The Skinny on Fats

Moving beyond the mistaken idea that fats are bad for us

I see a lot of misinformation being spread in articles here on Medium related to dietary fats, and I’d like to provide some clarity on the topic.

There are a few ways to classify fatty acids (fats). This article will present and explore seven distinct dietary fatty acids. But before diving into these seven different fats, here is what most of them have in common:

Most dietary fats are a combination of carbon atom chains attached to glycerol molecules. There are typically three carbon atom chains attached to the glycerol molecule. As such, they form what is called a triglyceride. The chains attached to the glycerol molecule are molecules themselves — and all the components are a combination of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen atoms. These chains are what make up fatty acids. So a triglyceride is a glycerol molecule with three fatty acids attached to it.

The human body has some critical nutrient-specific needs. These critical nutrient needs are referred to as “essential nutrients.” An essential nutrient is one that the body needs to get through things we ingest. We have other nutrient needs that aren’t essential in that our body can synthesize them from the essential nutrients we do eat.

A prime example of this is glucose: We need glucose to live, but we don’t need to eat any because the liver can synthesize all the glucose we need as long as we eat enough protein and fat.

This article goes into more detail on glucose and carbohydrates if you are interested:

Back to fats, there are two types of fats that we do need to eat — that is, there are two essential fatty acids. So, let’s dive into the seven types of fat and see what these two essential fatty acids are.

#1 Omega 3 Fatty Acids

This is one of the essential fatty acids and is very important in maintaining heart health. Omega 3 is also anti-inflammatory. We hear a lot about the need for anti-oxidants in our diet — well, omega-3 fatty acids are anti-oxidants. Omega 3 comes in three forms — and while we technically don’t need to eat all three, it seems best if we do (I’ll explain soon).

The first Omega 3 is Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA). It is anti-inflammatory, good for heart health and contributes to neuronal structure — which suggests it could be helpful in fighting Alzheimer’s disease. We absolutely need to ingest ALA. ALA deficiency frequently presents itself in the form of cardiovascular disease and/or depression. It’s very hard to find ALA in processed food. Foods high in ALA include walnuts, avocados, edamame, navy beans, and zucchini. Chicken with the skin is also a source of Omega 3, but, as we’ll see next, it comes with an overwhelming dose of Omega 6 fatty acid, which isn’t so healthy.

The second Omega 3 is Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA). EPA is needed for neural transmission. And the third Omega 3 is Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA). DHA is needed for both neuronal structure and cell membrane stability. I’ve grouped these together because they can both be synthesized given enough ALA to work with. The problem is that the conversion of ALA to EPA and/or DHA is incredibly inefficient, making it nearly impossible to eat enough ALA to satisfy the body’s need for all three Omega 3s.

EPA is found in abundance in cold-water fatty fish, including salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, shellfish, and herring. DHA is found in those same sources as well as shellfish, and eggs. The fish don’t produce EPA or DHA on their own — they get it from the algae they eat. So, if you are a vegan, you can get your EPA and DHA from supplements made from algae.

#2 Omega 6 Fatty Acids

Omega 6 is also an essential fatty acid — we need to eat it to get it. And our food environment is flooded with Omega 6 fatty acids. The hitch with Omega 6 is that while we need some, too much is a problem. While Omega 3s are anti-inflammatory, Omega 6s are pro-inflammatory.

We need some inflammation in our body to keep our immune system on its toes. But too much inflammation is a big problem. Remembering that Omega 3s are anti-inflammatory, an important thing to look at is the ratio of Omega 3s to Omega 6s in our diet. The ideal ratio is 1:1. So, for every gram of Omega 3 we ingest, we want about 1 gram of Omega 6. The problem with chicken is that for every gram of Omega 3, 20 grams of Omega 6 come along with it.

In fact, the average American diet has an Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio of about 1:20–25. We can get by and maintain metabolic health with a ratio as high as 1:6, but 1:20 is likely driving the incidence of cardiovascular disease.

Importantly, the fat one typically consumes when eating a low-fat diet of processed foods is of the Omega 6 variety. Sources rich in Omega 6s include corn, soy, sunflower, safflower, and cottonseed oils, as well as the highly processed foods made with them, such as fast foods, margarine, mayonnaise, and salad dressings.

#3 Monounsaturated Fatty Acids

Monounsaturated fatty acids (Oleic Acid, sometimes referred to as Omega 9 fatty acids) signal the liver to work more efficiently — thereby improving energy dynamics. When you are low in Oleic acid, your mitochondria suffer, and your metabolism will slow down because of it.

Olive oil is a food rich in monounsaturated fatty acids. The important thing to remember with all monounsaturated oils is that they become toxic when heated past their smoke point. So, they aren’t the best to cook with. Olive oil, for example, has a smoke point of 310°F (165°C). When heated above their smoke point, these healthy monounsaturated fatty acids turn into poisonous trans-fats (more on these later).

I live in Italy now and one of the first things I noticed when it came to mealtime was that a bottle of olive oil (EVOO) was always on the table. Italians (and now I) use it like Americans use ketchup. They dip bread in it, pour it over pasta, and use it on vegetables, on cooked meat and fish. Italians typically dress their salads with only extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and maybe salt and pepper.

#4 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

Polyunsaturated fatty acids are also anti-inflammatory. While there is a problem with them converting into trans-fats when overheated, most have a higher smoke point than monounsaturated fats. Soybean and sunflower oil, for example, have a smoke point of 450°F (232°C). Too much polyunsaturated fat in the diet can lead to immune system issues (remember, we need some inflammation).

#5 Saturated Fatty Acids

Saturated fat has long been understood to be healthy for us. Then, for some reason, we stopped understanding this. And, although not supported by any science in human physiology, saturated fat became Public Enemy #1.

Saturated fats come in two structural forms: Even-chain saturated fats (found in meat fats like lard, and tropical oils) and odd-chain saturated fats (found in cow’s milk and tallow).

Even-chain saturated fatty acids are neither pro- nor anti-inflammatory — they are neutral on the inflammation front.

Odd-chain fatty acids are anti-inflammatory. So the notion that saturated fat is bad for you just doesn’t square with the facts.

#6 Medium Chain Triglycerides

If you have read up on intermittent fasting, you’ve probably run into MCT oil — often used to make bulletproof coffee. Adding MCT oil to your morning brew is a way of making a richer coffee drink that doesn’t break one’s fast. This is because MCT oil gets sent directly to the liver and is easily metabolized, resulting in ketones.

Medium-chain triglycerides are found in a lot of nuts and seeds, they are only found in abundance in human breast milk, cow’s milk, goat’s milk, coconut oil, palm kernel oil, coconut meat, and dried coconut. There might be other rich sources out there, but these are the most easily accessible — especially if you are a baby!

One problem to watch out for with medium-chain triglycerides is mixing them in the same meal with saturated fats. If saturated fats and MCTs are being metabolized at the same time, our mitochondria don’t metabolize either very well. This means more fat will be sent back to the liver for storage. This extra stored liver fat will get used, but it’s an extra step that doesn’t help us.

#7 Trans-fatty Acids

Trans-fats are the bad guys. Until recently, they were widely used in processed foods. The reason was that they increased shelf-life dramatically. This is a particular strength of trans-fats due to the fact that bacteria can’t break trans-fats down. As we just saw by mixing saturated fats with MCTs, we can get some extra, temporary liver fat storage, when trans-fats get stored in the liver, they are there for good, as we can’t metabolize them, either.

So, there you have it — the skinny on fats.

Thank you for reading this article — hopefully you found it interesting!

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