FATS!!!

 Question:

What's the difference between good fats and bad fats? If there even is a difference? Are there some fats that the body breaks down easier? Are there any fats that are more beneficial for helping one gain lean muscle mass?


Answer:
Fats do not have a soul or a conscience and are neither good bad, healthy or unhealthy. All fats are 9 calories per gram and end up as triglycerides. If we eat more calories then we need then extra fat can be stored as fat, otherwise it is oxidized and used to lubricate joints, protect our organs, etc... Fats come in several different forms. Saturated fats have no double bond between molecules, which means there are no gaps and the fat is saturated with hydrogen molecules. On the other hand, unsaturated fats have double bonds, which break up the chain of hydrogen molecules and create gaps. Monounsaturated fats have 1 double bond and polyunsaturated fats have more than 1 double bond.

Certain Poly and monounsaturated fats contain omega 3 fatty acids which Americans tend to be grossly deficient in. Our diets tend to be very rich in Omega 6 fatty acids. Omega 6's have their benefit however if you have an large imbalance between omega 3's and 6's then that can increase our oxidative stress, and inflammation which leads to very bad things. (this is why Protandim is so important) this is partly why people label certain fats that contain omega 6 fatty acids as bad. There is nothing bad about the omega 6 fatty acid. It only leads to issues if there is an imbalance. Generally you want to have your omega 6's and 3's as close to a 1 to 1 one ration as possible which is why we suggest a strong fish oil like Carson.

The other avenue that nutrition gurus and zealots take in classifying fats as bad is proclaiming that saturated fats are bad. This is normally a bi-product of the cholesterol that they contain and the government low fat craze set back in the 80's. Since then research has empirically shown there not to be a link between saturated fat/cholesterol intake and heart disease, weight gain, or other health risks WHEN OVERALL CALORIES are in balance. For people looking to gain muscle saturated fat & cholesterol can be KEY in that it is linked to testosterone production. You probably do not need a boatload of saturated fat or cholesterol to maintain healthy hormone levels as this may imbalance your omega 6's and 3's however if you are in a strict caloric deficit I'd be conscience that you are getting enough saturated fat/ch9olesterol.