saturated vs. unsaturated fats

Understanding Healthy Fats : Saturated vs Unsaturated

Let’s start from the beginning, shall we? Healthy fats make up one of the three essential macronutrients that we consume every day. They come in many different shapes, sizes and forms, and are an important part of a healthy diet.

Dietary fats are made of fatty acids. Fatty acids are composed of carbon and hydrogen elements joined together in long chains called hydrocarbons. Dietary fats get their unique properties from their structure, which determines the role it plays in our bodies.

Saturated vs. Unsaturated Fats

There are 2 main types of dietary fat: saturated fat and unsaturated fat. The primary difference is found in the bond structure. All fats are classified into either of these two categories, however, all fat-based foods contain a combination of different types of fat, therefore, they are classified by the type of fat most predominant in the composition.

Saturated Fats

Saturated fats contain no double bonds between their carbon atoms, the chain is “saturated” with hydrogens, which results in molecules packed very tightly together. For this reason, saturated fats are generally solid at room temperature. This makes Saturated fats great for cooking because they are not prone to damage by heat. Common sources of saturated fat include:

Red meat
Dairy products
Butter
Ghee
Coconuts
Lard
Animal fats

Unsaturated Fats

Unsaturated fats can be broken down into two sub-categories: monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Depending on their bond structure, unsaturated fats have one (mono-) or more (poly-) double bonds in the chain of carbons.

Monounsaturated Fats

There are many different types of monounsaturated fats found in our food. Oleic acid is one of the most common. Similar to saturated fats, monounsaturated fats help to form the structural fats of the human body and are considered healthy. Monounsaturated fats are commonly known as “good fats” because they have been shown to have beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease risk markers by reducing LDL while increasing HDL, lowering triglycerides associated with heart disease and fight inflammation, and lowering blood pressure. Common sources of monounsaturated fat include:

Olives
Avocados
Some meats
Some nuts

Polyunsaturated Fats

Polyunsaturated fats are the most susceptible to oxidative damage from light, heat and air, especially high-heat cooking. There are two major types of polyunsaturated fats: omega-3 fatty acids, and omega-6 fatty acids. Common sources of polyunsaturated fat include:

Fatty Fish
Flax Seed
Walnuts
Seed oils (canola, soybean, corn, safflower, etc.)

Essential Fatty Acids Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are forms of polyunsaturated fatty acids and the most well known fatty acids given their numerous health benefits. The most important omega-3 fats include ALA, DHA and EPA and have been shown to be particularly beneficial for heart health. Our bodies mostly use EPA and DHA, which are commonly found in cold-water fish, while the body must convert ALA, commonly found in plant sources such as flax, hemp and chia. Although both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids have integral functions in the body and are essential for optimal health, they are most effective in balance.

Why Do I Need Fat?

Getting enough fat is essential for optimal health. Dietary fats are required for cellular metabolism and cell signaling; the health of various body tissues; healthy hormone function; and essential nutrition absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Not to mention, fat is an incredibly satiating macronutrient that will help to keep you full between meals and provide delicious flavour. Generally speaking, the dietary fat that we consume is either: 1) used for energy; 2) incorporated into other body tissues and organs or 3) stored as adipose (fat) tissues.

Are All Fats Healthy?

Typically, we classify saturated fats as “unhealthy” fats and unsaturated fats as “healthy” fats. However, it’s not that simple. We have consumed unprocessed forms of both saturated and unsaturated fats for generations as we have evolved on diets of marine life, wild game, milk, coconuts and/or inland plants. Therefore, a better definition of “healthy fat” (and the definition you should adopt) is: unprocessed fat found in natural foods.

Isn’t Saturated Fat Bad for You?

It’s not bad when you are only getting it from natural sources. Old science believed that saturated fat was a health risk, but this is not the case as new evidence now shows that saturated fat is important for our optimal health.

Where did the fear of saturated fat come from? Well in the 1950s researcher Ancel Keys published The Seven Countries Study linking saturated fat and cholesterol with rising rates of heart disease. We would like to reiterate that he found a “link” not that one caused the other. Before this study was published, people consumed saturated fats regularly without concern. We generally cooked from scratch, used butter, ate whole eggs, and ate almost every part of meat. However, once The Seven Countries Study was published, our perceptions around food and fats changed. This study was the catalyst in demonizing saturated fat, which led to the increased production and consumption of low-fat and fat-free products worldwide.

With a limited understanding and knowledge of the roles of saturated fats at the time, Key’s theory went quite undebated for many years. However, upon advancements in research in the past decades, these findings have been scrutinized. It turns out, Key’s research was very flawed. The conclusions presented were not actually representative of the data collected. Keys based his theory on a study of six countries, in which higher saturated fat intake was linked to higher rates of coronary disease, however, he omitted the findings from 16 other countries that did not fit his theory. If all country data were included, it would have suggested increasing the ratio of calories from fat in fact helps to reduce the number of deaths from heart disease.

New studies have debunked the diet-heart hypothesis many times, however, the concept that saturated fats are unhealthy and cause heart disease remains one of the strongest beliefs even though it has been deemed a myth several times (thank you mainstream media!). To understand this from a biological perspective, humans require saturated fat because we are warm-blooded. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and these fats provide the appropriate stiffness and structure to our cell membranes and tissues. Some of the many benefits of saturated fats include strengthening the immune system, improved brain health, improved lung health, improved liver health, and nutrient absorption.

It is also important to keep in mind that humans evolved eating wild game, marine life, and plant life, and have consumed unprocessed forms of saturated fats (organ meats, blubber, milk, or coconuts) for our entire existence. In fact, current tribes from around the world still consume diets high in saturated fats; Eskimo tribes consume native diets with up to 75% saturated fats, the Maasai Tribe in Kenya consumes a diet with up to 66% saturated fat, and Tokealu of New Zealand consume a diet of 60% saturated fat with virtually no heart disease.

So, is saturated fat a healthy fat? Yes, but only when you focus on saturated fats from natural foods in their original form.