The Truth of Fats

The essential fatty acids (Omega-3 and Omega-6) enhance the health in a very broad range of conditions in out body. I realized it is important that we have a good understanding of what they are. We often think fats are bad. So we tend to choose a low-fats diet, but not seeing much health improvements. Fats actually are essential to our body. Their main functions are storing energy, reserving heat, and providing us energy when our body needs. It can also be essential for anti-aging as well.

Functions of Fats:

• Stores energy
• Keeps our body warm
• Help the absorption of some vitamins and minerals
• A component of our cell membranes
• Sheaths surrounding nerves
• Blood clotting
• Muscle movement
• Inflammation

Good fats that we should have:

• Monounsaturated fat:  are recommended to have with Polyunsaturated fats because our body can break down harmful LDL cholesterol in the body.
  • Olive oil
  • avocado oil 
  • Peanut oil
  • Canola oil
  • Avocados
  • Most nuts
  • Sunflower oils

• Polyunsaturated fats are essential fats that our body requires for normal functions but our body cannot make it. We must get them from the foods. Their functions are:
  • Build cell membranes
  • The covering of nerves
  • Needed for blood clotting
  • Muscle movement
  • Inflammation
  • Induce LDL cholesterol
  • Lowers triglycerides

Types of Polyunsaturated fats:

• Omega-3 fatty acids:
  • Alpha-linolenic (ALA): flaxseed, soy beans, linseed oil
    • (ALA is not so recommended. It requires an enzyme which is very limited, to be converted into EPA and DHA. So maybe only 10-15% of it got converted to EPA and DHA, but the rest are energy or metabolized in other forms)
  • Eicosapentanoic acid (EPA): salmon, herring, sardine, mackerel, etc.
  • Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA):
    • Healthy development of the brain, skin, retina of the eyes
    • Some studies show it improves memory and learning
    • Foods: fish oil, salmon, white fish, mackerel, herring, swordfish, striped bass, fish roe, trout, mussels, oysters, and breast milk.
    • Pregnant women should avoid: mackerel, swordfish and striped bass due to their potential mercury content.
  • Helps to prevent or treat heart disease and stroke
  • Reduces blood pressure
  • Raise HDL
  • Lower triglycerides
  • Studies have shown wide range of health improvements with omega-3
• Omega-6 fatty acids
  • Linoleic – vegetables, nuts (safflower, soy beans, Sunflower oils, walnut), soybean oil,  seed oils and evening primrose oil
  • Gamma-linolenic (GLA) – breast milk, evening primrose oil, black currant, and borage oils

High ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 could reduce risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, developmental disorders, and cognitive aging. A recommended ratio is 1 to 4 omega-6 for every omega-3.

Bad fats are highly recommended to be eliminated from our diet: 
Industrial-made trans fat – are the worst fats, should be 100% avoided

• processed/packaged foods with labels saying “partially hydrogenated oil”
• harmful effects in our body:
  • increases harmful LDL cholesterol
  • reduces beneficial HDL cholesterol
  • cause inflammation
  • Increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, other chronic conditions

Saturated fats – bad fats are recommended to be consumed less than 10% of calories a day

• Foods: red meat, whole milk, other whole milk dairies, cheese, coconut oil, commercially baked goods
• increases harmful LDL cholesterol