Polyunsaturated fats—Toxic NOT Essential!

How to Heal Your Metabolism By Kate Deering

Chapter 3

Polyunsaturated fats—Toxic NOT Essential!

Now that you know that saturated fats are not the enemy and can be very healthy for you, its important to understand the fats that are actually harmful to you. And when I mean harmful, I mean contributing to slowing your thyroid, decreasing cellular energy, increasing oxidative damage and encouraging you to gain weight.

What are these harmful fats? ---The polyunsaturated fatty acids, also known as “PUFA’s.” These are the same fats promoted by the nutrition and medical industry, as the “heart healthy” fats. “What? Are you telling me polyunsaturated fats, the very fats my doctor and Registered Dietician have been telling me to eat are actually harmful to me?” YES! That is exactly what I am telling you. The very fats you have been encouraged to eat for the last 50 years are the very fats that are slowing your metabolism, increasing aging, supporting illness and disease and helping you to gain weight!

Americans, and most people around the world, are consuming PUFAs everyday—in dangerously large amounts! And most of you may be consuming them thinking you are doing something helpful for yourself when in fact you are doing anything BUT that. Are you consuming chia seeds, nuts, seeds, flax oil, fish oil, etc.? If so, then you may want to keep reading and find out why these very toxic fats are doing you far more harm than good.

First, what are polyunsaturated fats and where are they found?

Polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) are fatty acids with many double Carbon bonds (double bonds link four electrons vs. the usual two). PUFA’s contain double bonds because they lack several hydrogen atoms. This is why they are referred to as “unsaturated”. Remember from the last chapter that saturated fatty acids have only single bonds and are fully “saturated” with hydrogen atoms. Double bonds, although stronger, are more reactive to oxygen than single bonds, making them unstable and susceptible to oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress occurs within the body when oxygen reacts with food to create energy (metabolism) and produces by-products called free radicals. (Free radicals are molecules that have an unpaired electron in the outer shell and are looking to “gain or lose” an electron.) Since PUFA’s are unstable, once they are exposed to oxygen, free radicals are created. These free radicals “steal” electrons from other molecules, creating more unstable molecules. Over time, this creates a chain reaction of free radical damage that can cause accelerated aging, hormone imbalance, cancer, and immune disorders. Yikes!

PUFA’s can be found in large and small amounts in everything you eat. Yes, everything you eat. PUFA’s are primarily found in vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes (like soy, grains), cold-water fish (like salmon), and poultry, beef and pork that have been poisoned by a diet rich in PUFA’s (grain, soy and corn fed animals). The biggest offenders of PUFA’s are the so-called “heart healthy” oils, which include vegetable, nut, seed and fish oils.

The list of oils with the highest concentration of PUFA’s and can be the most harmful are soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, grape seed oil, sesame seed, nut oils (peanut, walnut, almond, etc.), flaxseed, fish oil, cod liver oil, evening primrose, borage oils, and yes, this even includes Omega-3 (EPA and DHA) and Omega-6, also known as the “essential fatty acids.”

Polyunsaturated fats can also be produced by the body, from saturated fat and sugar, in the form of Mead acid, also known as Omega-9 fatty acid. Mead acid has proven to have anti-inflammatory properties. Mead acid increases in the body on a diet “deficient” in the “essential” fats (omega 3 and 6). Human cells produce these unsaturated fats when their special desaturase enzymes are not suppressed by the presence of exogenous linoleic (omega-6) or linolenic acids (omega-3). Basically, we can make our own, safer polyunsaturated fats to be used as regulators or signals, and to activate the formation of stem cells.

To call the polyunsaturated fats essential seems quite ridiculous, since we can never completely avoid them and we can make them (Omega 9) using saturated fats and sugar.

Now, I know what you are thinking. “I thought these ‘essential fats’ were good for me? I thought these oils were ‘heart healthy’ according to the USDA, my doctor, and my registered dietitian? How could they possibly be bad for me?” Yes, I know it is mind boggling, especially considering the massive marketing push on fish oils, flax, cod liver oils, chia seeds and the Omega 3 and 6 oils. Trust me — it took me months and months of research to wrap my brain around it, especially since I used to be an avid fish oil user. So let’s go back about 80 years ago so you can understand what has happened.

I’ll start with Mildred and George Burrs. In 1929, the Burrs published a paper claiming that the polyunsaturated fat linoleic acid (Omega 6) was essential for the prevention of several diseases and essential for health. Burrs study concluded that rats that ingested unsaturated fats were far healthier than the rats that were on a fat free diet. Which, in fact, was true. From this Burr’s coined the term “essential fatty acids (EFA)” and a deficiency in EFAs was known as Burr’s Disease.

However, over 10 years later, The Clayton Foundation Biochemical Institute found that “Burr’s Disease” was actually a vitamin B6 deficiency. Back in 1929, the B vitamins were not yet discovered. The new research explained that the PUFAs had actually slowed down the metabolism of the PUFA-fed rats, causing a decreased need for nutrients. Thus, this allowed them to not be as nutrient deficient as the fat-free diet rats. The non-PUFA-fed rats had a higher metabolic rate. A higher metabolic rate comes with an increase in nutrient demand, especially the B vitamins. And since the demand was not met, the rats became sick. Basically, all Burrs showed was that PUFAs slow your metabolic rate down, allowing you to survive on fewer nutrients. Thus the PUFAs prevented a deficiency on a deficient diet. Interesting, huh?

Let me try and break it down a little more. Think of a high metabolism like a Ferrari car engine. A Ferrari has a high-powered engine (high metabolic rate) and requires premium gasoline (sugars) and oils (the right fats, and proteins) to run optimally. Because a Ferrari has a high-powered engine (high metabolic rate) it requires large amount of gas and oil (the right foods) to get you from point A to point B.

On the other end of the spectrum, you have a Ford Fiesta that uses cheaper gas and oils (PUFA). The Ford Fiesta actually uses less gas and oil to get from point A to point B, because its engine is small and has less power (low metabolic rate).

Now, if you give your Ferrari engine cheap gas and oil (PUFAs) it will slow down, cause damage, and eventually end in early engine death. Obviously, this is not to say the slower, smaller, Ford Fiesta engine (lower metabolic rate) does not survive on the cheaper gas and oils, because it does — but it will NEVER run at the speed, strength, or longevity of the Ferrari. Making sense? Basically, do you want to run like a Ferrari or a Ford Fiesta?

This may explain why people who eat a diet primarily of nuts, seeds, and vegetables can live a long life. Their metabolism is actually slower, so they have less nutritional requirements, which allows their body to live on very little food. The problem is these people usually have less energy, drive, motivation, and vitality. Ever seen a “healthy” looking vegan? I sure haven’t. In fact, most complain of low sex drive, low energy, muscle loss, low motivation, and sleep problems. Before all you vegans start yelling at me, take a good look at your health…and be honest.

Sally’s Story

Sally was 46 years old and had adopted a vegan diet (no animal foods) three years ago for health reasons. Sally was eating a diet high in fast food and processed food prior to this. After removing the processed and fast foods, Sally’s health had initially improved. Her belief was that her new vegan diet had “fixed” her, however over the last year she started to feel a decrease in vitality, energy, sex drive, muscle mass and an increase in body fat. Her diet primarily consisted of soy, nuts, grains, beans, vegetables, fruits and polyunsaturated fats like sesame and canola oil.

Sally learned that although her current eating plan was better than the processed food diet she had been eating, it was counterproductive to a healthy metabolism. The lack of adequate protein, too much soy, the goitrogenic vegetables and legumes and the PUFA’s in her diet was most likely suppressing her metabolic rate making her feel cold, tired and sick.

Over the next few months Sally slowly switched her vegetable oils to coconut oil, added some eggs and cheese, and added more fruits and root vegetables to her diet. Sally reduced her soy intake to organic fermented tempeh eaten 1-2x month vs. 1-2x day. Finally, Sally reduced her nut intake and completely removed grains from her diet.

To Sally’s amazement, after only a few weeks her energy started to return. In a few months, Sally’s mood improved and her body temperature started to heat back up. With her improved mood and increased energy Sally was able to add weight training back into her weekly workout plan, which helped her improve her muscle mass.

Today Sally is thriving on a diet that is almost void of the polyunsaturated fats and much higher in the saturated fats. Her energy is back, her mood is happier, her weight has dropped and her sex drive has finally returned. Sally is no longer a vegan, and her husband is thankful for it.

Here are some other things to think about.

Back in the 1940’s, farmers attempted to use coconut oil (a saturated fat) to fatten their animals. But then they found it only made them lean, active, and hungry. Remember coconut oil is a food that makes the body highly metabolic. It actually increases your body’s ability to burn fat. Farmers soon found that corn and soy oils, both almost entirely PUFAs, could be used to fatten their livestock. Why? Corn and soy oils, both polyunsaturated fats, slow down your metabolic rate and become fattening agents. This lower metabolic rate allows these animals to gain weight faster, which allows farmers to spend less money to get their animals fat faster. We must remember farmers don’t care about having the oldest, healthiest living animals — they just care about producing the fattest animals the fastest way possible.

Another interesting fact is this:

Bears and squirrels hibernate in the winter. They do this by eating a high level of nuts, seeds, and berries before hibernation. These nuts and seeds with their high PUFA levels allow the metabolic rate of these animals to slow, allowing them to sleep through the cold months of the year. Researchers have found that bears and squirrels given coconut oil (saturated fat) and the right carbohydrates were unable to hibernate since the animals had an increased metabolic rate and energy level.

And another…

By 1950, it was established that PUFAs suppress the metabolic rate, and apparently cause hypothyroidism. Researchers found that PUFAs damage the mitochondria of cells, suppressing respiratory enzymes, and promote excessive oxidative damage in the body. The more PUFAs one eats, the higher the suppression of tissue response to thyroid hormone, the lower the metabolic rate, and the more weight gain. This is one reason hospitals feed soy oil emulsions to cancer patients — to prevent weight loss!

And finally…

According to nutritional researcher, Dr. Ray Peat, "The enzymes which break down proteins are inhibited by polyunsaturated fats, and these enzymes are needed not only for digestion, but also for production of thyroid hormones, clot removal, immunity, and the general adaptability of cells. Since the polyunsaturated oils block protein digestion in the stomach, we can be malnourished even while "eating well." Bottom line, PUFA oils affect protein digestion, thyroid production, the immune system and the health of our cells.

What about the Omega 3 and 6 oils?

The Omega 3’s and 6’s, also known as the essential fatty acids, have been touted as cholesterol lowering and have shown improvement in pain management and inflammation. Yes, these are all true. Yet, we must remember just because something reduces a symptom (pain, cholesterol and inflammation are all symptoms) does not mean it is good for us--at least long term.

EFA’s do have a cholesterol-lowering effect. The question is, how are they doing this, and is this actually good for us long-term?

In the book Generative Energy by Dr. Ray Peat, he discusses how these “essential fatty acids” (EFAs) actually suppress the immune system by suppressing the cells that cause inflammation (as to why they reduce inflammation and pain). Remember, cholesterol is part of our immune system; it is elevated by the liver when our bodies are in a state of inflammation to help protect our cells. The EFA’s are interacting with the liver enzymes that produce cholesterol, decreasing cholesterols production. I might remind you that one of the “side effects” of statin drugs is liver damage. As the severity of liver damage increases, serum cholesterol levels naturally decrease. Just like statin drugs, all the EFAs are doing is suppressing a symptom. The EFA’s are not correcting the actual problem.

In fact, long-term, the EFA’s are showing they do not help with cardiovascular disease, stroke or heart attacks. In 2012, a study of over 70,000 patients found that Omega 3 supplementation did not lower risk of all-cause mortality, cardiac death, sudden death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Another study in 2014 with over 600,000 participants, researchers found that the consumption of the Omega 3 oils showed no improvements in heart or cardiovascular health. Finally, the Sydney Health study researched the effects of replacing saturated fat for linoleic acid (omega 6) in men aged 30-59, who had a recent cardiac event. The study concluded that after 8 years, those that replaced saturated fats with the PUFA oils had higher levels of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease and death.

The truth is most positive research on the Omega 3 and 6 oils is very short term, ranging from 4 weeks to the “longer term” research of six months, which is not very long. There is very little research that shows the effects of consuming Omega 3 and 6 oils over several years and decades. Any research that is coming out is far from favorable. Chris Masterjohn gives a great example in his article on “Good Fats, Bad Fats.” Chris references the Los Angeles Veterans Administration Hospital Study, which lasted over eight years. The researchers concluded at the end of the study that the high PUFA diet had no effect on total mortality at the end of the study. However, what Chris points out is near the end of the research, non-cardiovascular deaths started to increase rapidly at the end of the study in high PUFA diet, which makes you wonder, if the study had gone on longer what the researchers would have found?

Which brings about the question? What would be the effects of a high PUFA diet over 10 years? 15 years? An entire lifetime?

I guess the best study is the one being done on all of us--right now. The entire population of America has been consuming far more polyunsaturated fats and far fewer saturated fats over the last 30 years. And look what has happened--a nation that is fatter, sicker and less healthy than ever before… Is it the increased consumption of the polyunsaturated fats? I am sure increased PUFA intake is playing a role, but PUFA intake is not the only culprit. Another misconception of the nutritional world is also having a BIG effect on our metabolic rate—the carb free, sugar free craze…

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