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The Skinny on Fats

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The Role of Fat in the Body Regulates inflammation Stabilizes blood sugar Vitamin absorption Hormone production Surfactant production Strengthens the immune system Heart and Brain development Cell membrane structure

o Omega 3 and saturated fats, phospholipid bilayer, cholesterol and protein Required for proper cell to cell communication

o Unhealthy cell membrane = slow rate of cellular communication

Cognitive, visual and learning developmento The brain is 60% fat

Types of Fat in the Diet Saturated Monounsaturated - MUFA Polyunsaturated - PUFA

Omega 3Omega 6

Transfat /Hydrogenated Oil Cholesterol

The Dish on FatDietary fats come in two basic forms, saturated and unsaturated but not all fat from dietary sources affect human health in the same way. Fats are a sub group of lipids which consist of oils, waxes, phospholipids, sterols and cholesterol. Some fats are damaging and some are beneficial. Consuming high quality fats will result in a more stable blood sugar and reduce cravings for refined carbohydrates.13

Many foods that contain fat rarely consist of just one type. Salmon, for instance has a nice combination of saturated (20%), MUFA (29%) and PUFA (1.5% omega 6, 35% omega 3).

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For the majority of human existence, we have been consuming fat by natural means, straight from its animal or plant source with little to no processing. For example, fats from animals were consumed as part of the meat or collected for a later use in the form of lard or tallow. The human body has evolved to metabolize and thrive from these natural nutrient sources. It has only been recently, in the last 200 years or so that extracting PUFAs from plants and seeds has led to an abundance of inexpensive, highly refined toxic oils. PUFAs have a very delicate, unstable chemical nature that allows for them to become easily oxidized through exposure to heat, light and air. The high temperatures used in the refining process produces aldehydes and formaldehydes as well as a rancid fat that further requires the use of bleaching agents and other chemicals to degum, clean and deodorize. 4 The resulting vegetable or seed oil has the potential to deteriorate cells and tissues, especially the thin fragile lining of the blood vessel known as the endothelial if consumed on a regular basis. Refined oils that are not exposed to high heat will be labeled “Expeller or Cold Pressed”.

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Saturated Fat – makes up 75% and 80% of the fatty acids in most cells.

As more and more nutrition science and research is being conducted on food and nutrients, here is what the latest research is saying about saturated fat. For years we have been told that saturated fat is bad and that it contributes to heart disease and

atherosclerosis. We were also told that saturated fat causes cell membranes to become rigid, impairing the normal exchange of nutrients and waste in and out of the cell. New research is now showing that there is no link between saturated fat consumption and heart disease.6 Surprisingly, dietary saturated fat does not raise serum triglyceride levels, it’s actually

refined carbohydrates, sugar and excess proteins that do.6 Steric and palmitic acid , two saturated fats that are associated with heart disease are produced in the liver when carbohydrates and alcohol are consumed.6 When consumed from healthy sources, such as organic or expeller pressed coconut oil and pasture raised animal products, saturated fats play an important role in lowering Lp(a), (an inflammatory lipoprotein that promotes heart disease), raise HDL levels, decreases triglycerides, supports the immune system, delivers fat soluble vitamins like A, D, E &K to cells and tissues and protects the liver from toxins. 9 It also provides stability and structure to cell membranes and helps to deliver calcium to bone, and to renew brain nerve cells. When saturated fats are burned for fuel (in someone who has well controlled insulin) there is no known toxicity, it’s a clean process where carbon dioxide and water are the only by-products. As a stable molecule, saturated fat does not easily oxidize or produce free radicals like PUFAs fats do (see below for explanation). 9 Free radicals are substances that are missing electrons so they oxidize nearby cells to steal their electrons. This oxidation is what damages the delicate endothelial lining of blood vessels and cellular DNA. 9

Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT)MCT are a form of saturated fat that lower the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL.12

They promote weight loss and can heal a fatty liver caused by excessive carbohydrate intake.6,

13 They are easy to digest as they do not require bile acids for digestion and go directly into the liver for processing instead of going into blood circulation in the form of LDL cholesterol.9,11 MCT are high in lauric acid which has antimicrobial, antibacterial, antiviral and antioxidant properties. They enhance fat burning and when converted

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into ketone bodies and can serve as a fuel source for the brain. Ketogenic diets have been shown to be a beneficial energy source for patients suffering from seizures, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.9 Sources of MCT are found in foods from humans, animals and plants such as, breastmilk, animal dairy (cheese, butter, milk, yogurt) and foods derived from coconut (oil, butter, milk).

Unsaturated Fat – Monounsaturated fats (MUFA) and Polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) MUFA like saturated fats, are invulnerable to oxidation and are key components of cellular membranes. They are nontoxic to the body as long as insulin sensitivity is not an issue. If one is insulin resistant, serum free fatty acids can make this situation worse. Otherwise, in healthy individuals, MUFAs help to reduce LDL, oxidized LDL, triglycerides, inflammation, blood pressure and the formation of blood clots, while increasing HDL. Food sources are: olives, avocado, some fish, macadamia nuts, almonds nuts, duck fat, egg yolks, lard, chicken fat, tallow, butter and avocados.PUFAs play an important role in human health as an essential fatty acid. They are essential because the body cannot make them so they must be provided through the diet. They offer fluidity to cell wall structure, regulate gene expression and aid in

cellular function. On the flip side they are highly susceptible to oxidation and produce free radicals which contribute to systemic inflammation. Inflammation is linked to cancer, heart disease, obesity, autoimmune, metabolic syndrome, atherosclerosis, liver disease and a shorted lifespan. The short chain PUFAs, alpha linoleic acid (ALA) or Omega 3 and linolenic acid (LA) or Omega 6 are the two types of PUFAs that are essential. The optimum ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 is 3:1 however; the reality of many western diets is more likely around1:25.8 This excessive amount of omega 6 intake is mainly in the form of processed seed oils such as corn, soy, safflower, sunflower, cottonseed, soybean, sesame, and canola. These oils are found in processed foods

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and restaurant foods due to their inexpensive nature.8 EPA and DHA are the long chain omega 3 fats that have shown to have the greatest benefit to the health of our brains, immune system, insulin regulation, visual and learning development, hormone and neurotransmitter function.5 Sources of long chain omega 3 can be found in fish, algae, wild or pastured animals. The human body can convert some short chain (ALA) omega 3 found in flax seeds and chia seeds to EPA and DHA but the conversion ratio is low, around 5% for EPA and .5% for DHA.9 The goal is to consume the long chain omega 3, EPA and DHA in greater quantities than the short chain ALA.For omega 6 fatty acids, the goal is to consume a moderate intake (around 2% to 3% of daily calories) of the short chain linoleic acid (LA) due to its inflammatory nature and vulnerability to oxidative damage.7 Unfortunately, for those who consume a western diet, intake is around 9% of calories due to the consumption of processed industrial seed oils. The best sources of LA is from whole foods like nuts, seeds, poultry, and avocados. When omega 6 oils are consumed in excess they competing for the same conversion enzymes as omega 3 and prevent the conversion of the short chain omega 3 (alpha linoleic acid) to the more beneficial longer chain EPA and DHA. If refined oils are to be consumed, those that are cold or expeller pressed are the least damaging to human health.

Transfats that are manmade, have no place in the human diet as they are unrecognizable to the human body however, naturally occurring transfats found in animal products in the form of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is beneficial. CLA has an inverse relationship to heart disease, blocks the growth and spread of tumors, improves insulin sensitivity, and even helps to reduce body fat and promote weight loss.9 Sources of CLA are cow’s milk, beef, lamb, butter, goat’s milk, yogurt and cheese from cows or goats.

Commercially made transfats are a metabolic poison as they instigate cardio vascular disease by interfering and destroying enzymes that make use of good fats. They interfere with cell receptors preventing them from working properly such as the all-important cellular receptor for insulin. They increase oxidative damage to cell membranes and are known to increase the risk of cancer by impairing the immune system and promoting inflammation, not to mention their influence on obesity and diabetes. They also promote heart disease by raising Lp(a) (a lipoprotein that is linked to

heart disease, atherosclerosis and stroke), increase LDL oxidation and lower serum HDL levels. Eating commercially made transfats nullifies any of the good fats you consume because they occupy cell receptor sites that are intended for good fats. As a result, the production of healthy prostaglandins and hormones that regulate pain, fever, inflammation vascular tone, clotting and blood pressure is impaired.11 Sources of transfats can be found in processed foods such as commercial

Lp(a)Lp(a)Lp(a)Lp(a)Lp(a)Lp(a)Lp(a)

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cakes, pies, cookies, crackers, breakfast cereals, energy bars, chips and salad dressing. Read the ingredient list not the nutrition facts label to see if a food has added transfats. Also, if the word partially hydrogenated oil is listed in the ingredient list then avoid that food as well as transfats usually accompany partially hydrogenated oils.

Cholesterol is actually not a fat but is often thought of as one. It is a combination of a sterol and an alcohol that is dissolved in fat (triglyceride) and carried around in the blood by proteins (apoA and apoB). The two terms, low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) and are the two most common terms used in referring to cholesterol. 25% of the cholesterol in our body is from diet and the remaining 75% is produced in the body. For most people, cholesterol from food does not increase ones risk of heart disease, raise serum triglycerides or LDL.3 It is broken down, metabolized and then reassembled into cholesterol as needed. Cholesterol production is tightly regulated in the body, if intake is low then the body will make what it feels it needs to maintain homeostasis and vice versa. The production of hormones requires a healthy supply of cholesterol, without it, deficiencies in vitamin D, cortisol and the sex hormones. Also the brain may suffer from poor cognitive function, memory and depression without enough cholesterol.8

There are some folks known as “hyper responders” who have impaired cholesterol metabolism and will see elevated LDL and HDL with dietary cholesterol consumption. 10 With LDL cholesterol, the size of the molecule (small and dense versus large and buoyant) is a better health marker for determining risk of heart disease. The small dense are more dangerous because they have the ability to embed into the very thin, endothelial lining of our blood vessels. This creates atherosclerotic plaque, a combination of cholesterol, fat, cellular waste, calcium and fibrin. 2 Focusing more on the particle size and the quantity of lipoproteins floating around the blood stream is a better predictor of heart health than just the total LDL cholesterol. To use an analogy, lipoproteins transport triglycerides (TGs) and cholesterol like cars transport people. More cars (lipoproteins) on the road

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have a greater influence on accidents (heart disease), than the number of people (TGs & Cholesterol) in the cars.10

Sources of Quality Fat Full fat dairy. Many low-fat and nonfat dairy products have added oxidized

cholesterol, also known as milk powder. This is added to enhance mouth feel and to make up for the fat that was removed. Oxidized cholesterol prevents macrophages from performing their job as a toxin scavenger. Toxins are stored in fat tissue, so you want to make sure that you do not consume animal products where the animals were fed an unnatural diet of grain feed or laden with pesticides or fertilizers. You also don’t want to consume products from animals given antibiotics or growth hormones. Choose animal products that are from pastured animals, grass fed or organic (at a minimum).

Animal: lard, tallow, poultry fat, egg yolks Expeller pressed or cold pressed oils: Coconut oil, palm oil, olive oil,

avocado oil. Plant: avocado, olives, nuts, seeds. Seafood: tuna, shrimp, salmon, mackerel

Summary

Natural sources of fat are health promoting. The body will thrive when the majority of fat intake is derived from high quality saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated sources from healthy animals and plants. Quality sources of fat do not come in the form of commercially processed refined oils or from animal feed lots. Animal products sourced from CAFOs have a lower amount of CLA, omega 3 and possibly higher amounts of toxins from their feed and administered pharmaceuticals. For optimum wellness, when choosing foods, look for clean sources as toxic overload is a slow degenerative process.

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References

1. Berger, S., Raman, G., Vishwanathan, R., Jacques, P. F., & Johnson, E. J. (2015). Dietary cholesterol and cardiovascular disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 102(2), 276. doi:10.3945/ajcn.114.100305

2. Davidson, M. H., Ballantyne, C. M., Jacobson, T. A., Bittner, V. A., Braun, L. T., Brown, W. V.Dicklin, M. R. (2011). Clinical utility of inflammatory markers and advanced lipoprotein testing: Advice from an expert panel of lipid specialists. Journal of Clinical Lipidology, 5(5), 338-367. doi:10.1016/j.jacl.2011.07.005

3. Djoussé, L., & Gaziano, J. M. (2009). Dietary cholesterol and coronary artery disease: A systematic review. Current Atherosclerosis Reports, 11(6), 418-422. doi:10.1007/s11883-009-0063-1

4. Fallon, S. (2002). The great con-ola. Retrieved from: http://www.westonaprice.org/know-your-fats/the-great-con-ola/

5. Hyman, M. (2009). The ultramind solution: The simple way to defeat depression, overcome anxiety, and sharpen your mind (pp.85-94). New York, NY: Scribner

6. Hyman, M. (2016). Eat fat, get thin: Why the fate we eat is the key to sustained weight loss and vibrant health (68-126). New York, NY: Little Brown and Company

7. Jaminet, P., Jaminet,S. (2012). Perfect health diet (105-158). New York, NY: Scribner.8. Kharrazian, D. (2013). Why isn’t my brain working? A revolutionary understanding of brain

decline and effective strategies to recover your brain’s health. Carlsbad, CA: Elephant Press9. Kresser, C. (2013). The paleo cure. Eat right for your genes, body type, and personal health

needs – prevent and reverse disease, lose weight effortlessly, and look and feel better than ever (pp.94-117). New York, NY: Little Brown and Company

10. Kresser, C (n.d.). The diet - heart myth. Available from http://my.chriskresser.com/ebook/the-diet-heart-myth/

11. Marten, B., Pfeuffer, M., & Schrezenmeir, J. (2006). Medium-chain triglycerides. International Dairy Journal,16(11), 1374-1382. doi:10.1016/j.idairyj.2006.06.015

12. Sinatra, S (2015). Foods high in saturated fats aren’t the enemy. Retrieved from: http://www.drsinatra.com/foods-high-in-saturated-fat-arent-the-enemy/

13. St-Onge, M., & Jones, P. J. H. (2002). Physiological effects of medium-chain triglycerides: Potential agents in the prevention of obesity. The Journal of Nutrition, 132(3), 329.