What YOU need to know about fatty acids

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Fatty acids are present in our food in the form of triglycerides & also determine the lipoprotein makeup in our body & hence cholesteril levels. A fatty acid is simply a chain of carbon atoms linked to an acid group. With only single C-C bonds we have a saturated fatty acid. Only one C=C double bond represents a monounsaturated fatty acid.
Any more C=C double bonds represents a polyunsaturated fatty acid.

A cis version of a fatty acid exists if the 2 carbon atoms adjacent to a C=C bond are located on the same side of the double bond. The trans configuration occurs when the adjacent atoms are on opposite sides of the C=C double bond.

Saturated fatty acids are usually linear & compact in nature....making them solids at room temperature. Double bonds are less compact making unsaturated fatty acids a liquid(referred to as an oil) at room temperature.

It is the omega-3 & omega-6 unsaturated fatty acids that have captured the attention of the health community. Linoleic acid is an example of an omega-6 fatty acid & is mainly found in vegetable oils. They are well known for their beneficial effects on the skin, balancing hormone levels & anti-inflammatory properties.

It is fatty fish that contain omega-3 fatty acids which are important in preventing heart disease, promoting proper brain development & function & have anti-inflammatory properties. Common amongst them are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) & docosahexanoic acid (DHA).

Trans fatty acids are considered the most harmful with regard to cardiovascular disease due to the trans double bond in the structure. The Food & Drug Administration has decreed that any trans fatty acids contained in food must be cited on food labels.

Blood cholesterol response to different fatty acids
Total Cholesterol (TC)	LDL	HDL
Lauric Acid ↑	Lauric Acid ↑	Lauric Acid ↑
Myristic Acid ↑	Myristic Acid ↑	Myristic Acid ↑
Palmitic Acid ↑	Palmitic Acid ↑	Palmitic Acid ↑
Elaidic Acid ↑	Elaidic Acid ↑	Elaidic Acid ↓
Stearic Acid ↓	Stearic Acid ↓	Stearic Acid ↓
Oleic Acid ↓	Oleic Acid ↓	Oleic Acid ↑
Linolenic Acid ↓	Linolenic Acid ↓	Linolenic Acid ↑

Which TYPE of fat should I be consuming?

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Hi,

We all know too much cholesterol is bad for us as it leads to furry, hardened arteries or atherosclerosis....from greek "athero" meaning paste and "sclerosis" meaning hardness. This in turn can lead to heart attacks, strokes & ultimately death.

But cholesterol is essential to life. It is important in the structure of cell membranes, for producing bile which helps digest fats, helps to convert sunshine to Vitamin D and is important in the metabolism of fat-soluble vitamins such as A,D,E & K.

However, it is our liver which is our primary manufacturer of cholesterol & it is not essential that we ingest it in our diet. Many common foods that we consume do contain it. Contrary to popular belief McDonalds french fries contain no cholesterol due to the vegetable oil that they are cooked in. As a general rule it can be concluded that any food originating from animals represents the most common form of dietary cholesterol.

Cholesterol content of some everyday food (mg cholesterol per 100g of food)

Goose Liver..............515
Margarine..................0
White bread................1
Butter...................215
cereals....................0
Egg......................423
McDonalds french fries.....0
Apple......................0
Blue cheese...............75
Milk......................14
Cod.......................37
Sunflower oil..............0
Peanut butter..............0
Lamb chop.................81
Pate.....................255
Yoghurt....................6

It should be noted that cooked beef brain contains a whopping 3,100mg cholesterol per 100mg of food but thankfully this is no longer commonly eaten!! This information was gathered from the USDA (United States Dept of Agriculture) national nutrient database which allows you to analyse the nutrient content of common foods Go to USDA

The liver produces around 75% of our cholesterol with the remaining 25% coming from dietary intake. Cholesterol is transported around the body by complex molecular structures called lipoproteins of which there are 3 major classes: HDL (high density lipoprotein), LDL (low density lipoprotein) & VLDL (very low density lipoprotein).

HDL as its name suggests is the densest & smallest of the lipoproteins. LDL accounts for around 70% of blood serum cholesterol & is a much larger spherical molecule. VLDL accounts for around 15% blood serum cholesterol & is particularly rich in triglycerides. HDL & LDL are not different forms of cholesterol (as is commonly believed)....the terms just refer to different transport systems for cholesterol.

During digestion of fat the enzyme lipase converts triglycerides into free fatty acids & glycerol. HDL mops up any waste material (lipids & apolipoproteins) which explains how it helps in protecting us from heart disease.

LDL is formed in the liver using the building blocks triglycerides, apolipoproteins
and fatty acids. It is very rich in cholesterol.

Another lipoprotein has been identified as a risk factor for heart disease.....lipoprotein little a or LP(a). It is thought that due to its unstable structure it results in atherosclerosis much quicker.



Studies have shown that HDL consists of two subclasses, HDL-2 & HDL-3. HDL-2 is denser & has a much greater protective effect against the onset of heart disease.
When determining ones risk of heart disease, health care professionals analyze the lipoprotein type & the concentration in the blood. In order to measure triglyceride levels, all lipoproteins are solubilized to determine the sum total of triglyceride levels.

To your continued health

John (healthy heart 4 life)

What causes yo-yo dieting?

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Before I talk about the fascinating topic of the heart & heart disease
I would like to say a few words regarding our diet.

Have you ever wondered why slimmers constantly jump from diet to diet, full of good intentions, lose 5 lbs, then ultimately put back on more weight than they've lost?

Could it be that they've been fed a few myths regarding sticking to low-fat or low-calorie diets?
Surprising to some people is that our diet should consist of around 30% fat.......
that's nearly a third of your daily intake coming from fat.
Around 70% of your brain consists of fatty acids!!

Having said that it's the type of fat we consume that is really important. More on this to follow.
Our adipose (or fatty) tissue contains a protein hormone called leptin which is responsible for controlling our appetite & energy levels. A report in 1995 found that obese mice were deficient in this protein report on obese mice

Several studies have also shown that after fasting, or following a very low calorie diet, leptin levels were further reduced resulting in increased fatty deposition.

Due to a sore ankle caused by the doorbell ringing, & me suddenly jumping up out of my slumber having a dead leg, I am terminating this post for further treatment.

To your health,

John (healthy heart 4 life)