Fats Can Be Good For You!
Fat Quiz (True or False) 1. Excess fat in the diet is a major cause of heart disease. 2. Saturated fats raise cholesterol levels. 3. The saturated fats in butter and coconut oil contribute to weight gain. 4. Polyunsaturated vegetable oils like canola oil are healthy fats. 5. Margarine is healthier for you than butter. 6. Animal fats are harmful to human health, so you should eat lean meats. 7. If you want to lose weight you should eat less fat and more carbohydrates. 8. When a vegetable oil says cold-pressed, it means that it has been extracted without using any heat.
Weston Price In the 1930s examined the dietary habits of fourteen isolated traditional cultures that enjoyed superb physical and emotional health Found the healthiest peoples ate fatty seafood, dairy products and organ meats liberally They valued animal fats as absolutely necessary to good health Typically 40-50% of their caloric intake came from fats! These diets had 10 times more fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K, in their diets than did their modern counterparts Dr. Price s research shows that much of modern wisdom about fats is completely wrong
Fats are Essential to Health Are good fuel for sustained energy and weight loss Are necessary for cell membranes Are a major component of brain and nervous tissue Are needed for adrenal & reproductive hormones Are burned to keep the body warm Are needed for soft and moist skin
Some Fat Facts Fats are necessary to properly utilize animal proteins, fats keep meat moist and tender, a lack of fats makes meat dry Fats are important for hormone balance, especially in women, low fat diets can cause infertility, PMS and other glandular imbalances Fat keeps skin moist and healthy and is an important beauty secret Eating fats doesn t make you fat, eating excess carbohydrates does Growing children need fats, low fat diets are NOT healthy for young children Adding a fat to a carbohydrate, like a potato or slice of bread, lowers the glycemic load which helps balance blood sugar levels
Classifications of Fatty Acids Saturated Unsaturated (Short Chain) Propanoic (3) Butyric (4) Capronic (5) (Medium Chain) Caprylic (8) Capric (10) Lauric (12) (Long Chain) Myristic (14) Palmitic (16) Stearic (18) Arachidic (20) Behenic (22) Lignoceric (24) Monounsaturated Myrisoleic (14:1) Palmitoleic (16:1) Oleic (18:1) Vaccenic (18:1) Gadoleic (20:1) Gondoic (20:1) Cetoleic (22:1) Erucic (22:1) Nervonic (24:1) (Omega-6 or n6) Linoleic LA Omega 3 EFA (18:2) Gamma-linolenic GLA (18:3) Arachidonic (20:4) Conjugated linoleic acid CLA (18:2) Polyunsaturated (Omega-3or n3) Alpha-linolenic (18:3) Eicosapentaenoic EPA (20:5) Docosahexaenoic acid DHA (22:6)
Organic Building Blocks Hydrogen (H) - 1 bond Oxygen (O) - 2 bonds Nitrogen (N) - 3 bonds Carbon (C) - 4 bonds Illustration from Wikipedia
Carbon Bonding Carbon atoms can hold four electrical charges sort of like they have 4 hands Hydrogen has only one hand H H C H H Illustration from Wikipedia
Carbon Bonding with Carbon H H H C C H H H Carbon can also hold hands with itself
Double Bonds H H C O Oxygen has two hands, so it can hold two of a carbon atom s hands This is called a double bond
Fatty Acid Structure Illustration from Wikipedia
Fatty Acid Length Short chain (4-6 carbon atoms Medium (8-12 carbon atoms) Long chain (14-18 carbon atoms) Very long chain (20 carbon atoms and up) Illustration from Wikipedia
Saturation
Saturated versus Unsaturated Fatty Acids Illustrations from Wikipedia
Understanding Saturation Saturated Tend to be more solid Are more shelf stable Are better for frying as they tolerate higher heat Shorter chain fatty acids are burned as fuel and are used to fight infection Longer chain saturated fatty acids are more difficult to metabolize Unsaturated Tend to be more liquid Turn rancid easily and degrade more easily making them difficult to store Form trans fats when subjected to high heat Are primarily used in cell membranes and to produce chemical messengers (eicosanoids)
Fatty acid structures Illustration from Wikipedia
Mono- versus Poly- Unsaturated Fats
The Omega Factor
Essential Fatty Acids Omega 3 Omega 6
Trans fatty acids In normal (cis) bonds, the hydrogen atoms are missing on the same side, this causes the fatty acid to bend at the double bond In a trans bond, the hydrogen atoms are missing from opposite sides, keeping the fatty acid straight at the double bond
CIS Fatty Acids cis fatty acid oleic acid trans fatty acid Illustration from Wikipedia
Trans Fats Acts as a misfit blocking fatty acid pathways for cis fats without performing their functions Have a higher melting point, one that is above body temperature, making them difficult to metabolize Are more sticky than cis fats they behave more like saturated fats, even when they aren t saturated Change the permeability of cell membranes causing holes in protective barriers European research shows they short-circuit energy flow, inhibiting electrical flow They interfere with metabolism of EFAs, thus impairing the body s ability to synthesize longer chain fatty acids like GLA, EPA and DHA
Dietary Fats and Nutrition
Dietary Fats are Triglycerides G L Y C E R O L Fatty Acid Fatty Acid Fatty Acid
Unhealthy Fats Modern processed fats are NOT healthy These include: Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats Shortening Margarine Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils Refined vegetable oils
Oils and Temperature 300 degrees F causes fatty acids to start becoming mutagenic (cancer causing) 320 degrees F (trans fatty acids start to form) 392 degrees F (substantial quantities of trans fatty acids are formed) Avoid heating oils to their smoke point, as this produces trans fats and free radicals The more you cook with an oil the more trans fatty acids it forms and the more cancer causing chemicals you create Since the smoke point of oils varies, some oils are better for cooking than others.
Making Refined White Oil Extraction (usually using heat as modern expellers generate heat in the extraction process-the bigger the expeller the higher the temperature) Hydrogenation (adding hydrogen to unsaturated bonds; also adds impurities like nickel) Degumming (removes phospholipids like lecithin and minerals like iron, copper, calcium and magnesium) Sodium hydroxide (found in Drano) is added to remove free fatty acids Bleaching and Deodorizing to remove beta-carotene and essential oils that give oils their smell
Good Fats
Linoleic EFA (Omega-6) Precursor to GLA and AA Used to produce chemical messengers (eicosanoids or prostaglandins) Helps energy production, acts as an oxygen magnet Component of cell membranes Needs vitamins A (carotene), C, B3 and B6 and the minerals magnesium and zinc to function properly Illustration from Wikipedia
GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) Formed from linolenic EFA by adding another double bond (desaturation) Synthesis may be inhibited by Nutritional deficiencies Alcohol and tobacco use Saturated or trans fatty acids Stress, illness, age 18:3, cis-3, cis-6, cis-9 Illustration from Wikipedia
GLA Supplementation May Be Helpful Regulation of the immune system Health of the joints Regulation of normal blood sugar Healthy brain function Healthy nerve function Monthly female troubles Healthy skin Healthy circulation For:
GLA Supplements Evening Primrose Oil (72-73% Omega-6, 8-10% GLA, trace Omega-3) Borage Oil (35-37% Omega-6, 20-24% GLA, trace Omega-3) Black Currant Oil (47% Omega-6, 15-18% GLA, and 13% Omega-3) Super GLA contains all three of the above oils Borage photo by Stephen Foster
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) A special form of linoleic acid with one cis bond and one trans bond (18:2,cis-9,tran-11) More likely to be converted into type 1 prostaglandins and other anti-inflammatory messengers Grass fed animals produce up to 500% more CLA than feed lot raised animals May be helpful for: Supporting thyroid health and metabolism Enhancing muscle development and decreasing abdominal fat Balancing adrenal hormones Enhancing and balancing the immune system Maintaining normal levels of triglycerides and cholesterol
Alpha-Linolenic Acid EFA (Omega-3) Precursor to EPA and DHA Used to produce chemical messengers (eicosanoids or prostaglandins) Important for brain and immune function Helps protect cardiovascular system Aids energy production Component of cell membranes Also needs vitamins and minerals to function properly
Alpha-Linolenic Acid May be helpful for Maintaining health of the brain and nervous system Maintaining cardiovascular health Increasing prostaglandins that control inflammatory responses Monthly female issues and post menopausal issues Eye health Regulation of the immune system
Omega-3 Supplements Super Omega-3 EPA Fish oil source of omega-3s, including EPA and DHA Krill Oil with K-2 Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) Omega-9 fatty acids K-2 Phosphatidylcholine, vitamin A, vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), astaxanthin Flax seed oil Contains a proper balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 EFAs
DHA-Docosahexaenoic acid Derivative of Alpha-Linolenic acid, lengthens chain from 18 to 22 and adds three more double bonds (22:6,n-3, cis) Trans fats and nutritional deficiencies can inhibit conversion Cannot be derived from plant based foods, so if the body is having trouble making it, it needs to be supplemented Found naturally in fatty fish and fish oil and breast milk Most abundant essential fatty acid in the brain Important for nerve and eye health Supplements: DHA Sunshine Heroes Omega 3 with DHA
Beneficial Saturated Fats Lauric acid (12:0) Has antimicrobial properties, helps the body fight viral, bacterial and protozoa infections Coconut and palm (44-53%), milk fat and butter (3%) Caprylic Acid (8:0) Helps the immune system Coconut oil (8%), Palm kernel (4%), butter (1-2%) Found in Caprylic Acid Combination Short and medium-chained fatty acids are good fuel for keeping the body warm in winter They reduce appetite and can be helpful for weight loss when used as part of a healthy diet Good sources are: butter, cream, whole milk dairy products, coconut oil, palm oil (organic dairy from grass-fed or pastured animals is best)
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