Fats

There has been so much controversy over the past couple of decades regarding fat. "Fat makes you fat." "Fat promotes heart disease, diabetes, cancer, etc." "I eat a low-fat diet." All I have to say is WTF?

Fat is such an important and essential component to our every day lives. There are several vitamins that are dependent on fat for their absorption. And energy... How would you expect to wake up every day and do the things you do without fat in your diet? Here is why fat is so important.

Fats belong to a group of naturally occurring organic materials known as lipids. They cannot dissolve in water but are able to dissolve in other substances.

They provide the body with an abundance of energy (9 kcal per gram). This is a little more than double of what proteins and carbohydrates offer (4 kcal per gram each). Not only do they provide energy but they are essential in maintaining the integrity of the cell membrane. Fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) rely on fat in order to be transported and absorbed to be used for their health benefits. Fat also provides protection to essential organs including the heart, kidneys, and liver. But, most importantly, it makes food taste sooooo good!!!

Fat bypasses the digestive processes of the mouth and stomach. It gets digested in the small intestine where bile from the gallbladder breaks down the fat into smaller constituents. Once broken down, the fats are either transported to the bloodstream or the liver for further metabolism.

Fats can be grouped into 4 divisions - saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and trans-fat. Polyunsaturated can be subdivided into 2 categories - omega-3 (n-3) and omega-6 (n-3).

Saturated Fats

They are primarily found in animal fats (meat, dairy products). Blood cholesterol levels, both good and bad, tend to increase when consumed. Other sources include coconut and palm oils. Do not shy away from eating meat because they do provide the body with a good amount of essential amino acids. Coconut products are the best plant-form of saturated fat to consume because, here comes the science part, they are medium chain triglycerides. This means they have fewer carbon links which don't impact the bad cholesterol as much but provide a ton of energy more quickly.

Monounsaturated Fats (MUFA)

MUFA's are considered to be the healthiest of fats. Reason for this is that they help decrease bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase good cholesterol (HDL). They do not contain any of the side effects found with saturated, omega-6 vegetable oils (polyunsaturated), and trans-fats.

Cooking with these oils is preferable because they can withstand cooking at higher temperatures. They don't become hydrogenated or saturated.

Some of the best sources of MUFA's include olive oil (do not cook at high temperature), rapeseed oil, hazelnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, avocado, and macadamia nuts, to name a few. They are usually liquid at room temperature.

Polyunsaturated Fats (PUFA)

These are considered to be "heart-healthy" because they contain 2 essential fatty acids that the body uses to help control blood pressure, blood clotting, and improve immune system response. These 2 essential fatty acids are omega-3 (n-3) and omega-6 (n-6) free fatty acids. They are essential fatty acids because they have to be consumed through diet. In order to maintain good cardiovascular health, the ratio of n-6 to n-3 should be 2:1. Today's common Western diet has an unbalanced ratio 20+:1. Like MUFA's, they are usually liquid at room temperature.

Omega-3

Also known as linolenic acid, n-3 can be broken down into 3 substrates: alpha-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Most of the focus with n-3 is on EPA and DHA. These are the 2 substrates that give the body all of the cardioprotective and other health benefits. Best sources, other than actual n-3 supplements, are fresh water oily fish (salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel), n-3 enriched meat/eggs, and flax oil.

Omega-6

Also known as linoleic acid. This acid can be found in an abundance of everyday food such as grains, meats, dairy, most vegetable oils, processed foods, etc. n-6 and n-3 compete for the same enzymes in the body. When n-6 consumption exceeds n-3, as in the typical Western diet, the body goes into an inflamed state. It exerts its effect by interacting with arachidonic acid in the body which converts to inflammatory mediators causing a wide range of health problems.

Trans-Fats

Trans-fats are formed when liquid oils are made into solid form, or partially hydrogenated. Hydrogen ions are added to the liquid oil at very high temperatures. Food manufacturers artificially produce these fats because it is cheaper for them and the fats won't go rancid as quickly as the previous mentioned fats. At one point, it was believed that trans-fats were the healthy alternative to saturated fats. But scientists eventually discovered that trans-fats actually increase LDL and decrease HDL. Trans-fats can be found in the following "foods":

• anything deep fried
• hard stick margarine and shortening
• commercially baked goods (doughnuts, cakes, pies, muffins, etc. - so basically your Tim Hortons, Starbucks type "food")
• snack foods (microwave popcorn, chips, cheezies, crackers, granola bars, etc.)

So when looking at a food label, if you see the words 'partially hydrogenated', 'hydrogenated', 'vegetable oil shortening' then you know that "food" has been made with trans-fats.

Pharmaceutical companies make big bucks off of the Western diet. With the anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, anti-"whatever" medications. Dialing in on diet and regular exercise will save you a lot of money and grief in the future.

And when/if you hear the saying, "It takes fat to burn fat", here is why. Testosterone and similar steroid hormones in the body help to burn fat to be used as energy. Although proteins and carbohydrates do have some effects on these hormones. This, in turn, directs amino acids into muscles for repair and growth. The end result is a lower fat mass, or a more lean person. The more muscle mass on an individual, the higher his/her metabolism is. This means more energy is required to be burned in order to maintain the metabolism. And what is the greatest source of energy? Not carbohydrates (4 kcal/gram). Not proteins (4 kcal/gram). But FAT (9 kcal/gram). Therefore, without adequate fat intake, hormone production can be slowed leading to decreased muscle mass.

How much fat should you eat?

Many sources recommend that your diet should be around 30% protein, 40% carbohydrate, 30% fat. Definitely start off with this and see how you feel after a couple of weeks to a month. Then adjust accordingly.