The Skinny On Fatty Acids

“Fat” used to be bad word in fitness circles. Not anymore.

- George L. Redmon, PhD, ND

Health officials have continuously sounded the alarm concerning the dangers of excess consumption of saturated fats. These fats where believed to increase the development of heart disease, obesity, and other metabolic disorders. However, a recent collaborative study by researchers at the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom) and Harvard School of Public Health has shown that saturated fats aren’t as dangerous as once believed.

What these investigators discovered was that over-consumption of polyunsaturated fats while substantially reducing consumption of saturated fats did not reduce the incidence of heart disease. What has been discovered is that trans fats are the most dangerous fats. These artificially produced fats differ from naturally occurring fats found in plant oils and animal fat. Produced when vegetable oil is solidified at high temperatures via the use of hydrogen, trans fats are listed as partially hydrogenated oils. The hydrogenation process degrades and distorts the chemical configuration of fat, which the cells are incapable of metabolizing properly.

Separating the negative aspects concerning trans fats, these new findings concerning the benefits of saturated and unsaturated fats should serve as an anabolic, thermogenic, and metabolic wake-up call for anyone who is in the gym.

The Anabolic Aspects Of Fat