About Fat

I am reading "The diet myth" by Tim Spector which is the book on newest studies about healthy diet. On chapter 3, he mentions about fat (lipids), cholesterol, and various types of fats traditionally considered good or bad is now being changed their effect on our health.

For example, omega 3 fats have been known as essential fatty acids, derive from wild fish and from some plants(like flaxseed). They have been promoted as good for your heart in reducing lipids and inflammation, including dementia, ADS and arthritis. Confusingly, omega 6 which is very similar fat to omega 3 found in nuts, vegetable oils, fatty meat and farmed fish fed with corn and soy, but they have bad reputation about increasing heart diseases. But the believe of taking high level of omega 3 rather than omega 6 is based on very weak evidences. In fact in a large multi-country study shows omega 6 were more beneficial for heart than omega 3.

Refer to olive oils, canola oils, these are typical Monounsaturated fats are predominantly beneficial and have variable evidence. Saturated fats are traditionally villains, but a subgroup of saturated fats which comes from coconuts oil and palm oil is hugely promoted in market, however there is a lack of good evidence against or for them. The main reason of uncertainty is because it is unclear whether medium-chain triglycerides, which is the particular type of fat is beneficial or harmful. Needless to say, trans fats are worst kind.

Usually we see the amount of fats or cholesterol on the top of the labels of foods, but he alarms highlighting its content is crazy as proportionally there are 3 times much cholesterols in nutritious "healthy" foods like lobster, crab or fish oil as in "unhealthy" pork, lard or beef. 80 per cent of cholesterols in blood are synthesized inside body so levels of cholesterols in what we eat almost don't matter to the level of cholesterols. What is more, cholesterol is the making cell wall as well as the key of many vitamins and important hormones. Simply to say "Fat is deadly' is spread wrongly, and our diets changed for the worse.

As I am a Japanese lives in the longest life-time age country in the world, the belief about eating fish and absorbing much more omega 3 intake being good for your health was quite convincing. Surprisingly, there weren't enough evidences until now.