Why do we eat and how to do it right? - PART II

In this article, we will look at the functions of Fat as a macronutrient, types of Fat and which types of fat to be careful about, and which to opt for.

Before we dive into Fat, let us clear one term that will get repeated a lot.

Inflammation 🔥

Inflammation is our body’s natural response to protect itself from harm. When we get cut, for example, our immune system dispatches an army of white blood cells to surround and protect the damaged area, which also results in redness and swelling. That is acute inflammation. That is a good thing.

Chronic (slow and long-term) inflammation, on the other hand, can happen in the body due to factors such as toxins, sugar, and bad fats lead to chronic diseases including Type-2 Diabetes, Heart Diseases, and Cancer. That is not a good thing.

Back to the topic now.

Fat

Fat as a macronutrient

The primary function of fat is to serve as an energy reserve for the body.

In addition to that fats also help the body absorb necessary fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K), support balanced hormones, protect our vital organs, help proteins do their job, start chemical reactions involved in growth, immune function, reproduction and other aspects of metabolism.

At a fundamental level, we are made up of fat. Every living cell in our body has a membrane around it that is responsible for allowing compounds in and out of the cell so it can function properly. Primarily these membranes are composed of the fats we get from food. That means the health of the cells and how permeable they are to nutrients depends on the amount and quality of the fats we eat.

If your diet is high in damaged fatty acids then those damaged fats are what gets incorporated into the building blocks of your precious cell membranes, and your brain and nervous system become composed of the foods that you eat.

Types of Fat

Source: https://dlc.dcccd.edu/biology1-3/lipids

Saturated Fats
- Saturated fats are fat molecules that have no double bonds between carbon molecules because they are saturated with hydrogen molecules.
- They are solid at room temperature and are mostly found in animal and dairy sources such as red meats, poultry, and dairy products (ghee, cream. butter)
- Oils that are solid at room temperature, like palm oil, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil, also contain saturated fats.
Unsaturated Fats
Unsaturated fat has at least one double bond causing bends in the molecule. These are harder to stack and, therefore, are usually found in a liquid state at room temperature.

They are further divided into two types:
- Monounsaturated Fats (MUFAs)
  - These fats have a single carbon bond in the fat molecule (called a double bond) and are not saturated with hydrogen atoms.
  - They are liquid at room temperature.
  - Examples are canola, peanut, or olive oil
  - Olives and Avocados also contain MUFAs.
- Polyunsaturated Fats (PUFAs)
  - Polyunsaturated fats contain more than one double covalent bond between fatty acid carbon atoms.
  - They are liquid at room temperature.
  - Polyunsaturated fats include Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids.
    - Omega-6 fatty acids
      - Omega-6 fatty acids are commonly found in plant-based oils (such as Sunflower oil and Canola oil)
      - Other sources include nuts and seeds (such as Walnuts, Almonds, Flax seeds)
      - They may help in: Controlling blog sugar, reducing risk for diabetes, and lowering blood pressure.
    - Omega-3 fatty acids
      - There are 3 main types of Omega-3 fatty acids:
        EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid)
        DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)
        ALA (Alpha-linolenic acid).

EPA and DHA are found in fish and seafood.
ALA is found in seeds, nuts, and some plants such as Brussel sprouts

The human body generally uses ALA for energy, and conversion into EPA and DHA is very limited

They help in: Reducing cardiovascular disease risk, Infant health, and development, Cancer Prevention, Cognitive function

DHA is especially critical for the growth of the brain in infants and is also necessary for adults to maintain the proper functioning of the brain.

Trans Fats
- Trans fatty acids or Trans Fats are made by heating liquid vegetable oils in the presence of hydrogen gas and a catalyst.
- The process is called Hydrogenation.
- The reason to do this is to make vegetable oils more stable so they are less likely to become rancid so they can be used for frying.
- Also, these are produced by the food industry for the purpose of increasing the shelf life of a product.
- These are mostly found in packaged, processed foods such as cookies and frozen pizzas.

Fats to be careful of

Trans Fats
- There Are small amounts of naturally occurring trans fats can be found in meat and dairy products. However, it’s artificial trans fats that are considered dangerous.
- This is the worst type of fat since it not only raises bad cholesterol but also lowers good cholesterol levels, create inflammation and contribute to insulin resistance.
- Interestingly, World Health Organization has launched an initiative in 2020 called REPLACE, to eradicate artificial trans fats from the food industry by 2023.

https://www.lhsfna.org/index.cfm/lifelines/may-2019/the-many-health-risks-of-processed-foods/

Vegetable Oils
- When it comes to Vegetable Oils, there are two problems.
  - One, they are highly unstable and thus very vulnerable to damage from heat, light, and oxygen. Therefore, when they go through the refining process or are heated again and again or just left out in a supermarket for months and months, they get oxidized and become inflammatory.
  - The second problem is (even if you go for cold-pressed vegetable oil and use it only once and not use it for frying) is the amount of Omega-6 fatty acids present in them. Omega-6 fatty acids are themselves not the problem, they have health benefits. The issue here is a high intake of Omega-6 which leads to imbalances in the ratio of Omega-6 and Omega-3. In today’s world, modern diets have Omega-6 and Omega-3 in a ratio close to 10:1 or even higher. The main source of these Omega-6 fatty acids are vegetable oils In addition to being pro-inflammatory, high-intake of Omega-6 fats undo any benefit you might get from Omega 3 fats (such as anti-inflammatory effects). In addition to that, they also reduce the conversion of plant-based omega 3 fats (ALA) to EPA and DHA.
- Over-consumption of Omega 6 fats and under-consumption of Omega 3 fats significantly increases the risk for a multitude of diseases such as Heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, Obesity, Asthma, and Cancer.

Source: https://www.simplemost.com/who-calls-for-elimination-of-trans-fat-in-foods-by-2023/

Optimal Fats for better health

Source: https://www.heartandstroke.ca/healthy-living/healthy-eating/fats-and-oils

Saturated Fats
- If you have been following the latest health trends you would be pretty aware of putting Coconut Oil in your Coffee and eating a good amount of butter and ghee to stay fit, healthy, and lose fat.
- But how did we switch from a “low fat” perspective to a “high fat” perspective? Well, that was the result of scientific reviews showing that dietary fat does not increase the risk of heart disease
- In a 2010 review at Tufts University, Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian concluded there is a clear benefit from cutting out saturated fats and increasing our intake of PUFAs.
- In 2014, the very same scientist reviewed all of the literature again. The meta-analysis, which reviewed 72 studies, found no benefit to reducing saturated fats or increasing PUFAs, except for omega 3 fats.
- It is in fact, sugar and the bad kind of fat (we discussed above) that increases inflammation and therefore, risk of heart disease.
- Saturated fat from the right kind of sources such as Coconut Oil, Grass-fed butter/ghee is important to provide the body with the required Cholesterol. This cholesterol is required by the body to make hormones, cell membranes, and brain cells.
- Good sources include Grass-fed Butter/Ghee, Eggs, Coconut Oil
MUFAs (Monounsaturated fatty acids)
- MUFAs have many health benefiting actions such as the improved function of blood vessels and they may benefit insulin levels and help in blood sugar control.
- Good Sources include:
  - Olive oil
  - Nuts, such as almonds, cashews, pecans, and macadamias
  - Avocados
  - Nut butter
  - Olives
PUFAs (Polyunsaturated fatty acids)
- When it comes to fueling our body with optimal polyunsaturated fatty acids, it is important to use quality sources (non-rancid and non-oxidized) and be mindful regarding Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids balance.
- Quality sources for Omega-6s: Raw Nuts and Seeds (such as Walnuts, Flax seeds, Chia seeds, Almonds)
- Quality Sources for Omega-3s: Fish and seafood, Nuts and Seeds (provide ALA that can be converted into EPA and DHA)
- To balance the Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio, do not over-consume Omega-6 rich food and make sure to eat enough Omega-3 rich foods. Consider supplementing with Fish Oil or Algae Oil to increase Omega-3 consumption if eating Fish 2-3 times a week is not an option.

Summary

We learned about functions of Fat, different types of fat, what are bad sources of fat and What is the optimal fat we can fuel ourselves with.

I hope this information makes your diet and thus your life a little bit better.

In the next article, we will look at Protein as a macronutrient and the Connection between food and mood.

Actions you can take

Increase your Omega-3 consumption by eating Fish, Fish oil/Algal Oil, or Walnuts/Flax seeds.
Eat more healthy fats such as Olive Oil, Avocados, Almonds.
Switch from cooking in vegetable oils to stable oils such as Virgin Coconut Oil or Ghee.
Do NOT eat fried foods (unless you really want inflammation in your brain and body. your choice :))
Say NO to foods containing Trans Fats (also mentioned as Partially hydrogenated oil, Hydrogenated oil)
READ the labels when you buy/eat stuff
Do NOT think you are eating healthy, confirm it. A healthy-looking popcorn packet could be hiding oxidized oils such as Canola oil.

Why do we eat and how to do it right? – PART II