Scientific Nutrition Update 48: Saturated Fats

I have written about saturated fats before but there are still many dietary recommendation agencies that are obsessed with them and I cannot figure out why. Script (Remember I ad-lib): For today’s episode I am going to talk about saturated fats. That’s right, the most commonly villainized dietary fatty acids, saturated fats. They are often claimed … Continue reading Scientific Nutrition Update 48: Saturated Fats →

Scientific Nutrition Update 15: Omega 3’s, Something Fishy

Today's episode is about an example of a well done study in contrast to the one we discussed in episode twelve. In it we discuss some of the issues with Omega 3's, and especially why they seem not to be beneficial for cardiovascular disease. I've previously written about some of their other weird effects. Script: For today’s … Continue reading Scientific Nutrition Update 15: Omega 3’s, Something Fishy →

Trans Fats and Low Fat Diets

Trans Fats are a form of unsaturated fat, but because of their different molecular arrangement they have a very different biological effect. There is no evidence of trans fats contributing to positive health and have been linked to several negative health effects. These effects include diabetes and heart disease, and they can occur with a … Continue reading Trans Fats and Low Fat Diets →

Cholesterol: Bacon and Eggs a Secret to Health?

Cholesterol in the blood can be one of the best predictors for heart disease, especially if the ratio between high density lipoprotein (HDL(Good Cholesterol)) and low density lipoprotein (LDL(Bad cholesterol)) is considered. Cholesterol is fat bound up in lipoproteins in order to make it soluble (Fats and Cholesterol). For a long time dietary cholesterol was … Continue reading Cholesterol: Bacon and Eggs a Secret to Health? →

Omega 3’s: Fishy Fats

Omega 3 fatty acids have recently been touted as almost a universal cure all, and the solution to many of America’s problems with fats. Omega 3’s are a polyunsaturated fat, however, I separated them from my previous post. The majority of polyunsaturated fats that Americans consume are Omega 6, so I separated Omega 3s in … Continue reading Omega 3’s: Fishy Fats →

Unsaturated Fats: The Mediterranean Savior?

Unsaturated fats are often pushed as a replacement for the allegedly dangerous saturated fats that people consume. There are two primary types of unsaturated fat, monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats; they are named based on whether they have one or more double bonds. A fat with only a single double bond is considered monounsaturated and … Continue reading Unsaturated Fats: The Mediterranean Savior? →

Introduction to Dietary Fats

Note: This article is more about technical basics than advice. Read if you want to understand more about the underlying science. One of the most confusing aspects of modern nutrition is fat. The recommendations seem to be more liquid than the ocean, so trying to figure out what to do is exhausting and sometimes nearly … Continue reading Introduction to Dietary Fats →