May 27, 2017
Fats, also known as lipids, are an area of huge debate and misinformation in the nutrition world. Diets ranging from low-fat to ketogenic (very high fat) are currently battling it out as conflicting evidence and opinions circulate online. With all of this confusion around fats, let’s clear some things up.
Fats are a VITAL part of our diet as they are absolutely essential to our well-being! Not only does every cell in our body need fats, our body needs fats in all chain lengths and categories in order to remain healthy. In a world full of processed, industrially produced, chemical packed, nutritionally deficient, packaged foods; what it seems to really come down to with our fat consumption is not actually quantity, as many believe, but the QUALITY of the fats. Now of course, excess of anything is unhealthy; but more and more studies are being done which are debunking the old beliefs which claim fats lead to heart disease and other chronic diseases. Some schools of thought believe that the connection between fat and excessive weight gain are false, check out the work of the Weston Price Foundation if you are interested in some radical ideas about fat!
So, we hear it said that we need fats, but let’s talk about the WHY, so we can better understand this misunderstood macro-nutrient! Firstly, fats are energy dense. They provide 9 calories of energy per gram, which is twice the amount of energy in an equal amount of protein or carbohydrates. Fats support proper immune system function, protect and insulate the vital organs and contribute to healthy hair and skin. Fats are essential in absorbing the fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E,K) and some minerals, as well as the transportation of these and other essential substances. A proper intake of healthy fats is essential for our emotional and mental health as fats are vital to hormonal function, brain health, and nerve communication.
A general recommendation for total fat intake is about 20% to 35% of the diet. It’s important to keep in mind that, as with all nutrition recommendations, this amount depends entirely on personal needs such as pre-existing conditions, reaching/maintaining optimal body weight, climate, body temperature, body constitution, as well as personal tastes and desires.
Fat’s are understood in two different ways; chain length and saturation. Let’s start with chain length.
Short-Chain Fatty Acids
The key short-chain fatty acids include acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, and valeric acid. Small amounts of short-chain fatty acids are found in milk fats, such as butyric acid in butter, as well as in kombucha tea, though they are primarily manufactured by the body during digestion and bacterial fermentation of dietary fibre foods by friendly gut flora in the colon. These fats play an important role in colon health.
Medium-Chain Fatty Acids
The key medium-chain fatty acids include caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, and lauric acid. These are most commonly found in breast milk, and tropical oils such as coconut and palm. MCT oil, a medium-chain fatty acid supplement, is becoming increasingly popular in the natural health world, as it has many claimed and proven benefits. Medium-chain fatty acids are a good choice for the elderly or other people with a difficulty absorbing fats as they are more easily absorbed. Another benefit of medium-chain fatty acids is that they are more likely to be burned as fuel instead of stored as fat in the body because of the way the liver digests them.
Long-Chain Fatty Acids
The long-chain fatty acids are the most abundant fat, found in fish, nuts, avocado, meats and more. Long-chain fatty acids include the essential fatty acids (EFA’s) Omega 6 and Omega 3, which we will discuss in more detail later on. The key long-chain fatty acids include myristic acid, palmitic acid and stearic acid.
Saturation of fats is a much more common (and more debated) topic. There are four major types of dietary fats; monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated and trans fats.
The unsaturated fats are the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA’s) and the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA’s). These fats are more susceptible to damage, and the more unsaturated, the more delicate they are. Oxidation needs to be prevented with these fats, this can be done by keeping the lid on, storing in dark glass bottles, storing out of the sunligt in a cool spot, and not heating to high temperatures, or at all, depending on the oil. The benefit of this delicate nature is that monounsaturated fatty acids provide flexibility to the cell membranes.
Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA’s)
Monounsaturated fats are found in olive, canola, peanut, sunflower, sesame, avocado, almonds, macadamia, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews, as well as in non-plant based foods such as whole milk and red meat. The key MUFA is oleic acid, which is primarily found in olive oil. Oils with high MUFA content are best not heated at all or only heated to a low temperature. Oils can be identified as having a high MUFA content when they are liquid at room temperature but harden when refrigerated. MUFA’s are known to lower total cholesterol and LDL levels while increasing HDL as well as reduce the risk of breast cancer, heart disease and stroke.
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA’s)
Polyunsaturated fats are found in corn, sunflower, soy, safflower, walnuts, sesame, pumpkin, flax as well as in fish oils and fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, hearing, trout and mackerel. Oils with high PUFA content can be identified as they are liquid at room temperature and remain liquid when frozen. The essential fatty acids Omega 3 and Omega 6 fall into the PUFA category and most of the PUFA’s in our cell membranes are indeed these EFA’s! Nearly all chemical communication in the body relies on the proper balance of the Omega’s, and unfortunately the average Western diet has an absurdly out-of-balance Omega ratio. The majority of studies done on the topic state that our dietary intake of Omega 6’s and 3’s should be at a ratio of about 2:1 to 4:1. The average American diet can be as high as 25:1.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Polyunsaturated Omega 3’s are divided into three categories; alpha linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The richest source of ALA is chia and flax, and other sources include hemp, walnut, pumpkin seed and fenugreek (seed and oil). The average Western diet does not get enough Omega 3’s, and it is important to be mindful about adding these to the diet. Omega 3’s are absolutely vital in cognetive and behavioural function and are well known for their anti-inflammatory benefits, lowering the risk of chronic disease such as arthritis, cancer and more. Deficiency of Omega 3’s manifests in a multitude of ways, these include; poor circulation, poor memory, mood swings, fatigue, depression and dry skin.
Omega 6 Fatty Acids
Polyunsaturated linoleic acid (LA), also known as Omega 6, has a bad name in the nutrition world for it’s pro-inflammatory action. Don’t be fooled, we need Omega 6’s. They are vital in the health of our skin, hormonal and reproductive health. The key to Omega 6’s is the quantity they are present in our diet, as too much triggers chronic inflammation which is believed to be the cause of most of our Western chronic diseases. The key Omega 6 fatty acids include linoleic acid, gamma linoleic acid, and arachidonic acid.
There is debate as to which are healthy, and the common belief is that arachidonic acid is an unhealthy Omega 6. Again, I believe this has to do with quality and sources of these fats, but it is best for everyone to decide for themselves what feels good, keeping in mind any health needs or concerns when doing so. Individuals with inflammatory conditions should probably cut down or avoid arachidonic acid containing foods. Linoleic acid sources include sunflower, grapeseed, sesame and safflower. Gamma linolenic sources include borage, evening primrose, black currant and breast milk. Arachidonic acid is found in red meat, white meat, egg yolk, and dairy products.
Saturated Fatty Acids
There is a lot of discussion and disagreement on the topic of saturated fats, opinions range from avoiding all saturated fats like the plague, while other’s believe high quality saturated fats are incredibly healthful. Plant sources of saturated fats include coconut and palm, with animal sources being whole milk, cheese, red meat, chicken, butter etc. Our understanding of saturated fats is constantly evolving, and it is important to not lump all these fats into one group as they are not all created equally. As with the other fat categorize, quality is key.
Industrially raised animal sourced saturated fats (which are fed horrible GMO foods, antibiotics and more) have been linked to heart disease, obesity and other chronic diseases. Animals that are pastured, and free of hormones and antibiotics, are believed by many to be a fantastic, traditional, healthful fat source. I once again recommend checking out the Weston Price Foundation website for more information on this, as much new research is debunking the belief that these fats cause chronic conditions and heart disease. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature, so oils that are more saturated are more solid. Saturated fats are the most stable and are not very susceptible to damage, making them fantastic for high temperature cooking.
Now that we’ve gotten through the basics.. it’s time to discuss the scary fats – hydrogenated and trans fats. But wait, do trans-fatty acids really deserve the bad reputation they have gained over the years? What’s really the deal with these fats? Let’s break it down.
Trans Fatty Acids
Trans fatty acids come in two forms; naturally occurring trans-fatty acids, which are found in very small mostly in animal products made from ruminants such as cheese and red meat, and than we have industrially made trans fatty acids, which are created through the hydrogenation process. Trans fats made through hydrogenation make up 80% or more of the trans fats and are found in candy bars, fried chicken, packaged good, commercially made pastries and other artificial, industrially made, processed junk foods. More research needs to be done, but it seems we may have jumped the gun by lumping all trans fats together. Again, it seems, the key comes down to quality, as well as source and lack of industrial or artificial production.
Hydrogenation
Hydrogenated fats are unnatural fats which are created through an industrial process primarily used to lengthen the shelf-life of PUFA containing foods. This is done by transforming unsaturated fats into saturated ones. I believe this process is the real enemy when it comes to fats, and has subsequently given saturated and trans fats bad reputations. Hydrogenated fats are detrimental to health and should be avoided all together. Hydrogenation is done purely for the benefit of businesses, there are absolutely no health benefits to this process. Hydrogenation is associated with increasing blood cholesterol, diabetes, immune system suppression, obesity and more. Hydrogenated fats are found in commercial baked pastries, chips, microwave popcorn, margarine, candy bars, fried chick, pizza dough, and most other typical junk foods.
