The Truth about Omega-6 Fatty Acids by Jerry Brainum 4/25

 

 

 

Fat is the most demonized of all nutrients. Most dieticians and other "experts" will tell you that fat is responsible for most cases of obesity and many other health problems, including cardiovascular disease and cancer, the two greatest killers. This makes sense since fat is a dense nine-calorie per-gram source. In contrast, both protein and carbohydrates supply four calories per gram.  If we accept that an excessive intake of calories coupled with a lack of enough physical activity to burn those calories is the primary cause of gaining body fat, it would seem to make sense that fat is the most fattening source of calories simply because it contains the most calories. But it's not that simple. The truth is that people get fat for several reasons. Consuming an excess amount of calories is a significant cause of obesity. However, various nutrition pundits will say that calories are the only thing that counts when gaining body fat. Other aspects come into play, too, such as appetite control. If your food makes you crave more food, you will likely ingest excessive calories stored as body fat. Again, dietary fat, because it concentrates calories, is considered the immediate culprit for gaining body fat. Indeed, recent studies with rodents find that fat alone is responsible for gaining body fat in rodents. But does this also happen in humans?

Humans do not respond to fat intake in the same way as rodents. Indeed, studies show that providing certain nutrients to rodents on high-fat diets prevents fat gain on the diets. But these same nutrients don't work that way in humans. My observations over many years are that the main reason why people gain body fat is not from eating too many carbohydrates or too much dietary fat but rather from overeating of both. The preferred fuel for the human body is carbohydrates, which break down into glucose. The body needs glucose, but not carbohydrates.

Contrary to popular belief, carbohydrates are not essential in human nutrition. The reason to explain that is glucose can be made in the body from other nutrients, such as amino acids from protein and the glycerol portion of triglycerides or fat. But when you consume an excess of both carbohydrates and dietary fat, the carbs will preferentially be used for fuel, while the excess fat will be shuttled into fat cells for storage. Thus, you can consume a lot of fat and not get fat if your carbohydrate intake is restricted since the fat will be used as an energy source rather than stored. Most people will not gain body fat if they eat larger amounts of carbohydrates up to a point if they don't eat much dietary fat. However, carbohydrates are stored in the body as glycogen with limited stores in the liver and muscles. If these glycogen stores are not filled, the carbohydrate consumed will not be stored . . .