| Dietary fats and cholesterol don't necessarily turn into body fat and blood cholesterol. The way the body makes body fat and blood cholesterol is extremely complex, involving hundreds of different chemical reactions and dozens of nutrients. Because of this complexity, the health effects of eating dietary fat and dietary cholesterol may be very different from the health effects of having high blood cholesterol (what your doctor measures) or having too much body fat.
As blood cholesterol levels in rural China rose in certain counties, the incidence of "Western" diseases also increased. |
Robert W. Hill, Ph.D. and Eduardo Castro, M.D.
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 Fats: We are all aware that dietary fats play a role in heart disease and cancer, but the parent of an ADD child needs to be aware of the importance of dietary fats on brain functioning, and that effect is probably not what you would expect.
The brain is largely composed of fatty tissue, and the majority of these fats are found in the membranes of the cells. These membranes provide the outer layer for each cell and protect the carefully regulated environment inside the cell. The health of the cell's membrane is essential to its proper functioning. |
Bruce Fife and Jon J. Kabara
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 Regardless of your age your bones can benefit from coconut oil. dietary fats play a role in the formation of our bones. Researchers at Purdue University found that free radicals from oxidized vegetable oils interfere with bone formation thus contribute to osteoporosis. They also discovered that antioxidants such as vitamin E protected the bones from free radicals. In addition, they found that saturated fats, like those in coconut oil, also acted as antioxidants and protected the bones from destructive free radicals. |
| Because MCFA increase the metabolic rate, they are dietary fats that can actually promote weight loss! A dietary fat that takes off weight rather than putting it on is a strange concept indeed, but that is exactly what
* This is true as long as you don't overeat. Overeating puts tremendous strain on the digestive system which can drain your energy and make you feel tired. This is why we often feel sleepy after a big meal. happens, so long as calories in excess of the body's needs are not consumed. |
Jack Challem
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 Though technical, Know Your Fats may be the most comprehensive consumer book on making sense of the many dietary fats. For more information e-mail customer@bethesda press.com or go to bethesdapress.com.
Web Sites
The Official Anti-Inflammation Syndrome Diet Plan Web Site www.stopinflammation.com
The Nutrition Reporter
Dozens of articles on vitamins and minerals. www.nutritionreporter.com
Consumerlab.com
Independent reports evaluating whether specific nutritional supplements contain what their labels say. Although Consumerlab. |
Bruce Fife and Jon J. Kabara
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| Sebum as well as all dietary fats (e.g. corn oil, soybean oil, etc.) are composed primarily of triglycerides. These bacteria feed on the glycerol molecule which holds the fatty acids together. When the glycerol is removed, the fatty acids are freed and become independent of one another. This is what is called a free fatty acid. Medium-chain fatty acids bound together as triglycerides have no antimicrobial properties, but when broken down into free fatty acids, they become powerful antimicrobials. Okay, now let's get back to the discussion. |
Jack Challem
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| When a balance of dietary fats is restored, through diet and supplements, the body regains its natural ability to both turn on and turn off inflammation.
Elevated blood sugar (glucose) levels, stemming from a diet with too many refined carbohydrates and sugars, also can increase inflammation in the body. People with insulin resistance commonly have high levels of C-reactive protein, a sign of inflammation. Insulin resistance is at the heart of Syndrome X and type 2 diabetes. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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 Fatty acids from dietary fats are used to nourish the cells involved in thought and emotion. Essential fatty acids from flaxseed, fish, or borage oil are important for proper brain function.
Glucose from carbohydrates becomes fuel and creates energy. Micronutrients from fruits and vegetables are antioxidants that protect cells from damage. Amino acids from proteins create neurotransmitters for cell networking and communication.
People with Alzheimer's disease tend to have low levels of vitamin B12, zinc, and the antioxidant vitamins A and E. |
John Boik
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 A definitive effect of dietary fats on metastasis has not been established.
12.3 MECHANISMS BY WHICH
DIETARY FATS MAY INHIBIT CANCER
Studies on allograft or chemically-induced tumors in mice have reported that omega-3 marine lipids, such as EPA:
• inhibit the development of colon and pancreatic cancers (Carrol, 1991; Butrum and Messina, 1991)
• inhibit the growth and metastasis of mammary tumors (Karmali, 1985; Istfan et al. |
Jack Challem
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| Because dietary fats have been so skewed by refining and processing, it might be worthwhile to adopt a Paleolithic-style diet similar to the one described in this book. Emphasizing anti-inflammatory fats and studiously avoiding pro-inflammatory trans fatty acids might have benefits.
Overweight and Obesity
What Are Overweight and Obesity?
By clinical definition, a person is obese when he or she is thirty or more pounds over his or her ideal weight. Simply being overweight is characterized by being a few pounds to up to thirty pounds over his or her ideal weight. |
Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 1Michael T. Murray, ND
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| Amid the clamor over the largely mistaken problems associated with dietary fats, many very real problems have been created by the large-scale use of modified fats by food suppliers. Individuals do not feel the effects of abusing dietary fats on the short term because of the presence of many protective mechanisms that make health threats from fat abuse a very insidious process.
Modern diets of fast foods and packaged dinners tend to be rich in saturated fats and hydrogenated oils and are frequently lacking in essential fatty acids. |
Robert W. Hill, Ph.D. and Eduardo Castro, M.D.
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| Fats: We are all aware that dietary fats play a role in heart disease and cancer, but the parent of an ADD child needs to be aware of the importance of dietary fats on brain functioning, and that effect is probably not what you would expect.
The brain is largely composed of fatty tissue, and the majority of these fats are found in the membranes of the cells. These membranes provide the outer layer for each cell and protect the carefully regulated environment inside the cell. The health of the cell's membrane is essential to its proper functioning. |
Bradley J. Willcox, M.D., D. Craig Willcox, Ph.D., Makoto Suzuki, M.D.
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 Chili peppers, for example, a common ingredient in Okinawan cuisine, have been found to reduce appetite27 and increase the metabolism of dietary fats.28 Most of the herbs and spices we include here also contain antioxidants and phytonutrients that help combat the ravages of time and give your system an extra boost of healing power. Some of them even help the body to use insulin more efficiently. |
Mark Hyman, M.D.
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 For example, when you eat hydrogenated fat (those synthetic fats created in the laboratory by chemically altering naturally occurring fats), your body is tricked into thinking it is real food because hydrogenated fats taste like fat, even though the body can't make use of them as with normal dietary fats.
However, we lack the necessary enzymes to process these synthetic fats, and because they can't be processed properly, they cause problems. |
The Life Extension Editorial Staff
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 Obesity and high intake of certain types of dietary fats are also associated with asthma. High caloric intake and the consumption of saturated fats are associated with asthma, while monounsaturated fats (such as olive oil) reduce risk of asthma (Huang and Pan 2001). People with high body mass (referred to as body mass index or BMI) are at a higher risk of asthma due to the added mass on their lungs and more active inflammatory mechanisms (von Mutius et al. 2001).
In general, asthma increases in industrialized societies due to worsening dietary habits. |
| Insulin causes sugar and dietary fats to be converted to body fat. Excess insulin prevents stored body fat from being released, even when a person undergoes severe calorie restriction, such as in crash dieting.
Poor diet, obesity, aging, and metabolic disturbances result in the excessive secretion of insulin, a factor in the development of Type II diabetes. Suppressing excess insulin production is a crucial and often overlooked component of a fat-loss program.
The role of excess insulin in causing weight gain has been an accepted scientific fact for years (Beeson et al. 1971; Woodward et al. |
| By facilitating the youthful transport of fatty acids into the cell mitochondria, acetyl-L-carnitine facilitates conversion of dietary fats to energy and muscle. Acetyl-L-carnitine has also been shown to regenerate nerves (Fernandez et al. 1997); provide protection against glutamate and ammonia-mduced toxicity to the brain (Rao et al. 1999); and to reverse the effects of heart aging in animals (Paradies et al. 1999).
In an aging mouse model, two studies (Hagen et al. 1998a, b) illustrated the ability of acetyl-L-carnitine to increase cellular respiration. |
Bruce Fife and Jon J. Kabara
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| Other dietary fats produce body fat.
Inside each of our cells is an organ called the mitochondria. The energy needed by the cell to carry on its functions is generated by the mitochondria. Mitochondria are encased in two membranous sacs which normally require special enzymes to transport nutrients through them. MCFA are unique in that they can easily permeate both membranes of the mitochondria without the need of enzymes and thus provide the cell with a quick and efficient source of energy. |
Bradley J. Willcox, M.D., D. Craig Willcox, Ph.D., Makoto Suzuki, M.D.
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| Some limited research has supported capsicums' ability to increase metabolic rates,35 reduce appetite,27 and increase metabolism of dietary fats,28 but this requires further study. The hemp seeds provide omega-3 fatty acids; the seaweed is very high in calcium; and the mixture offers a host of other phytonutrients from carotenoids to flavonoids.
How to use it. Sprinkle shichimi on any food that needs a bit of flavor. Try it with soup, grilled fish, noodles, and simmered vegetables. It even makes a nice addition to plain rice and potatoes.
Where to find it. |
Jack Challem
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| Several animal studies have found that some dietary fats are more likely than others to become body fat. For example, some research shows that consumption of monounsaturated fat results in less body fat than does saturated fat, even when both provide the same number of calories. Similarly, evidence suggests that consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, calorie for calorie, might result in relatively less body fat.
How Common Are Overweight and Obesity?
The prevalence of obesity and overweight have, without exaggeration, skyrocketed in recent years. In 2001 David Satcher, M.D. |
The Life Extension Editorial Staff
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| Balance: Always the Key
The need for balance regarding dietary fats is clearly evidenced in a report appearing in the journal Circulation. Researchers found that low levels of animal fat and protein increased the risk of hemorrhagic stroke in hypertensive women 370% over women eating more dietary fat. The researchers also noted that individuals with a very low intake of saturated fat may develop structural impairment of the arteries. |
| By facilitating the youthful transport of fatty acids into the cell mitochondria, acetyl-L-carnitine facilitates conversion of dietary fats to energy and muscle. Acetyl-L-carnitine has also been shown to regenerate nerves (Fernandez et al. 1997), to provide protection against glutamate and ammonia induced toxicity to the brain (Rao et al. 1999), and to reverse the effects of heart aging in animals (Paradies et al. 1999).
Antioxidants that Reduce Free-Radical Damage
Vitamin C. Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that is found naturally in many fruits and vegetables. According to Garg et al. |
Michael Janson, M.D.
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 Chapter 7
Dietary Fats and Essential Fatty Acids
Only recently have we developed an understanding of the role of dietary fats in health. Fats are a source of energy (or calories—too many in most cases) and provide structural protection around organs. As we'll see, they are also important components of cell membranes and precursors of important regulatory molecules.
Types of Fats
There are different kinds of fats, including animal fats, vegetable fats, saturated and unsaturated fats, liquid fats (oils) and solid fats. Some saturated fats have been artificially hydrogenated. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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| Beta-glucans in barley work with other soluble fibers to help prevent intestinal absorption of dietary fats and cholesterol. Containing both soluble and insoluble fiber, this grain aids bowel regularity. Barley broth is excellent for the ill and convalescing, as well as for those with heart problems. Potassium is abundant in unrefined barley. Mugi, a seasoning paste (miso) made from soy and a specific type of barley has been shown to reduce tumors and body fat. Barley is best purchased as "whole hulled," rather than pearled. |
Robert W. Hill, Ph.D. and Eduardo Castro, M.D.
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| There are two important points to note about how dietary fats affect brain functioning. The first is that dietary fats are used as-is—the fats you eat are the fats that will become important structures in your brain. They are not broken down and reassembled for specific uses like proteins and carbohydrates are. The quality of the fats in the diet will directly affect the quality of the cell membranes in the brain.
The second point is that the cells in our brain and nervous system are not likely to regenerate. What we have is what we have. |
Dianne Onstad
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 We all need fat. dietary fats produce body fat needed to provide energy as well as insulate and regulate bodily temperature. The fat-soluble vitamins—vitamins A, D, E, and K—need fat to be bioavail-able. Fats help us feel grounded, soothed, and comforted. Refined fats, however, are carcinogenic; they suppress the immune system; they cause gastric distress and irritated lungs and mucous membranes; and they speed aging. Overconsumption of fats of any type can cause a person to be mentally, physically, or emotionally heavy, overly materialistic, or grasping. |
John Croft
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 Other functions performed by dietary fats in general include: facilitating the digestion of important nutrients, suppressing our appetite, and providing the raw material for our sebaceous glands to produce the lubricant that maintains our skin health.
There are two sources for the cholesterol in our body. One is dietary—meats, dairy products, and some types of fish contain cholesterol. Meats contain the highest amounts of cholesterol while only a few species of fish (mainly shrimp, squid, and abalone) contain reasonably high levels. Most fish and shellfish are low in cholesterol content. |
| What is really needed for good health is a balance of dietary fats combined with a balance of physical exercise. Note the word balance again—this is really the key to success in everything, including our health. It is also one of the reasons why the saltwater bodies are so valuable as mentioned in the first chapter. The seas comprise the most ecologically and nutritionally balanced medium we have on our planet Earth! |
Gary Null
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| Aging causes alterations in enzymes required to convert dietary fats into the essential fatty acids the body requires to sustain life. The effects of a fatty acid imbalance are wide-ranging, and include an irregular heartbeat, joint degeneration, low energy, excessive blood coagulation, dry skin, and a host of other common ailments associated with aging.
DIGESTIVE ENZYME DEFICIT
The aging pancreas often fails to secrete enough digestive enzymes, while the aging liver does not secrete enough bile acids. The result: the chronic indigestion that so many people complain about as they grow older. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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| English proverb
There are "good" and "bad" fats in foods—some toxic, some neutral, and some that are essential to good health. dietary fats provide a concentrated energy source as well as the building blocks for cell membranes and a variety of hormones. All animal and plant fat can be broken down into fatty acids, glycerin, and water. Fats and lipids (another descriptive name for fat-soluble natural compounds) are better energy sources than protein or carbohydrates. |
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