With all the buzz in the popular press lately about the vindication of saturated fat and the recent publication of meticulously researched books promoting the same now is a good time for a refresher on fats. As health care professionals we help guide our patients toward healthy diets and lifestyles so it's important that we have a sufficient working knowledge of some of the phrases we pepper the conversation with such as saturated fats polyunsaturated fats monounsaturated fats vegetable oils etc.

Lipid chemists use the term oil to refer to lipids that are liquid at room temperature (like corn and canola oils) and the term fat when talking about ones that are solid at room temperature (such as butter and lard). For simplicity's sake let's refer to them the way most of our grandmothers did and call them all fats differentiating only when necessary.

One key thing to keep in mind is that no source of fat either plant or animal is completely saturated or completely unsaturated. All fats and oils are combinations of different types of fatty acids. Even lard the mere mention of which might bring clogged arteries to mind is actually higher in monounsaturated fatty acids than saturated ones. And of the monounsaturated fat that comprises lard over 91% of it is oleic acid the same fatty acid that predominates in olive oil and which is widely regarded as heart-healthy. In fact olive oil often seems to be the only fat the divergent nutritional philosophies all agree on whether they're vegetarian Paleo low-carb or simply focused on whole unprocessed foods. So considering that lard is over 41% the same as olive oil and even olive oil itself is about 14% saturated Chef Emeril Lagasse has been right all along: pork fat does rule!

Another interesting fat breakdown involves the predominant fatty acid in cocoa butter the saturated fat stearic acid (18:0). Since saturated fats are stable and do not easily oxidize they are a safer bet for cooking and consumption than the polyunsaturated vegetable and seed oils whose double bonds are susceptible to lipid peroxidation and rancidity. So maybe antioxidants and polyphenols might not be the only good reasons to snack on dark chocolate. The saturated fat in this decadent treat just might be good for you!

Getting to know the fats

The following chart shows the percentages of the different kinds of fatty acids that make up various common fats and oils.

Sources: USDA Agricultural Research Service National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference and Know Your Fats by Mary Enig PhD. 

As you can see some of the fats we're accustomed to hearing called saturated like beef or pork fat actually contain either more monounsaturated fatty acids or about the same amounts of saturated and monounsaturated. And two of the fats that are the most highly saturated do not come from animal foods at all but are derived from plants namely coconut and palm oil!

The misconceptions surrounding fats is of course about more than just semantics. With a constant stream of health news reaching the lay public through the mass media it is prudent to speak with a complete and genuine understanding as to the true nature of fats and with a strong grasp of specific food's true composition. Only then will it be possible to have an intelligent national discussion about the role of fats in health by having a solid understanding of the makeup of these fats and how this influences their biochemical function inside the human body.

For more information on the Designs for Health complete line of TruTG fish oils.  Please listen to our May 2014 Nutrient Roundtable discussion: Why TruTG Fish Oils.  Download it now and listen to it on your mobile device at anytime!