FAT FACTS

Trends and fads tend to dictate dietary decisions in this country.  Popular diets and supplements become a media-ized trend, the communication tipping point is reached and whalaa, everybody is doing it.  One year, chocolate is healthy to eat, the next it is not; and so it goes. Efforts at reducing fat in diets, especially saturated fats (animal based and some vegetable based like avocado) has been pretty much mandated in the medical community for almost 50 years.  The tides have shifted and healthy fats and oils are now enjoying a come back.  Without too much medical-ese, I hope to clarify fat facts information in this post.

Little did we know back in the 70’s when the belligerent TV character Archie Bunker proclaimed people as “fat heads”, he wasn’t off the mark.  Our brain is made up mostly of fats; fats including saturated fat make up the cell membranes that protect the integrity of our cells and their structure. Fats and oils also play crucial roles in stabilizing blood sugar levels, providing raw materials for making hormones, boost thyroid function, increase metabolism, improving heart health, and support the immune system.. The right kind of oils used properly are essential in our diets for optimal brain and body function. Fats are one of the three major nutrients of the human diet, the other two being carbohydrates and proteins.

Simply stated, triglycerides are the chemical form of fats in food and in the body. Think of fats as a building and triglycerides as the bricks that give it form. Every triglyceride "brick" consists of a mixture of three fatty acids — saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated (the "tri"), and one glycerol molecule (thus, the name "tri"-"glyceride".) A particular fat is defined by the combination of fatty acids that make up its "bricks." The triglyceride bricks in olive oil, for example, have many more monounsaturated fatty acids than it does saturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids, making olive oil a monounsaturated fat.

Monounsaturated fats are heart-healthy because they maintain good HDL cholesterol levels while lowering bad LDL cholesterol levels. They are most appropriate for light cooking or used raw in salad dressings and the like. Oils that are predominantly monounsaturated include olive, avocado, peanut, sesame, lard and duck fat.

Monounsaturated oils are generally considered to be the healthiest overall oils but it's important to note  that all three types have distinct advantages and disadvantages — not just for health but for flavor and culinary characteristics as well. Olive oil seems to have been anointed the "perfect oil" by some in the media, but should be avoided when cooking at high temperatures.

Polyunsaturated fats due to their unstable chemical structure, are more susceptible to rancidity than saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, especially after prolonged contact with oxygen, light or heat. Oils that are predominately polyunsaturated include walnut, grapeseed, soy, corn, safflower, sunflower, canola and fish oils. Experts claim polyunsaturated fats are the worst oils to cook with.  Cooking your food in these omega-6 vegetable oils produces a variety of very toxic chemicals, as well as forming trans-fats. Frying destroys the antioxidants in oil, actually oxidizing the oil, which causes even worse problems for your body than trans-fats.  In addition, most vegetable oils are GM (genetically modified), including more than 90 percent of soy, corn and canola oils.  Also, vegetable oils contribute to the overabundance of damaged omega-6 fats in your diet, throwing off your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Nearly everyone in western culture consumes far too many omega-6 fats -- about 100 times more than a century ago -- and insufficient omega 3 fats; this contributes to numerous chronic degenerative diseases.  Heat and light can damage oils, particularly polyunsaturated ones, so keep them in the refrigerator to avoid rancidity. you'll know your oil is rancid if it takes on a characteristic bad taste and smell.  Heating oils to a temperature at which the oil begins to smoke, generate toxic fumes and harmful free radicals, which are carcinogenic.

Saturated fats are the most chemically stable, giving them a long shelf life and the ability to withstand high cooking temperatures. Typically solid at room temperature, saturated fats are found primarily in animal fats and tropical oils. In general, animal fats such as butter and cream are predominantly saturated, however, two of the most highly saturated fats — coconut oil and palm kernel oil — come from vegetable sources. Furthermore, animal fats are predominantly monosaturated, while fish oils are predominantly polyunsaturated. It is interesting to note that the fatty acid composition of animal fat can vary depending on the diet of the animal. (use products from organic fed animals)

The fact is all saturated fats are not created equal. The operative word here is "created," because some saturated fats occur naturally, while other fats are artificially manipulated into a saturated state through the man-made process called hydrogenation.  Trans fat acids are chemically altered, man-made fats found in partially hydrogenated oils. The hydrogenation process, in common use since the early 20th century, injects hydrogen into vegetable fats under high heat and pressure. This saturates what was previously an unsaturated fat and results in a chemical configuration that is not found in nature and is very rich in trans fatty acids. This is done to make vegetable oils, which are normally liquid at room temperature, solid and more chemically stable, thereby extending the shelf life of products in which they are used. Very small amounts of trans fats do occur naturally in some products such as milk, cheese, beef or lamb.

Manipulated saturated fats, also known as Trans fats (aka hydrogenated oils) which are doubly harmful because they lower HDL (good) cholesterol and raise LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of coronary heart disease. In fact, trans fatty acids have an even worse impact on cholesterol levels than diets high in butter, which contain saturated fat. A 2002 report by the Institute of Medicine (a branch of the National Academy of Sciences) concluded that trans fats are not safe to consume in any amount.

Hydrogenation manipulates vegetable and seed oils by adding hydrogen atoms while heating the oil, producing a rancid, thickened substance that really only benefits processed food shelf life.  Experts now agree, hydrogenation does nothing good for your health.  The truth is this: it is unsaturated fats that are primarily involved in heart disease and too much sugar and processed foods, not the naturally occurring saturated fats, as we've have been led to believe since the 1960s.

LCTs are large molecules, so they are difficult for your body to break down and are predominantly stored as fat. But MCTs, being smaller, are easily digested and immediately burned by your liver for energy -- like carbohydrates, but without the insulin spike. MCTs actually boost your metabolism and help your body use fat for energy, as opposed to storing it, so it can actually help you become leaner.

Coconut oil is also nature's richest source of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also called medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs. By contrast, most common vegetable or seed oils are comprised of long chain fatty acids (LCFAs), also known as long-chain triglycerides or LCTs.
Coconut oil has actually been shown to help optimize body weight, which can dramatically reduce your risk of developing Type II diabetes . Besides weight loss, boosting your metabolic rate will improve your energy, accelerate healing and improve your overall immune function. As we have already discussed, coconut oil is incredibly good for your heart. Nearly 50 percent of the fat in coconut oil is of a type rarely found in nature called lauric acid, a "miracle" compound because of its unique health promoting properties. Your body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-protozoa properties.

All oils (except coconut) should be refrigerated to avoid rancidity.  And two in particular should be your “go to” oils in food prep. Extra-virgin olive oil (salad dressings, low heat cooking) and coconut oil, the only oil that is stable enough to withstand high heats in cooking.  Coconut oil is thought to possess healing properties above and beyond that of any other dietary oils.  When coconut oil was first brought to the U.S., there was a lot of negative hype about it because it contains high levels of saturated fat. People were concerned that it increased cholesterol and contributed to heart disease—but this is a myth. It actually lowers cholesterol and reduces the chances of heart disease. This is because its fat content is simply changed into energy, lessening the likelihood of fat buildup in the arteries and heart.

Eating coconuts are excellent for one’s immunity. It kills harmful bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. Because of that, if you consume coconut in any of its various forms (whether it be raw coconut, coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut butter, etc.), it can help treat some of the worst and most resilient of illnesses such as influenza, throat infections, urinary tract infections, tapeworms, herpes, bronchitis, and numerous other ailments caused by microbials.

Eating coconuts also supports the development of strong, healthy bones and teeth. It does this by improving the body’s ability to absorb calcium and magnesium. It also prevents osteoporosis. This makes coconuts a good, healthy alternative for those who are lactose intolerant. Those who prefer a vegan diet can benefit from it as a good source of protein and fatty acids. Research results demonstrated the potential beneficiary effect of virgin coconut oil in lowering lipid levels in serum and tissues and LDL oxidation by physiological oxidants. .

Take away:  Cook with coconut oil (almost exclusively), extra virgin olive oil for non-cooking fat needs and all other oils used sparingly.  Do not cook with polyunsaturated oils (see list above). Eliminate transfats (margarine, hydrogenated oil products). Refrigerate your oils! Moderation.  A little coconut oil goes a long way. Check prepackaged and processed foods for the type of fat used (it will probably be a transfat or hydrogenated).

Passages of this post were gleaned from the following resources:
Beneficial effects of virgin coconut oil on lipid parameters and in vitro
Mayo Clinic: Coconut and Weight Loss
PubMed.gov: Effect of mineral oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil on prevention of hair damage
PubMed.gov: A randomized double-blind controlled trial comparing extra virgin coconut oil with mineral oil as a moisturizer for mild to moderate xerosis
The Numerous Health Benefits of Coconuts | Care2 Healthy Living
Dr. Joseph Mercola: Coconut Oil Benefits: When Fat Is Good For You