Fat Class Trans-fatty acids

Found In Shortening, margarine, partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils, bakery confections Coconut and palm kernel oil Coconut and palm kernel oil Grain-fed meat and dairy products and palm oil Cocoa butter and both grass and grain-fed meat and dairy products

Good or Bad Increase LDL, triglycerides, and reduce HDL. Increases insulin resistance and fatty weight gain. There are no redeeming qualities to these fatty acids. Reduces total cholesterol/HDL ratio No observed effect on blood cholesterol Raises LDL and LDL/HDL ratio Reduces total cholesterol/HDL ratio

Modern Intake Comparison with Paleolithic Ancestors These fatty acids are a human construction. They did not exist prior to the 20th century.

Saturated fatty acids

Laurate Myristate Palmitate Stearate

SFA intake in the standard American diet is approximately the same quantity of calories as the hunter-gatherer diet, however the advent of dairy farming and the use of grains as livestock feed has massively shifted the SFA composition to heavily favor palmitate.

Monounsaturated fatty acids

Olives, olive oil, avocados, nuts, Reduces LDL oxidation, The standard American diet canola oil, grass-fed meats improves insulin sensitivity, and contains less MUFA than the (especially bone marrow) vascular obstructions due to hunter-gatherer diet. blood clots Vegetable, soybean, and seed oils Better than trans-fats for LDL impact, but reduces EPA+DHA levels and disables ALA impact Consumption of LA has exploded in the last century due to popularity of vegetable and seed oils. It was nearly nonexistant in the hunter-gatherer diet. Hunter-gatherers consumed 3 to 8 times more ALA than the standard American diet There is insufficient evidence for a clear comparison, however AA consumption in both modern and paleolithic humans is very small (0.1% of calories in US). It stands to reason that since grain-fed animals have higher AA levels than grass-fed, we consume more than our ancestors did. Hunter-gatherers consumed at least 660mg per day of EPA+DHA. The average American consumes 110mg per day. As much as 25% of the American population consumes no detectable amounts of EPA+DHA.

Medium-chain -6 polyunsaturated fatty acids linoleic acid (LA)

Medium-chain -3 polyunsaturated fatty acids -linoleic acid (ALA) Long-chain -6 polyunsaturated fatty acids arachidonic acid (AA)

Flax seed, canola oil, soybean oil, walnuts, green leafy vegetables Eggs, meats, tropical fish, and some farm-raised fish

Direct cardioprotective properties and assistive in EPA synthesis when LA levels are low Major component of cell membranes of every human cell, but are proinflammatory and prothrombotic (clotting) compared to EPA

Long-chain -3 polyunsaturated fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)

Cold-water fish and shellfish, Wide array of benefits including grass-fed meats and wild game reduction of heart arrhythmias, improved cholesterol profile, anti-inflammatory properties, improved circulation, reduction of arterial plaque buildup

Source: Dietary Fat Quality and Coronary Heart Disease Prevention: A Unified Theory Based on Evolutionary, Historical, Global, and Modern Perspectives by Christopher E. Ramsden, MD et al.; published in August 2009 edition of Current Treatment Options in Cardiovascular Medicine