Fat 101

My love for fat is a new affection.  I use to evaluate diets looking for ways to cut fat but this is just one of the ways I was led astray by following what the USDA Guidelines.  Not only is fat not bad for you but it is critical for good health.  Fat is necessary to absorb fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.  Plus, it is essential for cell construction, nerve function, digestion, and for the formation of the hormones that regulate everything from metabolism to circulation.  Not to mention, it is a slow burning fuel that keeps you feeling satisfied longer.

 Not all fat is created equal and it is important to know your fats.  This week we are going to look at who makes up the fat family and which ones you should invite to your next dinner party.

The Saturated Fats.  You probably think of these fats as the bad cousins who cause heart disease and make you fat.  Unfortunately, we have been brainwashed for the last 50 years to believe this despite science proving otherwise.  Saturated fat is found in meat, eggs, coconut and palm oil.  Saturated fat has a wonderful property in that it is very difficult to oxidize, which means two things:  it doesn’t go rancid easily and it doesn’t cause oxidative stress in your body.  

 The saturated fat in meat and eggs is a long-chain saturated fat (LCSFA).  They form the core structural fats in the body, comprising 75-80% of fatty acids in most cells, and they’re the primary storage form of energy for humans. This is a good thing because LCSFA is easily converted to energy and is a clean burning fuel with no toxic bi-products.

 Coconut, palm oil and breast milk contain medium-chain saturated fat (MCT).  These fats have very special properties.  MCTs are a great source of easily digestible energy because they don’t require bile acids for digestion. In addition to being a good energy source, MCTs have therapeutic properties. They’re high in lauric acid, a fat that has anti-bacterial, anti-viral and antioxidant properties.

 Saturated fats bring great energy to any party and should be invited to every meal.  Include animal proteins as well as using saturated cooking fats when cooking.  Saturated fats are not vulnerable to the oxidative damage that occurs with high-heat cooking because all their bonds are saturated with hydrogen.  So, instead of vegetable oil, try coconut oil, butter, pasture raised lard or tallow. 

 The Monounsaturated Fats (MFA).  MFA is the fun aunt that everyone likes.  Fat-phobic groups like the American Heart Association as well as fat-friendly groups like Atkins and low-carbers can agree that MFA is completely healthy.  Contrary to popular belief, MFAs aren’t just plant-based fats.  They are found in olives, avocados, and certain nuts like macadamia but also beef, butter and lard.

MFA has similar function in the body to saturated fat and is only slightly less stable due to its one (mono) bond that is unsecure (missing a hydrogen) making it preferable to keep olive, avocado and macadamia nut oil to cold preparations and lower temperature cooking.  Monounsaturated fats are welcome at any dinner party but beware of MFAs like avocado and nuts who also bring omega-6 polyunsaturated fats with them.

 Saturated and monounsaturated fats should make up the bulk of your fat intake.  These fats will:

• Reduce your risk of heart disease by raising your HDL, lowering your triglycerides and reducing levels of small, dense LDL (a type of LDL associated with a higher risk of heart disease
• Increase muscle mass. Muscle is composed of equal weights of fat and protein.
• Stabilize your energy and mood. Fat provides a steadier supply of energy throughout the day than carbohydrate, which can cause fluctuations in blood sugar.

The Polyunsaturated Fats.  PUFAs get their name because they have many double bonds (poly=many).  These fatty acids are different than most other fats. They are not simply used for energy or stored; they are biologically active and have important roles in processes like blood clotting and inflammation.  Omega 6 and Omega 3 don’t have the same effects, omega 6 are pro-inflammatory, while Omega 3 have an anti-inflammatory effect.  Inflammation is essential for our survival. It helps protect our bodies from infection and injury, but it can also cause severe damage and contribute to disease when the inflammatory response is inappropriate or excessive.  In fact, excess inflammation may be one of the leading drivers of the most serious diseases we are dealing with today, including heart disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, many types of cancer, etc.  Put simply, a diet that is high in Omega-6 but low in Omega-3 increases inflammation, while a diet that includes balanced amounts of each reduces inflammation.  I like to think of these guys as the Grandma’s of the family – Grandma omega 3’s and Grandma omega 6’s.  You need both and you want to give them equal time.  The hard part is that Grandma omega 6’s is a lot easier to spend time with. 

Omega 6 PUFA (linoleic acid) is found in small to moderate amounts in a wide variety of foods including fruits, vegetables, cereal grains and meat. But it is found in very large amounts in industrial seed oils like soybean, canola, cottonseed, corn, safflower and sunflower. These oils are ubiquitous in the modern diet, and found in everything from salad dressing to chips and crackers to restaurant food. It is also relatively high in most nuts and in all poultry, especially in dark meat with skin.

Linoleic acid is an essential fatty acid. This means it is required for proper function, cannot be produced in the body, and must be obtained from the diet. However, the amount of omega-6 that is needed is very small: less than 1% of daily calories.  Most American’s eat too much of this PUFA contributing to the epidemics of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, autoimmune diseases and more. 

Omega 3 PUFA can be divided into 2 smaller categories – short chain (ALA) and long chained (DHA and EPA).  ALA is found in plant foods like walnut and flax, whereas EPA & DHA is found in seafood and to a lesser extent the meat and fat of grass-fed animals.  A common misconception is that we can meet our omega-3 needs by taking flax oil or eating plant foods containing ALA. It’s true that the body can convert some ALA to EPA & DHA. But that conversion is extremely inefficient in most people.  This means that it is probably EPA & DHA that are essential, in the sense that they are crucial for proper function but cannot be produced in adequate amounts in the body, and thus must be obtained from the diet.

Both anthropological and modern research suggests that for optimal health we should consume roughly the same amount of omega 6 and omega 3 fat (1:1 ratio), and that our total intake of PUFA should be no more than 4% of calories. Spend time with both Grandmas, think occasional visits – maybe once or twice a week, and remove processed foods and condiments so that Grandma omega 6 doesn’t get extra time.

 The Trans Fats.  There are two types of trans-fats: natural (think family and good), and artificial (definite outsiders that you don’t want to introduce your kids to). The primary natural trans-fat, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is found in small amounts in the meat, fat and dairy fat of grass-fed animals. CLA is a health powerhouse with many benefits that include reduced risk of heart disease, insulin regulation and cancer prevention.

 It is generally accepted that artificial trans fats are bad and should be avoided at all cost.  You probably even think that they have been removed from most products and fast food.  The sad truth is that they haven’t.  There is a labeling loophole that allows products to say that they don’t contain trans fats as long as it is less than .5 grams/serving.  So companies just changed portion sizes instead of removing it.  A kissing cousin to artificial trans fats has taken its place in other products and is known as interesterified fats. Essentially, interesterified fats provided manufacturers the same crispy, flaky, shelf stable benefits they were accustomed to while offering a convenient way to circumvent the new laws and labels. Like artificial trans fat, it is a product that doesn’t exist in nature.  The best way to avoid artificial trans fats is to avoid processed foods all together.  When looking at a label, words like particially hydrogenated, hydrogenated, high stearate and stearic rich are a dead give-a-way. 

 Fat is an ideal human fuel. But that doesn’t mean you should switch overnight from low-fat vegan to a morning smoothie with 4 tablespoons of coconut oil! Adding a lot of fat to your diet all at once can cause nausea, queasiness, and diarrhea.  Increase your fat intake slowly, giving you body time to start making the proper enzymes and bile to digest your new diet.  If time doesn’t do the trick, consider working with a practitioner to add supplements to aid your digestion.