Lipids, fats and oils

Fatty acids are the smallest components of lipids. Within our body, fatty acids play three main roles:

• an energy role: in this case, they are stored in the cells in the form of triglycerides where they are available and usable when needed.
• a structural role: in the form of phospholipids they participate in the constitution of cell membranes and nervous tissue where they regulate the passage of substances entering or leaving the cells.
• a hormonal role: here, they are transformed into other substances of hormonal character called eicosanoids. They act on the balance of the immune and hormonal systems, on the regulation of blood circulation as well as on the control of inflammatory and allergic phenomena.

Fatty acids are naturally present in food (fruits, vegetables, meat, fish) or they are extracted from these various foods and transformed into vegetable oils, butter, margarine....

Among the fatty acids, some are said to be essential and must be supplied by the diet, in particular linoleic acid or Ω-6 (omega-6) and its derivatives, as well as alpha linolenic acid or Ω-3 (omega-3) and its derivatives.

It is currently unanimously accepted and recognized that the misuse of lipids and fats is a factor of dietary risk.

What is it really like? Let's try to make the point!

Lipids and fats or fatty acids

Among fats, there are 3 groups of fatty acids (FA) which are classified according to the number of double bonds present in their structure.

1. Saturated fatty acids (solid at room temperature)

Saturated FAs have no double bonds and are mostly of animal origin. Their consumption must be regular, but not excessive. They are mainly found in meats and cold cuts, butter, cream, cheese, dairy products, eggs, but also in peanut oil.

They promote the synthesis of cholesterol (especially the bad kind), the increase of atherogenic fats and excess weight. In our current diet, we generally consume too many saturated fatty acids, which favors obesity, cardiovascular pathologies (atherogenic and thrombogenic action), inflammatory pathologies and certain cancers.

However, it is still necessary to consume them because these lipids play an important role in the structures of the cell membranes of the central nervous system. Their contribution is essential for children and pregnant women.

Remarks:

• The fresh butter, farm-grown and organic, is best consumed for its nutritional benefits, but in moderation. It contains a wide variety of fatty acids and is rich in vitamin A and D (especially suitable for children). Unlike other animal fats, its melting point is very low, below body temperature, which makes it easier to digest. To fully benefit from its nutritional qualities, it is essential to eat it raw (avoid cooking it). It should be avoided when there is a risk of cardiovascular disease. According to various studies, butter and fresh cream appear to be the most conducive to platelet aggregation. This phenomenon favors heart attacks, cerebral artery thrombosis, phlebitis and heart rhythm disorders. Remember that butter and cream are usually found in pastries, cookies and other baked goods.
• Most of the time, margarines result from the mixture of several oils or fats, of animal or vegetable origin, saturated. Vegetable margarines are almost all hydrogenated in order to make them lose their fluid character and at the same time all their beneficial properties ("trans" fatty acids). Often they contain various additives.

These remarks also apply to all so-called light products.

Therefore, replacing butter, a natural food with vitamins, in favor of margarines or spreadable and so-called "light" products, as currently advocated by many advertisements and so-called dietary advice (one more scam!), does not represent a great benefit for health, quite the contrary.

Where to find saturated fats (animal and vegetable origin)?

The most fatty meats :

• Pork
• Cold cuts
• The sheep and the lamb
• The beef
• Coconut oil
• Palm oil
• Copra oil
• Peanut oil

The leanest meats :

• Poultry

Dairy products:

• Butter
• Fresh cream
• The cheeses...

2. Mono unsaturated fatty acids or "omega-9" (oleic acid)

Nonessential monounsaturated FAs have one only double bond and are intermediate between saturated and polyunsaturated FAs. Present mainly in olive oil, oleic acid is also found in rapeseed and sesame oil as well as in goose and duck confit.

These omega-9s have protective properties at the cardiovascular level because they have an antithrombogenic action. Their consumption leads to a decrease in LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and an increase in HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol).

They also stimulate bile secretion, thus facilitating digestion and reducing the risk of gallstones.

3. Polyunsaturated fatty acids

They have several double bonds. It is precisely these double bonds that constitute the health advantages of this type of GA. This type of GA is found in vegetable oils.

This is where the problem lies, since there are two types of polyunsaturated fatty acids with opposing effects on health.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids are the major constituents of all cell membranes (phospholipids) and particularly of the grey matter of the brain, they are absolutely essential to maintain its integrity and proper functioning.

Since they cannot be synthesized by the human body, they are said to be "essential" and must imperatively be provided by diet and/or supplementation.
Under penalty of developing a vitamin E deficiency, any supplementation of polyunsaturated fatty acids should be accompanied by an additional intake of vitamin E or an antioxidant complex that will prevent oxidation.

The few essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (EFAs) provided by the diet are present in oleaginous fruits and seeds (sunflower, safflower, sesame, soy, walnut, wheat germ, corn germ, grape seed, soy, flax), in first cold-pressed oils as well as in fish and their oils.

A distinction must be made between:

Polyunsaturated fatty acids of the omega-6 series (ω-6).

Polyunsaturated fatty acids of the omega-6 series, the leader of which is linoleic acid (essential fatty acids = EFAs), are found in abundance in our current diet and in particular in most vegetable oils except olive oil (ω-9).

We find ω-6 in safflower oil (79%), sunflower oil (69%), grape seed oil, soybean oil, walnut oil (60%), corn oil (61%), rapeseed oil, but also in borage and evening primrose oil. The recommended daily intake of linoleic acid is 8.5 to 17 g per day.

They are essential to the structure of the skin, play an anti-inflammatory role and gamma linolenic acid (evening primrose oil) reduces the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.

a) The oxidation phenomenon

Unfortunately, ω-6 fatty acids are very sensitive to oxidation and generate a lot of free radicals that attack cell membranes, genetic material (DNA), and increase inflammatory reactions. This is why ω-6s become NOCIVE if they are absorbed in too large quantities.

b) TRANS fatty acids

By various transformations, in particular by hydrogenation which aims at making them more solid (example: margarine), the structure of these ω-6 is transformed and ends in a biochemical structure not recognized by the organization: the TRANS form.

This "trans" form is rarely found as is in nature.

You will find it in dairy products, beef and mutton fat and meat, as well as in refined or hydrogenated oils and margarines, spreads or chocolates, ready-made meals, pastries and salty or sweet cookies, in short in many denatured and processed industrial products.

Refining not only turns molecules from "cis" (physiological) to "trans" (non-physiological) form, but also results in the removal or transformation of elements of high nutritional value such as: proteins, fatty acids, vitamins (especially E and F), minerals, trace elements and fiber.

To avoid this type of "non-physiological" fatty acids that are not well tolerated by the body, read the labels of the products you buy carefully. Avoid those that mention this phrase: "(partially) hydrogenated vegetable fats"

From an organic and cellular point of view, fatty acids in "trans" form play a similar role to saturated fatty acids and should therefore be avoided.

The most recent studies show that these fatty acids of TRANS :

• Increase blood viscosity (thrombogenic effect),
• Decrease HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol),
• Disturb the heart rhythm,
• Weakens the immune system (increased risk of breast and prostate cancer)
• Increase the number of abnormal spermatozoa.

On the other hand, the CIS form is the most abundant biological form in nature, it is the only form that can be assimilated by the body and is therefore essential for humans. The richer the cell membranes are in long-chain polyunsaturated CIS fatty acids (Arachidonic acid, EPA and DHA), the more flexible they are and the more they promote optimal physiological exchanges.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids of the omega-3 series (ω-3).

a) The so-called essential polyunsaturated fatty acids

Alpha linolenic acid and linoleic acid.

In order to function harmoniously, the body needs non-essential polyunsaturated fatty acids, as these are the ones that will give rise to essential polyunsaturated fatty acids.

They can be found as is in our food, but they are very rarely present. These two leaders in this category will normally be transformed by our body into eicosapentanoic acid (EPA), an essential fatty acid.

The alpha linolenic fatty acid is present in a few rare vegetable oils (flax, perilla, rose hip) whose consumption is not very common.

Walnut and rapeseed oil also contain very small amounts.

What complicates things is that the same enzymes, the same vitamins (vitamin B3, B6, C, E) and the same minerals (magnesium and zinc) govern the metabolism of omega-3 and omega-6. However, the excess of omega-6 in the diet monopolizes these enzymes, vitamins and minerals for its own benefit, thus preventing the transformation of alpha linolenic acid into EPA and then into DHA.

Eicosapentanoic acid (EPA)

In the diet, it is only present in certain fatty fish. The fish richest in EPA and DHA is mackerel, followed by herring, anchovies, sardines, salmon, tuna and red mullet. Mackerel is almost twice as rich as salmon and halibut. Other sources of omega-3 include squid, shrimp, lobster and shellfish.

Scientists have long noticed that high consumers of fish (Eskimos, Japanese, for example) are significantly less affected by cardiovascular disease. The explanation comes from the fact that EPA is transformed into eicosanoids of series 3 which contribute to the protection of the arteries and the heart. Scientific studies attribute most of the beneficial effects of omega-3 to it.

It can also come from the conversion of alpha linolenic acid from vegetable oils. However, many scientific studies attribute the beneficial effect to the EPA alone, which comes exclusively from fish oils.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)

Also present as is in oily fish, it can also result from the conversion of EPA, but it must be present in sufficient quantities in our bodies. DHA is essential for the proper development of the brain and retina. It will be especially useful for pregnant women.

The 2 main types of essential polyunsaturated FAs (EFAs).

APPELLING ORIGIN

Omega-3 = ω-3 Mostly in so-called "fatty" fish = a-linolenic acid
---------------(mackerel, herring, salmon) and their oils, but also
---------------present in some vegetable oils

• Linseed oil
• Soybeans
• Nuts

Omega-6 = ω-6 Especially in vegetable oils = linoleic acid

• Sunflower
• Safflower
• Soybeans
• Corn
• Wheat germ

b) The scarcity of ω-3 in our diet

For 4 million years, men were hunters - gatherers. The Paleolithic menu consisted of fish, meat, as well as fruits and vegetables. Our genetic heritage has therefore adapted to the balance of essential fatty acids in plants and wild animals.

Gradually, the consumption of fish and vegetables has decreased in favor of cereals and bread as well as dairy products. Thus it appears that, since the war, the essential change in our Western-type diet is the increasing increase in our consumption of manipulated ω-6 (trans forms) at the expense of a decrease in the absorption of ω-3. Many examples could be cited to illustrate this drift from omega-3 to omega-6. Let's just take the example of eggs: free-range hens that feed on green plants lay eggs with a ratio of ω6 ⁄ω3 = 1. While farmed chickens fed corn lay eggs with a ratio ω6 ⁄ω3 = 20! This gradual change in our diet has resulted in a very significant depletion of omega-3 intake.

The recommended daily allowance for alpha linolenic acid is 1.4 to 2.8 g per day.

A ratio of 4:1 in ω-6 and ω-3 appears to be an optimum functional ratio. Currently, the Western diet is characterized by ratios ranging from 10:1, 25:1 to 40:1.

c) What are the roles and actions of ω-3

In view of the hundreds of scientific studies devoted to Omega-3 and my own medical experience, I conclude without a doubt that Omega-3 fatty acids do indeed prevent major degenerative diseases while ensuring optimal brain function. Provided, of course, that they are of good quality and of certain origin.

The action of Omega-3 is mainly due to the effects of the eicosanoids they contain. Omega-6s also contain eicosanoids, but these are in contrast to the omega-3 family.

Cardiovascular Disease Prevention.

• The favorable action of omega-3 on various factors related to the cardiac sphere has been demonstrated by hundreds of clinical studies. Thus, they act more particularly on :
• The elasticity of the vessels,
• Decreased platelet aggregation,
• Decreased blood viscosity with increased deformability of red blood cells and increased membrane fluidity (increased blood flow),
• The decrease in fibrinogen, a substance involved in blood clotting,
• Stimulation of fibrinolytic activity (clot dissolution),
• Decrease in blood pressure,
• Heart rhythm disorders
• Decrease in triglyceride levels (circulating fatty acids),
• Regulation of cholesterol levels, particularly by increasing the "good cholesterol" (HDL).

Cancer Prevention.

Other research has proven the preventive action of omega-3 on breast, prostate, lung, pancreatic and colon cancers. This preventive action more than likely extends to all cancers. Conversely, recent studies show that omega-6s act on the expression of genes that increase the production of cancer-promoting proteins, while omega-3s inactivate this protein.

Action on Diabetes.

Omega-3 fatty acids make cell membranes more fluid, leading to an increase in the number of insulin receptors and therefore better insulin action in the cells.

Mental Health.

Numerous clinical studies have shown that omega-3s increase learning ability and memory. They reduce the number and severity of depressions, alleviate the symptoms of schizophrenia and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. A very beneficial effect of omega-3 supplementation has also been observed in so-called "hyperactive" children.

Inflammatory, allergic and autoimmune diseases.

An increase in the consumption of omega-3 associated with a reduction in omega-6 decreases the risk and/or reduces the severity of many inflammatory, allergic or autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, chronic lung disease, asthma, psoriasis, Crohn's disease, lupus....

An intake of ω-3 would stimulate the immune system while reducing inflammatory factors.

Overall effect on the body.

The ω-3 slow down the harmful action of free radicals on cells and improve physical and intellectual performance.

One last essential remark undoubtedly made more to the attention of figure-conscious ladies: Omega-3s do not make you fat and even promote weight loss. Indeed, they improve the use of sugars by the cells, they slow down the manufacture of fats by the body while contributing to their combustion.

 

d) How to find the ω-3 / ω-6 balance?

1. You have to first decrease your intake of omega-6, which is not easy since our modern diet contains so much of it. Avoid most vegetable oils (peanut, sunflower, safflower, corn) and prefer olive oil for its omega-9 content.

2. It is necessary to increase one's intake of omega-3, which is not easy either since our modern diet contains very little. In addition to flaxseed and perilla oils, which are difficult to find and expensive for daily use as a food oil, omega-3 is found in some green vegetables such as purslane and arugula, but especially in the flesh of fatty fish such as mackerel, herring, sardines, salmon and tuna.

Let's not forget that the advised ω-6/ω-3 ratio is 4.

-Is it better to eat fish or take omega-3 supplements?

There are several problems with fish. First of all, not everyone is ready to eat mackerel or herring at least 3 times a week. Secondly, many fish such as salmon are farmed and contain less omega-3 than wild fish. Thirdly, wild fish are toxic sponges and concentrate in their flesh the pollution (mercury) of our seas and rivers. Finally, taking omega-3 in the form of a dietary supplement is the simplest and most effective solution, provided you find a quality product.

- Choosing the right omega-3 supplement.

Numerous natural product companies today offer omega-3 nutritional supplements based on fish oil, however they are not all equivalent in quality or nutritional value.

Here is the list of essential criteria to be sure to get a quality product:

1. Fish oil must contain a minimum of 70% omegas-3..
2. The ideal ratio of EPA to DHA is 70/10, as most of the beneficial effects are attributed to EPA.
3. The oil must be of pharmaceutical grade and therefore certified to be free of dioxins or heavy metals.
4. It should contain vitamin E, but in the form of alpha-tocopherol rather than any other form, as this is the major antioxidant at the level of cell membranes, which helps prevent oxidation of omega-3s within the body.

The proper use of lipids in general

The lipid diet must meet the following criteria:

1) It must be without excess.

Excesses promote :

• obesity
• diabetes
• high cholesterol
• thrombosis

2) It must, however, be sufficient..

The low-fat diet reduces total cholesterol, but especially HDL (good cholesterol), which is unfavorable for cardiovascular health.

3) It must be non-thrombogenic..

Therefore, you should avoid:

• Excessive saturated fats
• excess of ω-6 fatty acids
• the insufficiency of ω-3 fatty acids

Edible vegetable oils

Vegetable oils contain different types of fatty acids. It is necessary to vary the consumption in order to obtain a balanced intake of each type of fatty acid. Remember that they must be virgin and obtained by first cold pressure (VPPF) to preserve all their nutritional qualities. These are pressed at temperatures around 30°C. They contain essential fatty acids, in particular a-linolenic acid and linoleic acid. These fatty acids are sometimes referred to as vitamin F. Remember that it is essential to consume them with their initial properties, that is to say in their natural form "cis". This type of cold extraction is essential to benefit from their antioxidant properties and vitamins F and E.

Virgin" means that no solvents or other chemicals have been added to increase the production yield, but it does not mean that the oil has been obtained by a cold pressing process.

In fact, this mention "virgin" alone is not enough to guarantee the consumer, it must be completed by the mention "first cold pressure".

The practical use of vegetable oils in cooking.

• Saturated (peanut oil) and monounsaturated (olive oil) fatty acids hold up well at high temperatures. They can therefore be used for cooking and frying. However, olive oil should be preferred, as it is much healthier than peanut oil.
• The ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids oxidize with cooking, giving rise to toxic free radicals. There are two exceptions: sunflower oil and grape seed oil, both very stable, and can be heated to 160° and 220° degrees respectively, without being altered. It is therefore preferable to reserve vegetable oils containing polyunsaturated fatty acids for vinaigrettes and cold seasonings.