Fats: Bad, Okay, Good, Better, Best?

[Myewze]

I'm wondering not only about what fats to avoid universally, but what fats are okay in moderation and/or if there are any fats that are truly preferable to all others? The more specific you can be (including specific foods that contain each variety of fats), the better.

Fundamentally, I'm curious as to whether the fat in, say, a full-fat cottage cheese is preferable to a fat in a natural almond butter? Are they both trumped by the fats in olive oil?

[On Fire]

Avoid: Trans Fat

Eat: Other Fat.

[Myewze]

Avoid: Trans Fat

Eat: Other Fat.

Just that simple?

[TyrusJB]

Just that simple?

get good omega 3 fatty acids.. fish oils would be good source.

stear clear of soybean, cottonseed, corn, and all others with too high an amount of polyunsaturated fats.

heat turns them rancid too easily.

olive oil, and saturated fats serve our bodies well.

[determined4000]

avoid: trans
mono:45-55% total fat
poly:25-35% total fat
saturated 25% or less total fat

[Myewze]

avoid: trans
mono:45-55% total fat
poly:25-35% total fat
saturated 25% or less total fat

Can a brother get some example foods?

[djansen]

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bbinfo.php?page=Fat

[determined4000]

Can a brother get some example foods?

sure
monos-nuts, PB, olive oil
polys:fish, canola, flax
saturated: fatty meat, whole fat dairy
TRANS: partially hydrogenated oils (used by fast food, baked goods, check labels on any processed stuff)

[Myewze]

sure
monos-nuts, PB, olive oil
polys:fish, canola, flax
saturated: fatty meat, whole fat dairy
TRANS: partially hydrogenated oils (used by fast food, baked goods, check labels on any processed stuff)

Very cool, thanks.

I guess to further my question, do these fats have different functions? Different effects on the body? Different efficacies (for example: in terms of promoting testosterone production)?

[djansen]

Very cool, thanks.

I guess to further my question, do these fats have different functions? Different effects on the body? Different efficacies (for example: in terms of promoting testosterone production)?

read, the link I gave you. it will require reading and searching through articles on your own though, just warning you.

[determined4000]

Saturated fat raises LDL (bad cholesterol), while monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat reduce LDL. Although Saturated fat also raises HDL, so does monounsaturated, except monounsaturated is doing so without raising LDL. Polyunsaturated fats need to be included because of many sources EFA content.

[Myewze]

read, the link I gave you. it will require reading and searching through articles on your own though, just warning you.

While I appreciate it, the link you provided looks like a general directory of fat articles, rather than anything with specific information on the question(s) I'm asking. I understand that by scouring through all of those articles will almost certainly yield lots of knowledge about fats and their function, much of which is likely to be conflicting (see "avoid all saturated fats" from here http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/david47.htm vs. "saturated fats ain't so bad" from here http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/fat_...erol_truth.htm), and I'm wondering if perhaps there is a more simple, direct answer available.

Would a saturated fat be as effective as a monounsaturated fat in promoting testosterone production?

[Fututre117]

what about whipped butter what would that fall under?

[davidl351]

While I appreciate it, the link you provided looks like a general directory of fat articles, rather than anything with specific information on the question(s) I'm asking. I understand that by scouring through all of those articles will almost certainly yield lots of knowledge about fats and their function, much of which is likely to be conflicting (see "avoid all saturated fats" from here http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/david47.htm vs. "saturated fats ain't so bad" from here http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/fat_...erol_truth.htm), and I'm wondering if perhaps there is a more simple, direct answer available.

Would a saturated fat be as effective as a monounsaturated fat in promoting testosterone production?

coconut oil has been shown to raise test levels more than extra virgin olive oil.

[Myewze]

coconut oil has been shown to raise test levels more than extra virgin olive oil.

Neat. Why's that?

[davidl351]

Neat. Why's that?

here's where i got the info: i'm not even close to qualified to comment on biochemistry, haha.

http://www.ergo-log.com/olivetest.html

[Myewze]

here's where i got the info: i'm not even close to qualified to comment on biochemistry, haha.

http://www.ergo-log.com/olivetest.html

Outstanding. I'm still interested in knowing some of the functional differences between the types of fats (saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated). Can anyone enlighten me, or at least point me to a specific article that would prove helpful?

[determined4000]

Coconut oil is one of the few healthy saturated fat sources (effect the body/processed differently than animal sourced sat. fats). Cocoa is another.

[Myewze]

Coconut oil is one of the few healthy saturated fat sources (effect the body/processed differently than animal sourced sat. fats). Cocoa is another.

But for the most part unsaturated fats are always preferable to saturated fats?

[TyrusJB]

But for the most part unsaturated fats are always preferable to saturated fats?

unsaturated fats have spaces in their molecular structure that allow for oxidation. So when these replace and contribute to a good portion of your body, they are prone to oxidation as well.
For instance, in the skin.. the unsaturated fats lead to uv rays damaging that fat spot.. which can lead to cancer or skin spots.

saturated fat doesn't have a spot for oxidation.. that's why when cooking with them they don't go rancid, that's why sunlight doesn't affect their structure, but with poly or mono, it can cause it to go bad.

mono has one receptor open for damage

poly has two or more.

Omega 3 and 6 are polyunsaturated fats. To get your requirement of polyunsat's, the desire is for them to be consisting of as much omega 3 as possible. As omega 3's inhibit inflammation, promote insulin sensitivity, and there's even a study showing it provides influence in keeping DNA telomeres safe and protected from unravelling.

I'll say this.. although the present consensus of most medically minded people is that saturated fat is the killer... It's the POLYunsaturated fats that lower immune systems, cause the body to be in a cancer prone state.

People have been eating saturated fats for years.. Poor communities around the world consistantly exhibit extended lifespans, and an overall lack of general health problems.. and when those same individuals leave to neighboring 'modern' populations and eat the similar diets that most americans consume, then THEY begin to have heart disease, diabetes... Low HDL cholesterol.. atherosclerosis.

These health problems were rare before 1950s.. before WWII really. People smoked like crazy, but lung cancer was rare as well. In that case, the polyunsaturated fats begin constituting the fats in the lungs.. trans fats are alsoo known to do this as well, and the smoke then is much more apt to cause a cancerous state. Again, being that Saturated fat doesn't have a receptor for damage.

During those times, the animal fats were used in cooking.. Butter was used.. coconut oil was popular. But during WWII the soybean and then later corn industries started funding studies skewing results to show saturated fats were 'artery clogging fats' Playing on a fear at the time.

The studies showing coconut oil causing hardening of the arteries and increasing blockages used partially hydrogenated coconut oil. and that's why now you often see "Saturated fats, such as coconut oil or tropical oils, clog arteries and creates heart disease'

Doctors have known that feeding polyunsaturated fats to donor patients impairs the bodies immune system so that the organ or appendage isn't rejected. But it's known that doing this quite often causes cancer after extended administration.

Farmers years ago during around the 60s or 70s wanted to find different foods to feed cows to fatten them up.. at first coconut oil was used.. and this only caused them to become very active and actually lose weight.

so then they administered a thyroid suppressing drug to the cows fatten them up, and this caused cancer. So in the end, soybeans and corn were fed to the cows which provided the same result as the thyroid drug. Causing hypothyroid.. and still, but less, cancer.

[Myewze]

Oh damn...so polys are really the thing to look out for?
Fish? Flax seed oil? Overrated?

[jgreenhaus]

Do polys effect digestion at all?

[Holyspokes]

Do polys effect digestion at all?

What do you mean?

As far as I know, digestion is the same. All will be broken down into a glycerol and fatty acids. However, I believe beta oxidation will differ depending on saturated/unsaturated.

[jgreenhaus]

i mean do healthy fats aid digestion in anyway? Like could there be any problems if u dont receive enough?

[determined4000]

Oh damn...so polys are really the thing to look out for?
Fish? Flax seed oil? Overrated?

NO
You NEED polys
most people get too few
It is about having the right balance of fat

[determined4000]

i mean do healthy fats aid digestion in anyway? Like could there be any problems if u dont receive enough?

more along the lines of problems with immune system, brain, testosterone, other hormones, cellcular functioning

[dizzay20]

Avoid: Trans Fat

Eat: Other Fat.

This/10


When u eat sumthing, its a mixture of all the fats, not just one type.

[Joseph_Brosef]

avoid: trans
mono:45-55% total fat
poly:25-35% total fat
saturated 25% or less total fat

Ive heard that poly and mono can be converted to saturated fats? Is this true? Does that mean if u get very low saturated fat in ur diet its still gona be fine?

[determined4000]

Ive heard that poly and mono can be converted to saturated fats? Is this true? Does that mean if u get very low saturated fat in ur diet its still gona be fine?

No but if you eat too little overall fat, then your body will produce more cholesterol (bad)
One of the reasons eggs are good is they are higher in cholesterol but low in Saturated fat
Sat fat increases LDL (bad) cholesterol, unsaturated does not--> it lowers it

[TyrusJB]

NO
You NEED polys
most people get too few
It is about having the right balance of fat

anything greasy provides too much omega 6

Eating corn or soybean fed cows affects their omega 3 - omega 6 balance and we receive extra from that

IMO the usual diet has too many 6's, causing inflammation and deterioration

the best thing that has worked for me is keeping overall polyunsaturated fats low, and supplementing with fish oils.. by helping, I mean insulin sensitivity (less fat storage) and my poor poor joints.

if I eat oatmeal, which has 3g of omega 6 (gamma-linoleic, I believe) my joints get real stiff, my knees start hurting, back gets tight and inflamed.. it's not pretty, but my body takes quite a beating.. so for me to function normally.. I really try to not eat anything with omega 6.. even sunflower seeds, which I have an addiction for hahaha.

but on the other hand.. if I eat oatmeal but then take 4-5 grams more of fish oils for the day, the inflammation is lessoned to a manageable degree. but I'd rather not make my overall polyunsaturated uptake higher just to balance it out.

Saturated fat dilutes the amount of polyunsaturated fats in your body. So if I eat oatmeal and get inflamed, and instead of upping fish oil pills to counteract, I could drink 1/4 a gallon of whole milk, or do 3-4 big tablespoons full of coconut oil to dilute the effect. Sounds crazy, I know, but it works that way.