones in the body. Lard is a fantastic source of both of these necessary elements.

5. High-heat Cooking. Because it’s naturally hydrogenated it can be heated to very high temperatures without it turning to a trans-fat.

6. It’s Yummy! Perhaps the most overlooked benefit of eating lard is that it just tastes great. I was afraid when I first experimented with lard that it would taste like pork. I couldn’t imagine why the great pastry chefs of the world preferred lard to Crisco® or butter. It just didn’t seem like using pig fat in your pastries was a very good idea.

Imagine how surprised I was to find out that lard has a very mild flavor and is not “piggy” at all!

Conclusion

Based on the information cited above, you might want to consider including lard in your rotation of healthy, natural fats. But please, whatever you do, don’t purchase the lard available in most grocery stores. Purchase your lard from a reputable source that renders lard from healthy animals that are allowed to forage. Or better yet, make the lard yourself. It’s not hard at all and you’ll reap the benefits of this nourishing, healthy cooking oil!

From Adrienne: High quality lard is sometimes a little tough to come by.  One great place to get healthy lard is here.  Wise Choice Market is a fabulous source for all kinds of healthy nourishing foods.

Their lard is from pasture-raised pigs with no additives. You can also buy quality lard at Amazon.

Lard from Pasture-raised pigs. High quality lard from Wise Choice Markets

{Remember, I am not a doctor–nor is Trisha. So please consult with your physician before taking this or any other changes to your diet. Thanks ;-)!}

So–Lard Yay or Nay? 



Trisha Gilkerson
is a homeschooling mom to four crazy boys. She blogs with her awesome hubby Luke at Intoxicated on Life where they talk about faith, homeschooling, and health. They’ve authored the Write Through the Bible curriculum and family Bible Studies and have recently released their first healthy living book – Weeding Out Wheat: A Simple Faith Based Guide. They love connecting with their readers, so be sure to follow them on their blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

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64 Comments

        1. Hi K. I’m not sure what you are referring to. Are you saying I’m out of my mind for wanting to try lard? And you are saying that that is an expletive or did you forget to put one in your comment? If so, please don’t come back and drop it here. Thanks.

  1. Wish I could use it, I actually could (don’t hate me) gain some weight. I am allergic to pork, even organic. I do lots of coconut oil and organic gelatin, though.

      1. hmmm…I’m not sure! There is something special about lard made from pork that no other animal really replicates, though. I guess beef….tallow would be good, too. Something to think about! 🙂

        1. You are completely right. Hmmmm….I had a good chance at a bunch of this then as we bought a pastured pig about a year ago. Oh well…….I guess I would rather have tallow personally.

  2. I have a nearly depleted half gallon that I rendered that I got from a local farm. I LOVE it We use it for eggs, frying, and cornbread.