Polyunsaturated Fats and your Health

Polyunsaturated Fats, or PUFAs, come from industrialized oils like canola, vegetable, corn, sunflower, safflower, soybean, peanut, nut and seed oils as well as from whole food sources like nuts, seeds, and oily fish being the most dense source of this fat. PUFAs are a very fragile fat that oxidize easily when exposed to heat, light, and/or oxygen.

When I first began learning about the dark side of polyunsaturated fats, I kind of rolled my eyes thinking this was one more gimmick to create fear around food. But the more and more I learned, the more and more it made sense. While some mammals thrive off of a diet rich in polyunsaturated fats (like squirrels and bears or other hibernating animals), they may not be as well suited for human consumption. Here is a few reasons why:

✨PUFAS can mimic estrogen in the body contributing to estrogen excess symptoms

✨PUFAS can suppress thyroid function thus lowering your metabolic rate which impairs proper ovulation which is how you produce progesterone. We need adequate progesterone to oppose estrogen to maintain balanced hormones

✨PUFAS impair protein digestion which can impact muscle mass which can lead to a lower metabolic rate and will impact hormone regulation as adequate protein is required

✨PUFAS can damage how well your cells can produce energy - if your cells can't produce enough energy, your body will replace hormone production with cortisol which contribute to more estrogen in the body and thus more hormone disruption

Now, the goal is not to avoid all PUFAS 100% of the time as that is impossible. However, the key is QUALITY and QUANTITY.

Here are a few ways to balance your PUFA intake:

• Avoid industrialized oils like canola, corn, soybean, vegetable, nut, and seed oils. Avoid using butter replacements like margarine or “buttery" spreads. Instead focus on stable saturated fats like butter, ghee, and coconut oil.

• Avoid processed nut and seed products like nut flour (almond flour), nut butters, nut crackers, nut milk, etc…

• Avoid fish oil supplements - these are primarily polyunsaturated fats. Rather, consume fatty fish, cod livers, or raw cod liver oil in place of fish oil supplements.

• Focusing on consuming organic, properly prepared (i.e. soaked/sprouted) nuts or seeds a few times per month rather than daily

• Soak and/or sprouted grains/legumes in moderation. Pay attention to how well your body does on these foods as these are harder to digest.