Fat: sources and balance

Liam Dougherty Springer · 06-01-2008, 09:20 AM

There is so much controversy in nutrition over dietary fat. Every book, article or study I have read has a different expression regarding what the proper source, and balance of our dietary fat and what our overall intake should be.

I have followed every approach to "proper" dieting I have found (for a given time) and have found a fat intake and balance that I enjoy. Basically allot and often, from mostly non animal sources, fish oil at every significant meal (about 3 grams per) and I pay attention to the balance of Mono-un, Poly-un, and saturated Fats. The balance I roughly go for is 1:1:1, however the saturated fat dropping lower happens quite often even significantly at times and this does not worry me in the least.

When my saturated fat content is high the supplemented fat to balance the equation is coconut oil or dehydrated shavings. I love the stuff.

This is the portion of the nutritional controversy I have some interest in. I was turned on too the beneficial properties of coconut fat from speaking to a man who is a relative encyclopedia of cutting edge dietary information familiar with all of the major studies and diets involved with low carbohydrate, high fat, and Paleolithic era derived diets. Still as I have researched the subject on my own I really have had to dig to find the good information on the saturated fat found in coconut oil. Here is the good information in a nutshell [url="http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/features/cocgood.html"]

So I have been using it in copious amounts at times for increased energy needs and the other stuff that comes along with it does not seem to suck at all. I am sure to balance the fat through out the day with nuts and nut oils, Flax seed and sesame seed oil, avocados, and olives and olive oils.

However I wonder if the saturated fat in coconut oil really would effect my dietary ratio as far as nutritional fat absorption if I didn't balance it with the monos and polys?

The reason I wonder is due to the fact that the saturated fat in coconut oils are primarily medium chain fatty acids they aren't even brought into the available energy source through stored fat, but instead directly through the liver from the stomach.

I am extremely interested in other opinions and comments I am by no means an authority on this subject.

sarena kopciel · 06-01-2008, 09:30 AM

http://www.modernforager.com/blog/20...w-to-use-them/

Liam Dougherty Springer · 06-01-2008, 10:15 AM

Trying to set up the link I failed to in my post

http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/features/cocgood.html

Darryl Shaw · 06-02-2008, 06:27 AM

Liam, if you're repalacing carbs with coconut oil and other fats based on the current nutritonal fad for low carb high fat diets you're making the same mistake we made ten thousand years ago when we switched from our natural diet of roots, shoots, tubers, fruit, berries, nuts, seeds, fish and relatively lean meats rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients for a diet of calorie dense nutrient poor grains.

Liam Dougherty Springer · 06-02-2008, 08:03 AM

No I eat all of the foods you just mentioned every day. The idea was more a discussion on what people liked as far as sources for that fat and what sort of balance they feel is best int their diet.

Mike ODonnell · 06-02-2008, 08:13 AM

Best balance is probably majority MUFA, some healthy sat fats and some PUFA (making a balance of 3/6). Here's a whole thing on the Inuits and their ratios....which was high in MUFA (not Sat like most people would think).

Liam Dougherty Springer · 06-04-2008, 06:03 PM

What do people feel is the best balance of 3 and 6 and I have been seeing alot of stuff on ALA being a bad source of Omega 3. It is not my primary source I cosume fish oil like its availiable for a limitted time only but I also eat alot of walnuts and often use equal portions of walnut and seasame oils for a dressing.

Am I making it harder for my body to efficiantly use the better sources of 3s and 6s in my diet.

Craig Loizides · 06-05-2008, 07:20 PM

I try to get the majority of my fats from grass ged meats and wild fish. I use a little bit of olive oil, fish oil, and nuts, but not a lot. I like to keep my PUFA low, but I don't worry about it too much.

As far as ratio goes I've seen 2:1 omega6: omega3 recommended. A lot of people like walnuts because they have a pretty good ratio(about 4.2:1) but they have so much PUFA compared to most other nuts that they can actually hurt your ratio more than others. Let's say on an average day you get 16g omega 6 and 8g omega3. You decide to have a 200 calorie snack of nuts(about a 1/4 cup). With walnuts you get 11.6g:2.8g and with almonds you get 4.2g:0g. This brings your total daily ratio from 2:1 up to 2.56 with walnuts and 2.53 with almonds. It's not a big difference, but just shows that you need to look at more than just the ratio when looking at a food. The amount of PUFA also matters.

Mike ODonnell · 06-05-2008, 07:30 PM

a related and very interesting read on all this

Unsaturated fatty acids: Nutritionally essential, or toxic?

Darryl Shaw · 06-06-2008, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liam Dougherty Springer

What do people feel is the best balance of 3 and 6 and I have been seeing alot of stuff on ALA being a bad source of Omega 3. It is not my primary source I cosume fish oil like its availiable for a limitted time only but I also eat alot of walnuts and often use equal portions of walnut and seasame oils for a dressing.

Am I making it harder for my body to efficiantly use the better sources of 3s and 6s in my diet.

I tend to think that nature knows best and as long as you're getting your fats from a wide variety of natural sources your body will do what needs to be done with them.