This is a huge subject for me (and I’m sure it is for other health fact debunking enthusiasts) because I believe that there is a lot of false or misinformation out there that’s hurting more than helping the American people. Specifically, we are told that Saturated Fats (Butter, Dairy, Meat) are unhealthy and rampantly causing disease, while we are promoted and marketed to consume Polyunsaturated Fats (Vegetable, Nut, & Seed Oils) as a part of an “anti-inflammatory” and “heart-healthy” diet.

Marketing, ad campaigns, published medical journals, government recommendations, controlled [insert asian country name here] studies, health benefits, and nutritional values aside… let’s look at the molecular structures of Saturated and Unsaturated Fats, and how their structures are effected by heat or pressure…

Saturated Fatty Acid
Examples: Butter, Coconut Oil, Dairy Fat, Egg Yolks, Animal Fat

• One chain of Carbon and Hydrogen atoms
• No double bonds on the chain
• Very stable structure due to the lack of bonds (no weak points)
• Stability = High heat and high pressure threshold
• Not susceptible to turn rancid, spoil, oxidize or become a Trans Fatty Acid

Monounsaturated Fatty Acid (Omega -3)
Examples: Olive Oil, Macadamia Nut [Oil], Egg Yolks, Fish, Nuts, Seeds

• Two chains of Carbon-Hydrogen atoms
• Contains one Carbon-Carbon double bond on the chain
• Moderately stable due to one double bond (weak point)
• Stability = Moderate heat and moderate pressure threshold
• Is susceptible to turn rancid, spoil, oxidize or become a Trans Fatty Acids

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (Omega -6)
Examples: Vegetable Oils, Fish, Nuts, Seeds, Above Ground Vegetables

• Three or more chains of Carbon-Hydrogen atoms
• Contains two or more Carbon-Carbon double bonds on the chain
• Low stability due to two or more double bonds (weak points)
• Stability = Low heat and low pressure threshold
• Highly susceptible to turn rancid, spoil, oxidize, or become a Trans Fatty Acid

What about Trans Fatty Acids?

Take a look at the last bullet point for each Fatty Acid and tell me which Fats are capable of becoming a Trans Fatty Acid… ONLY the Unsaturated Fatty Acids. Why? Because UFAs structures are much less stable than a one-piece Saturated Fatty Acid due to the double Carbon bond(s). In Fats’ case, bonds are weak points, thus encouraging a susceptibility for change (or mutation if you want to be real about it). Trans Fatty Acids are predominantly man-made (with few occurring naturally within Ruminant animals), and TFAs are primarily a result of heat and pressure. When an Unsaturated Fat is heated or pressurized beyond its threshold, the molecule mutates so that the Hydrogen atoms located at the double bond shift to opposite sides, which creates an unnatural molecular structure… aka Trans Fat. The more double bonds a Fat molecule yields, the more susceptible its structure is to become mutated (i.e. Polyunsaturated Fats – but that doesn’t fully discount Monounsaturated Fats!).

I’ll end with this…

Are the molecules the real problem or does the problem lie within how the molecules are used, treated, heated, cooked, pressurized, pasteurized, packaged, stored, ingested, and react? Not only are Unsaturated Fats unstable when they experience an oxygen-exposed, pressurized, tumultuous, and prolonged high-heat manufacturing process, but they are equally unstable when they experience an oxygen-exposed, pressurized, tumultuous, and prolonged high-heat digestive process. Think about that for a bit and get back to me…

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