Consumption has increased from one-one-hundredth of total calories to more than one-fourth of total calories—yet while most experts blame the epidemic of chronic disease on sugar, it’s relatively minor when you compare it to this. Video Link STORY AT-A-GLANCE Fats are the primary building block of your cell membranes. This is one of the reasons why eating the right types of fat is so important for your health and longevity.
While most nutritional experts blame the epidemic of chronic disease on the increase in sugar consumption, the role of sugar is relatively minor when compared to the impact of seed oils.
There are two basic types of fatty acids, based on how many of their carbon bonds are paired with hydrogen: saturated fats and unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats are further subdivided into monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), depending on how many pairs of hydrogen atoms they are missing.
Because your tissues are made up mostly of saturated and monounsaturated fats, your body requires more of them than PUFAs.
The main dietary PUFAs are omega-3 and omega-6 fats, and while your body does need these, it needs them in relatively small quantities. The most pernicious toxin in the modern diet, and the fat you need to minimize consumption of, is the omega-6 fat linoleic acid (LA). LA makes up 60 percent to 80 percent of omega-6 fats and is the primary contributor to chronic disease. Fats—which are water-insoluble biological molecules also known as lipids1—are the primary building block of your cell membranes. This is one of the reasons why eating the right types of fat is so important for your health and longevity….