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Doug DiPaquale

Sott.net

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:11 CDT

Probably More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Fat and Thought

You Already Knew, But Didn't

Ideas seem to have a way of ingraining themselves in massconsciousness such that it is difficult, if not impossible, to uproot them.Get enough people behind an idea and the idea becomes "truth", even ifit has no basis in objective reality. Like some kind of weed that grows inthe gardens of people's imaginations, ideas, even if they're wrong, can bequite persistent. Gardeners of truth may work hard in the garden of themind to remove these weeds, yet their deep roots may often evade thewell-intentioned gardener. Tireless efforts often seem successful, only for

the same tired idea to poke its head up through the undergrowth once more. This brings the stark realizationthat the weed was never gone at all, but its roots were merely hidden from view, growing ever moreexpansive beneath the surface.

After nearly a century of the 'fat is evil' weed, gardeners of truth may finally be making some headway in thegarden of the collective mind. Since the inception of the 'lipid hypothesis', researchers, nutritionists and

journalists alike have been pulling up this weed, exposing the logical inconsistencies of tying natural fats todisease.

Decades of low-fat diets have failed to slow a rising obesity epidemic or stem the tide of widespread chronicdisease. In fact, new research presented at the American Dietetic Association's Annual Food and NutritionConference in Boston shows that a low-fat diet is actually dangerous. Swapping out natural high-fat foods for

their processed counterparts leads to a diet high in refined carbohydrates (sugar), additives and otherdangerous ingredients that are probably the actual culprits in our growing epidemic of poor health. Thankfully,some of the more aware among us are beginning to realize that the dietary recommendations given to us byour governments, our doctors and our dietitians over the past 3 generations simply do not work.

Yet the roots of the weeds are still present. Never in the history of human nutritional science has onemacronutrient been so maligned, so misunderstood and so falsely accused as fat has been post-World WarII. The idea that fat not only makes you fat, but blocks up your arteries, raises your cholesterol to dangerouslevels, gives you diabetes and heart disease, and causes strokes and all sorts of cancers is not easy tovanquish. Even when presented with the science, the logical arguments that show eating the right fat isneither dangerous nor unhealthy (and mightily delicious at that), people are still extremely tentative in theirconsumption and experts are still ultra-conservative in their recommendations.

In the days of our great-grandparents, before obesity epidemics and plagues of chronic disease, fatconsumption was abundant. Animal fats were valued for their ability to withstand high temperatures and adddelectable flavor and texture to meals. It wasn't until the rise of seed oils - oils much less fit for humanconsumption in large quantities and removed from their original whole source - that our health began to fail.The advertising of these seed oils propagated then, and still to this day, tries to convince us that they are thehealthy alternative to 'dangerous' animal fats. And yet, as their consumption increases, so too do chronicdisease rates.

Recommendations from the 'experts', firmly entrenched in this seemingly unmovable meme, have continuedto demonize animal fats in favor of vegetable oils. If you're getting sick, you're obviously not following theserecommendations to the letter. And if you are, then it's time to make the recommendations even more

stringent, allowing for less animal fat; indeed, less fat altogether.

As time has worn on in this anti-fat regime, 'health foods' have become more and more bland in favor of lowertarget numbers of fat on nutrition labels. Every chef knows that fat equals flavor. To replace these natural

rything About Fat -- Health & Wellness -- Sott.net http://www.sott.net/articles/show/230686-Everything-About-Fa

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Animal fat is among the healthiest fats you can

eat.

flavorful nutrients, it's necessary to fool our tongues with something. Thus these flavor-enhancing chemicals,particularly monosodium glutamate, have become a necessity for anyone to actually moderately enjoy whatessentially amounts to low-calorie, low-fat cardboard. Sugar, or, more likely, high-fructose corn syrup, nowsaturates every processed food on the grocery store shelf. All in the name of your 'health', of course.

The question is, can we go back to a time when fats were valued for what they are - delicious, nutritious,nutrient-dense components of our diets? There is abundant research showing the benefit of fats, saturatedfats from animal sources in particular. Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes, Know Your Fats by Dr.Mary G. Enig, 'The Whole Health Source' blog done by Stephan Guyenet, a number of articles by Dr. JosephMercola on www.mercola.com, along with thousands of other books, blogs and articles, present thewell-reasoned, scientifically-grounded arguments for abundant fat consumption. These arguments arereaching millions. And still, we hesitate.

In a way, this hesitation is understandable. We're still surrounded on all sides by half-truths andmisrepresentations when it comes to the topic of fats. Advertising copy, rumors and hearsay make up most ofthe sources of information on health and nutrition in the modern landscape. On the other hand, we havedoctors untrained in nutrition and articles written by journalists with only a peripheral understanding of thiscomplex topic. Most information heard in the media is simply a retreading of previously-heard information,while little critical thought or analysis is added to the debate. Indeed, no critical debate seems to exist.

But the word is getting out. Some have switched back from margarine to natural healthy butter. Some haveeven gone so far as to ditch the highly-refined vegetable oils supposedly good for cooking in favor of coconutoil (gasp, a saturated fat!). Some experts are petitioning the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. toremove the total fat counts from nutritional labels.

Yet few have truly embraced the new fat renaissance. You still have to search far and wide in North Americafor preservative-free, non-hydrogenated lard, for instance. Ask your butcher for beef tallow and he's likely toraise a brow before 'seeing what he can do'. Animal fats, while available by the quart in France for example,are only found in high-end food stores here in North America, in small quantities and for high prices. Becauseseed oils are still the norm, it just can't be imagined that someone would want to use animal fats for anythingother than the most indulgent treat on the rarest of occasions, despite the fact that grandma used to use it foreverything from frying taters to making pie crust.

Know Your Fats

Despite an increasing appreciation for dietary fat, using fats in the wrongway can, indeed, lead to ill health and damage the body. There are fatsout there that can have all the negative effects which fat as a whole hasbeen accused of having for the past several decades. Likewise, healthyfats treated in the wrong way can be as equally damaging. The fatrevolution doesn't imply that extra mayo should go on that BLT, and itcertainly doesn't suddenly transform fast food joint french fries into ahealth food.

Understand that the vast majority of what we hear about fat - in themedia, from our friends, even from our doctors - is simply wrong. The 'fat-is-evil' weed is so ingrained in ourcollective consciousness that fat recommendations are still overcautious. Even alternative healthprofessionals often hedge their recommendations with warnings about eating too much fat and it's still rare tofind an 'expert' recommending saturated fat consumption. Word is spreading, but it has yet to reach everyoneand, unfortunately, the people with the loudest voice seem to be the last to get hip to the truth.

Thus, the first order in getting our society turned around on fat is education. To get a healthy relationship withfat, we need to have a healthy understanding of fat. Knowing the rules, and why the rules apply, means neverbeing confused about which 'health' foods are actually healthy and which 'junk' foods are actually the ones tobe eating. Seeing through the hype on fats is key.

Before we get into the technical details on why some fats are good and some are bad, here's a quickrundown on how to identify certain fats and oils and how best to deal with them:

Polyunsaturated Fats - These are usually from nut and seed oils. You can tell whether an oil is


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mostly made up of polyunsaturated fats if it stays liquid even when it's put in the fridge. They areoften referred to as 'essential fats' or 'essential fatty acids' (EFAs) because they are needed for theproper functioning of our bodies, but they cannot be created from other fats. You also hear themreferred to as omega-3s or omega-6s. However, polyunsaturated fats should never be used forcooking or otherwise heated. These fats are quite delicate and can easily go rancid, turning theminto harmful oils which promote disease. As such, they need to be protected from heat, light andeven air. Polyunsaturated oils should be sold in a dark bottle, only be 'cold pressed' (i.e. no heat isused in the extraction process) and should never be used as a cooking oil. Unfortunately, the oilsfrom the grocery store sold in clear plastic bottles for the express purpose of cooking are allpolyunsaturated oils!

Polyunsaturated Fats include - safflower oil, grapeseed oil, sesame oil, sunflower oil, hemp seedoil, flaxseed oil, borage oil, fish oils

Best used for- cold applications only: salads, smoothies, supplements (as with flaxseed or fishoil)

Look for- dark bottles, sold in the refrigerated section, cold pressed, organic

Monounsaturated Fats - These fats are found in some vegetables, nuts and fruits and make up agood part of the fats found in meats. They are a little bit heartier than polyunsaturated oils and canbe used for some light-heat applications like light sauting or baking. The most commonvegetable-sourced monounsaturated fat is olive oil. You can tell whether an oil is mostlymonounsaturated fats because it becomes gelatinous and sludgy when put in the fridge but staysliquid at room temperature.

Monounsaturated Fats include - olive oil, avocado oil, walnut oil, hazelnut oil

Best used for- cold applications like salads, dips or pestos; light sauting or some baking

Look for- dark glass bottles, cold pressed, organic

Saturated Fat - Don't believe the hype - saturated fat is good for you! Despite almost a century ofdietary recommendations against intake of saturated fat, the public is finally starting to catch upwith what some researchers and holistic health professionals have known all along: that saturatedfat consumption actually promotes health. Saturated fats are found in meats, some dairy products,and eggs, as well as some tropical vegetables. They are ideal for cooking as they can withstandmuch higher temperatures than other oils. You know a fat is saturated if it is solid or semi-solid atroom temperature.

Saturated Fats include - duck fat, goose fat, beef tallow, butter, ghee, lard (pork fat), coconut oil,palm kernel oil, and red palm oil. Note: duck fat and lard actually have a higher content of

monounsaturated fats than saturated fats but are grouped in with saturated fats since they makeup a third or more of their total fat, and because everyone thinks that animal fats are entirelysaturated; an unfortunate misconception.

Best used for- all high-heat applications including searing, frying, deep or shallow-frying, baking,etc.

Look for- organic

Fats to avoid at all costs - all polyunsaturated oils sold for cooking, anything sold in clear plasticbottles, margarines or other tub spreads, any hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, trans

fats, interesterified fats, vegetable shortening, 'vegetable oil', cottonseed oil, all genetically modifiedoils like canola oil, corn oil and soy oil.

There were, more than likely, a few surprises for the reader in the above outline. The truth about how to best


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use fats has been so subverted that we don't recognize it when we see it. The vast majority of the fats andoils on my "No" list are the exact oils you find in 90% of processed foods on the market. We're encouraged tocook with the fats that are most easily damaged by heat, thereby causing harm when consumed, while we'retold to avoid the fats that are actually good for cooking!

The remainder of this article is going to be looking at why the outline above is true. In order to do that, we firstneed to examine the chemistry of fats. The molecular structure of fats is what gives them their uniqueproperties; what makes some right for cooking, others right for supplementing and others good for little morethan oiling your bike chain.

Firstly, the nomenclature. Lipid is the scientific name for fat. The term fat generally refers to lipids that arerelatively solid at room temperature, while those that are liquid at room temperature are called oils. This isn't ahard-and-fast rule, however, as the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, and the term fat is oftenused to denote any lipid.

On a microscopic level, fatty acids are bonded carbon chains connected to an acid group (carboxyl group).The carbon atoms in the chain are either bonded to other carbons or to hydrogen atoms. A carbon chainwhich has all available bonds taken up by hydrogen atoms is said to be saturated, because no morehydrogen could possibly be added to the chain. But, if some of the available bonds are used to form doublebonds with carbon atoms in the chain, these fatty acids are said to be unsaturated, since more hydrogen

atoms could potentially still fit in. A fatty acid with one double bond is called monounsaturated, while fattyacids with more than one double bond are polyunsaturated.

Examples of saturated and unsaturated fats, Palmitic Acid and Palmitoleic Acid

respectively

The position where the first double bond shows up in the chain determines how we name it. If the first doublebond comes after the third carbon, it's called an omega-3 fat (w3). If it's in the sixth position, it's an omega-6(w6) and in the ninth, an omega-9 (w9). This isn't just for labeling purposes - these fats have very differentproperties and need to be distinguished. Unsaturated fats can have as many as six double bonds in the chain.The more double bonds, the more delicate and unstable.

A fat molecule, as distinguished from individual fatty acids, is composed of three fatty acid molecules bondedto a glycerol molecule. This is called a triglyceride and it is generally the form in which you find fats in nature.When we digest fats, enzymes in our digestive tract break the fatty acids away from the glycerol moleculeand the individual fatty acids are absorbed. Which fatty acids are present in a triglyceride moleculedetermines the fat's characteristics, including its shape, its behavior and its stability.

Omega-3 fatty acid Stearidonic Acid and Omega-6 fatty acid Gamma-Linolenic Acid

Why am I going into this much detail, you may ask?! Because the molecular structure of the fatty acid


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Polyunsaturated oils sold for cooking are the

worst for your health

dictates its characteristics - how it behaves when heated, when refrigerated, when exposed to light and, ofcourse, what the body does with it when consumed. In a word, structure is everything. The key tounderstanding your fats and what to do with them lies in understanding their structure.

Unsaturated Fats

When double bonds are present in a fatty acid it is said to be unsaturated, since some of the bonds aredoubled up between the carbon atoms and are therefore not occupied by hydrogen. These double bonds inthe fatty acid chains make the chain bend. The more double bonds, the more kinky or bent the fatty acid is.

The double bonds make the properties of unsaturated fats quite different from saturated fats. Because themolecules are bent, they can't stack. They therefore remain in a loose formation and are liquid on amacroscopic level. The double bonds also carry a slight negative charge, meaning the fatty acids repel eachother slightly. The more unsaturated fatty acids present in a lipid, the more liquid it is. Monounsaturated fats,like the predominant fat in olive oil, oleic acid, have only one double bond. It's therefore liquid at roomtemperature and gets sludgy when chilled. On the other hand, flaxseed oil, which is predominantly anomega-3 fat called alpha linolenic acid, has three double bonds. It's therefore liquid at room temperature andin the fridge.

Double bonds are quite delicate and susceptible to oxidation. This can happen when they're exposed to heat,

or even light, in the presence of oxygen. Since heat-free, light-free, oxygen-free conditions are difficult to findhere on the surface of our planet, Mother Nature was smart enough to pair these oils with antioxidantmolecules for protection. For example, plant foods rich in unsaturated fats are often good sources of vitaminE, the fat-soluble antioxidant vitamin that can protect the fragile double bonds from free radical damage.

A damaged double bond means the fat is rancid. Rancid fats are actually quite dangerous to eat, causing freeradical formation that can cause damage to cells. Damage to the DNA within the cell can cause mutations inthe genetic structure and lead to cancer. Fortunately, we've been equipped with a means o detecting a rancidoil - our nose. Rancid oils smell spoiled. If you do end up eating one, they taste spoiled too.

Processing to extract polyunsaturated oils, usually from seeds, grains ornuts, inevitably damages the antioxidants, making the oils highly volatile

and causing them to readily turn rancid. Some processors are mindful ofthis and use cold pressing and minimal refining processes to keep theseoils from becoming damaged. These oils are usually only found in healthfood stores, and are sold in the refrigerator and in dark bottles to protectthe oils.

However, such well-processed oils constitute the minority. Mostpolyunsaturated oils are processed extensively to maximize extraction.The seeds are heated, then distilled, refined, bleached and deodorized.This process damages the antioxidants and damages the oilsthemselves. A preservative chemical, such as the carcinogenic BHA orBHT, is generally added to replace the lost antioxidants and to prevent

further spoilage. But make no mistake, these oils are rancid from theget-go. The only reason you can't tell is because they have beendeodorized and ultra-refined. They are not fit for human consumption!

Essential Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fats and omega-6 fats are referred to as Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs). This is because our body isunable to make them from existing fats. Our bodies, for example, can create the w9 fat oleic acid by insertinga double bond into the ninth position of the saturated fat stearic acid. But our bodies are unable to insert adouble bond at the w3 or w6 position. Therefore, it is essential that these fats be present in the diet.

There is some disagreement among researchers as to how much of these essential fats are needed in the

diet. Bodily needs vary according to time of year, level of physical activity and other nutrients in the diet,among other confounding factors. Some say the ratio between w6 and w3 is equally important, perhaps moreimportant, than the actual quantity in the diet. But even the ideal ratio is up for debate. Some researchers putthe ratio anywhere from 5:1 up to 2:1 or 1:1 of w6 to w3.


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As a general guideline, the Western diet tends to be extremely high in w6 consumption and extremely low inw3. The ratio is said to be as much as 20:1 or greater. Part of this can be blamed on the extensive use ofprocessed vegetable oils which are high in w6 and low in, or completely void of, w3. Because w3 fats aremore delicate, having more double bonds they turn rancid more easily. For this reason, they are oftenremoved in the processing of vegetable oils.

Another reason for this disequilibrium in the EFA ratio could be the widely propagated recommendation tofavor poultry instead of red meats. Chicken fat has a 20:1 ratio of w6 to w3, whereas beef is closer to 4:1.And fish consumption, which is very high in w3 fats, tends to be low in developed nations.

Whatever the reason, it is generally recommended that individuals supplement w3 fats and avoidsupplementing w6 (enough is found in the diet that they do not need to be supplemented). Omega-6 fatsconvert to inflammatory prostaglandins in the body and, while some inflammation is necessary, too manyinflammatory fats can lead to chronic inflammation. Conversely, w3 fats are converted toanti-inflammatory prostaglandins in the body and are thus highly essential. Is it any wonder that widespreadchronic inflammation has become epidemic in the last hundred years?

In order to balance this ratio, supplementation with w3s should be undertaken. While w3s from vegetablesources, like flaxseed oil or chia oil, are certainly beneficial, the body needs to convert these fats to the usableforms of EPA and DHA (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, respectively). While some

researchers feel this conversion is not an issue for concern, other research has shown that relying solely onvegetable sources for w3 fatty acids will not provide enough of the important EPA and DHA. Because it is anexcellent source of both EPA and DHA, it is highly recommended that fish oil be used as a supplement.

EPA and DHA keep blood platelets from becoming sticky, which results in blood becoming more prone toclotting. They have also been found to lower the necessity for repair proteins in the blood, a build-up of whichleads to atherosclerosis (that's right, fat is good for the heart!). EPA and DHA also lower levels of bloodtriglycerides, LDL and VLDL cholesterol, decreasing hypertension and the risk of strokes and heart attacks. Inanimal studies, w3 fish oils have also been found to inhibit the growth of tumors.

Saturated Fats

Saturated fats, being completely saturated with hydrogen atoms, are straight chains and are very stable.They don't carry an electrical charge and are thus used mostly for energy and maintaining cell structure in thehuman body. Because they are straight lines, they stack quite easily, which is why they are solid even at roomtemperature.

Molecular structure of Stearic Acid, a saturated f at

The case against saturated fat has been showing kinks in its armor ever since it was dropped on the sceneover half a century ago. Researcher Ancel Keys first proposed what would later be called 'the lipid hypothesis'with a study showing a strong correlation between heart disease and saturated fat consumption. As ithappens, the study was a complete fraud; Keys chose not to include the abundant evidence that went againsthis tidy correlation. It wasn't that he didn't have the evidence; he just chose not to publish it.

Even at the time, a number of researchers spoke out against the lipid hypothesis, but they were drowned outby the din of food processors and seed oil manufacturers all advertising the benefits of their fats over"dangerous" saturated fats. Not only was margarine now cheaper, it was "healthier".

A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition speaks volumes: "Our meta-analysisshowed that there is insufficient evidence from prospective epidemiologic studies to conclude that dietarysaturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD, stroke, or CVD," writes Dr. Ronald Krauss, leadresearcher from Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute in California. These researchers pooled data


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from 21 different studies, looking at almost 350,000 subjects and found no relationship between disease andsaturated fat consumption.

Another study out of Japan, also published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, presented a startlingblow to the lipid hypothesis. Subjects eating the most saturated fat in the study had no increased risk of deathdue to cardiac event or subarachnoid hemorrhage and had a 31% reduced risk of all types of stroke.Furthermore, those with the higher intakes of saturated fat had a reduced risk of death from cardiovasculardisease.

The lipid hypothesis is responsible for huge changes in the foods we eat. Overall, the consumption of animalfat between 1910 and 1970 decreased by 21%, and yet heart disease rates increased exponentially.Meanwhile consumption of margarine has increased 800%, vegetable shortening 275% and salad andcooking oils increased 1,450% between 1909 and 1999. There is clearly something wrong with the lipidhypothesis.

While polyunsaturated oils are technically "heart healthy," they are not needed in the massive quantitiescurrently consumed. This is where a critical error in fat recommendations comes into play. Just becausesomething is good for us, like w3 and w6 fats, does that mean we should consume lots of it?

If we consider the fact that the majority of polyunsaturates are consumed in the form of refined seed oils, as

cooking oil, margarine spreads and in processed foods, we can see why we might be encountering ourcurrent health problems as a society (even leaving aside hydrogenation, which we'll address below). Seedoils, without the aid of industrial processing, would only ever be consumed in minuscule amounts as part of anentire seed. It is only with industrialization, with the ability to process huge quantities of seeds in order toextract their oil, that we've begun to see mass consumption of these seed oils. Prior to this, mostpolyunsaturated oils came from meat consumption, in relatively small quantities compared to saturates andmonounsaturates. If we allow that the epidemic of chronic disease is a modern phenomenon, perhaps it'stime to consider that this is the kind of fat consumption that most suits us as a species?

The case against saturated fat has always been weak. How can a macronutrient that has been a majorcomponent of the human food chain for hundreds of thousands of years be harmful? How, in all that time, didwe not evolve to take this food in without doing harm to ourselves? The answer is simple - saturated fat is not

harmful in the human diet. It does not require moderation or careful measurement. It can be eaten withabandon.

Stearic acid, the main saturated fat found in beef, lamb and other meats, is easily converted by the body intooleic acid, the much-hyped monounsaturated oil found in "heart healthy" olive oil. Lauric acid, the mainsaturated fat found in coconut oil, has antibacterial and antiviral properties that make it highly valuable in thediets of those who eat coconut regularly. Butyric acid, the saturated fat found in butter, is used as fuel for thecells of the colon and was found to increase mitochondrial activity (energy production), energy levels, lowerblood triglyceride levels and to increase insulin sensitivity in studies of mice. It also suppresses inflammationin the gut and increases resistance to metabolic and physical stress. I could go on; the benefits of saturatedfats go much further than this!

But this "fat-is-evil" weed just refuses to be pulled up. Western government agencies are steadfast in theirrecommendations to lower total fat consumption and saturated fat consumption in particular. The problemseems to be that a number of studies have linked the "Western diet" to greater heart disease risk. There islittle doubt that this is true; however, these agencies seem to be oblivious to what the actual cause of theproblem is -- instead, they assume the problem lies with saturated fat. What is desperately needed arestudies which separate out natural saturated fat consumption from other possible causes of heart disease,including refined carbohydrates like sugar and white bread, over-processed foods high in chemical additives,and especially trans fats.

Trans Fats

Trans fats are unsaturated fats whose structure has been altered. Some are naturally-occurring, but the

majority found in people's diets are artificially created by a process called "hydrogenation," wherebyprocessors take an unsaturated oil, usually a cheap seed oil like soy or corn, subject it to intense pressureand heat, and then inject it with hydrogen gas. This process artificially saturates the fat, breaking the doublebonds between carbons and allowing hydrogen atoms to attach. It also affects the double bonds that remain,"twisting" them into a shape quite different from that previously held.


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Normally, the two remaining hydrogen atoms adjacent to a double bond occur on the same side of themolecule. Because the two hydrogen atoms have the same charge, they repel each other slightly, thuscausing the characteristic bend in unsaturated fats. Having the two hydrogen atoms on the same side iscalled a "cis" configuration. But the pressure and heat from hydrogenation causes the remaining hydrogens atdouble bond points to move to opposite sides of the molecule. This is called the "trans" configuration.

Cis-configuration and trans-configuration of double bonds in fatty acid chain

Because the two hydrogens are now on opposite sides of the molecule, they no longer repel each other. Thismeans that previously bent fatty acids become straight like saturated fats. Thus an oil like soy oil, which isnormally liquid at room temperature, now becomes a more solid "saturate equivalent", mimicking the

properties of a saturated fat like butter. However, these fats are extremely dangerous to consume, beingoften referred to as "plastic" fats. Studies have shown that heart disease, diabetes, cancer, low birth-weight,obesity and immune dysfunction are highly correlated to trans fat consumption. Note that some of thehydrogenated fats used in processed foods, like margarines, vegetable shortenings and deep fryershortenings, can be composed of as much as 50% trans fat.

On a physiological level, trans fats are an anomaly in the body. They have double bonds like an unsaturatedfat, but they are structurally straight, like a saturated fat. Physically, the body doesn't really know what to dowith them. They have a different melting point, chemical activity, as well as enzyme and membrane fit. Theytake the place of cis- form fats, but cannot do the same work.

Trans fats disrupt cellular function by affecting many enzymes, thus preventing certain necessary conversions

of essential fatty acids. In this way they can aggravate and intensify existing EFA deficiencies. As Mary G.Enig, PhD. points out in her book Know Your Fats, trans fats have also been found to: lower HDL cholesteroland raise LDL; raise Lp(a) levels, increasing incidence of atherosclerosis by two to three times (note thatsaturated fat consumption actually lowers Lp(a) levels); lower the quality of breast milk by decreasing creamvolume, possibly contributing to malnourished infants; decrease visual acuity in infants fed on breast milk withtrans fats present; correlate with low birth-weight; increase blood insulin response; lower the efficiency ofimmune cells; decrease testosterone levels and increase the amount of abnormal sperm; interfere withimportant enzymes needed for detoxification of carcinogens and medications; interfere with cell membranefluidity, causing problems with nutrient transport into and out of the cells; cause increase in adipose (fat tissue)cell size; increase free radical formation; and precipitate asthma in children.

In short, avoid trans fats like the plague! But this begs the question: why would anyone want to do this to oils?

Food industrialists, wishing to get away from using the shunned saturated fats, found that with hydrogenationthey could use publicly accepted vegetable oils instead of animal fats and still come up with the consistency ofa saturated fat. As Dr. Enig states,

"You can cream a cup of fat into a cup of sugar and two cups of flour, and the resulting dough canbe baked into a well-shaped cookie. If you try to substitute a cup of oil for the fat, you will bedisappointed with the greasy flat "cookie." Foods that are fried in unrefined oil are also frequentlygreasy. The food industry knows that cookies and crackers, as well as cakes, pastries, and donutshave to be made with a fat at least as firm as a soft fat like lard or palm oil, so the industrychanges the very liquid oils, such as soybean, corn, canola, cottonseed, and sometimes peanutoils and safflower oils, into fats by [partial hydrogenation]."

But cookie consistency isn't the only reason. Hydrogenation also makes products more shelf-stable, lastingmuch longer than products made with unprocessed fats. This is partly because the solvents used in theextraction process for seed oils often destroy the protective antioxidants naturally present in the seeds.Without their protective antioxidant compounds, seed oils quickly turn rancid. By hydrogenating seed oils, this


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Hydrogenated fats like those in margarine are

extremely toxic

process is stayed and shelf-life is increased considerably.

Hydrogenated fats are also more resistant to oxidation, polymerization and heat damage. With higher heatpoints, the fast food industry loves them because they are more durable than vegetable oils in high-heatapplications like deep fryers.

When you get right down to it, none of this processing would behappening if it wasn't cost-effective. The fact is, seed oils are cheap, andeven when put through the hydrogenation process they still end upsignificantly cheaper than animal fats, or the pricey saturated vegetablefats which they're attempting to mimic.

Ironically, it is believed by some researchers that much of the bad namegiven to saturated fats over the years is actually thanks to trans fats.When the early studies were being done on saturated fats, the effects oftrans fats on human health were still unknown. It was believed that, sincehydrogenation was artificially saturating the fatty acids, hydrogenated fatswere the same thing as saturated fats. Thus, when studies found declining health in subjects eating thesehydrogenated fats, it was assumed these properties applied to saturated fats. Much of this bad rap exists tothis day.

Just because society at large has been programmed with the wrong information on fats doesn't mean thatyou have to be. Armed with a little knowledge, your health can be put on the right track even while the rest ofthe populace is on the wrong track. It isn't difficult to avoid becoming yet another chronic disease statistic, orto turn yourself around if you already are. But it does require the right knowledge about what to consume.

While you're digesting my brief biochemistry lesson, here is a quick and easy list of "Fat Rules" to help guideyour choices. Follow these rules and you're on your way to a healthier diet and to rediscovering the joy of fat!

The Fat Rules

Eat a lot of fat. It is not going to make you fat, clog your arteries or give you cancer. The reason fat tastes so

good is because your body needs it. Give your body what it needs.

Animal fats for high heat. Cook with animal fats. They are the most heat-stable and will thus be relativelyundamaged even with high-heat applications. This may mean the majority of the fat you get will be saturated(although, note that animal fats like lard and duck fat are actually mostly monounsaturated). This is a goodthing. Ghee, duck fat, lard and beef tallow are all good choices. Saturated vegetable oils like red palm oil orcoconut oil will do in a pinch, but are second best.

Monounsaturates for moderate heat. Use these oils from vegetable sources for cold applications likesalads, moderate heat applications like pouring over hot vegetables or, if you like, for light sauting. They arerelatively heat-stable, but you don't want to heat them too much. Extra virgin olive oil is great, full ofphytonutrients and antioxidants, but don't waste it by using it where an animal fat would do a better job, like

cooking at higher temperatures.

Polyunsaturates for cold. These oils are really best as supplements. You can add some to your saladdressing or smoothie if you want to, but it's not really necessary. Take your fish oil or flax oil as a supplementand get the rest of these important fats from your diet.

Never heat polyunsaturated oils. Yes, they are sold as cooking oils in the supermarket and yes, every deepfryer in every restaurant you've ever been to is filled with polyunsaturated oil (usually hydrogenated), but theseoils are very delicate and will be damaged by heat (or by light or air exposure). There is no good reason tobuy vegetable oils that are sold for cooking.

Don't supplement omega-6. Although w6s are essential, they do not need to be supplemented. We get tons

of w6 fats in our diets from nuts, seeds, vegetables and meats. Keeping the ratio of w3 to w6 in its properproportion is vital, and supplementing with w6 will throw this balance out completely.

Do supplement omega-3. The w3 fats are the ones that we're generally short on. Supplementing these willhelp to push out any plastic fats that have accumulated in the tissues and will maintain the w3:w6 ratio. Fish


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oil is the best source with flaxseed or chia seed a good secondary source.

Avoid hydrogenated fats outright. Check food labels diligently. Even if the product says "0g trans fats," itstill, by law, can contain up to 0.5 grams per serving (and considering the fact that food processors candesignate serving size any way they like, these numbers are truly meaningless). Look for the word"hydrogenated" on ingredients lists. If it's there, this food is plastic. Don't eat plastic.

Skip spreads. Since saturated fats are not harmful, there's no reason to buy processed vegetable spreadsthat employ different tricks to imitate the properties of the real stuff. Hydrogenation, interesterification, and theuse of thickeners and blending fats and oils are all employed to make something inherently unspreadable intosomething apparently spreadable. Just go for the real thing - butter. Better yet, boil the butter to make it into'ghee' - it's more stable, is free of dairy proteins and lasts outside of the fridge for months.

Names are more for convenience. Remember that no fat is entirely saturated, monounsaturated orpolyunsaturated. Every fat source is a mixed bag of all these types. We refer to animal fats as "saturated"and vegetable oils as "polyunsaturated" as a kind of shorthand. But lard and duck fat actually have moremonounsaturated than saturated fats. Even olive oil contains some saturated fat and you can get omega-3sfrom butter. Remember not to take these labels as gospel.

Good fat is good, bad fat is bad. This article should not be taken as free license to load up on processed

junk foods and fatty meats and dairy products from factory-farmed animals. There is still the need to bevigilant in what we eat, including avoidance of over-processed, nutrient-depleted faux foods and meat anddairy from sick animals. Choose fresh, choose organic and choose local. Avoid processed anything.


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