Facts about Fat: Can fats make us Fatter?

Facts about Fats

Will the fat that you eat go onto your arteries?

Atherosclerosis is caused by oxidized LDL particles penetrating the arterial wall, inciting inflammation, and damaging the arterial tissue. It is not caused by fat mechanistically attaching itself to the surface of the arteries like fat in a kitchen pipe. Also, it’s not like you eat some butter and that butter gets directed straight into your bloodstream. Your blood doesn’t have oil slicks running through it, or congealed droplets of grease gumming up the passageways.

Will  dietary cholesterol in food  increase my total cholesterol?

No, only if you were a rabbit. When you feed cholesterol to an herbivorous animal, like a rabbit, whose only encounters with dietary cholesterol occur in a lab setting, their blood lipids will increase and they will usually develop atherosclerosis..  Dietary cholesterol does not affect total blood cholesterol in human beings.  When we  eat cholesterol, our bodies make less of it to keep our blood levels in balance.

Will fat make you fat?

No, fat doesn’t make you fat. While you can technically overeat by consuming enough fat calories to accumulate adipose tissue, it is  difficult because for two reasons:

Fat is very satiating, especially when paired with low-carb meals. Grass-fed pot roast, ribbed with yellow fat, connective tissue, and ample protein is far more filling than some crusty bread spread with butter. It’s difficult to overeat on a high-fat, low-carb diet.

Dietary fat in the presence of large amounts of dietary carbohydrates can make it difficult to access fat for energy, while dietary fat in the presence of low levels of dietary carbohydrates makes it easier to access fat for energy. Couple that with the fact that fat and carbs are easier to overeat together, and you have your explanation. In fact, studies have shown that low-carb, high-fat diets not only reduce weight, they also retain or even increase lean mass.

Will saturated fat cause heart attacks?

No, but when saturated fat is turn into transfats (heated above smoke point), then it becomes a problem.

Scientific research has revealed the following:

• A 2011 study found that “reducing the intake of CHO with high glycaemic index is more effective in the prevention of CVD than reducing SAFA intake per se.”
• From a 2010 study out of Japan, saturated fat intake “was inversely associated with mortality from total stroke.”
• A 2010 meta-analysis found “that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD.”

Can you get energy from fat?

You get energy from fat, carbohydrates and protein (both dietary and as stored body fat). Fat is the ideal energy source for life’s daily activities; walking, working, even going for a hike. Carbs only really come into play when you’re doing repeated bouts of intense exercise, like sprint intervals or high-intensity endurance training. But for just about everything else? Fat is a good source for energy and that is why we store it on our bodies to use when needed.

Does fat contain any nutrients?

• The richest source of vitamin E, a potent antioxidants, is red palm oil – a fat
• One of the richest sources of choline, an important micronutrient for liver function, is egg yolk – a fat
• One of the better sources of vitamin K2, a nutrient involved in cancer prevention, arterial health, and bone metabolism, is grass-fed butter – a fat.
• The very best dietary source of vitamin D, a nutrient most people are deficient in, is cod liver oil – a fat

Remember without fat in your meals, you often won’t absorb all the nutrients that are present in other foods like leafy greens, since many of them require fat for full absorption

But the brain requires glucose?

Yes, the brain does require glucose. But it can run on both fat and glucose. Ketones, derived from fatty acids, can satisfy the majority of the brain’s energy needs, sparing the need for so much glucose. You’ll still need some glucose, as the brain can’t run purely on ketone bodies, but you won’t need nearly as much.  Your brain will run more efficiently on a combination of ketones and glucose than on glucose alone.

The improved efficiency means you can function without food.  You have ample brain energy stores on your body as fat and that allows you to access that body fat for brain energy. Your body, through a process known as gluconeogenesis, can make up to 150 grams of glucose a day – more than the brain even needs (roughly 120 grams/day).