Eat Fat to Lose Fat

Some of us have been trying for years to convince dieters that healthy fats are essential to weight-loss efforts. A new study confirms what we have been saying. Sorry Dr. Ornish, but low-fat isn't the best solution.

A study conducted at the Washington University School of Medicine shows that fats taken in directly from the diet spark a cascade of gene activity in the liver necessary for healthy blood levels of sugar, cholesterol, and other fats. The research would seem to support the Atkins and South Beach Diet approaches, which remove simple carbs (that can be metabolized into fat) and supply healthy fats.

From the article [click header to go there]:
In the study researchers inactivated fatty-acid synthase, an enzyme that generates new fat from carbohydrates, in the livers of mice, and found that when fed a diet completely lacking fat, the mice developed low blood sugar and fatty liver. Both conditions were reversed when the researchers restored fat to the animals' diets.

The paradox says Semenkovich, was that when they inactivated fatty-acid synthase in the liver and eliminated fat in the diet, the animals became sick, with livers full of fat.

Further examination also found that, in the absence of new fat, the mice exhibited a marked decline in the activity of genes critical for the metabolism of glucose, fatty acids, and cholesterol, genes which are normally targeted by PPARa, a key energy management gene activated by fatty acids.

This research indicates that healthy dietary fats are crucial to maintaining healthy blood sugar levels that prevent diabetes, maintaining healthy cholesterol synthesis and metabolism, and maintaining a high metabolism of stored fat for energy during dieting. Among the best sources of healthy fats are the following:
*Olive oil
*Flax oil or ground flax seed
*Fish oil capsules
*Almonds, walnuts, cashews, and other nuts
*Hemp nuts and hemp oil
*Canola oil
*Evening primrose oil
*Black currant oil
*Grape seed oil
*Borage oil

Ideally, the fats in your diet should be about 10 percent saturated fat, 40 percent monounsaturated fats, and 40 percent polyunsaturated fats. The ratio is slightly different for those with heart disease or excessively high cholesterol. For healthy people trying to gain weight, the percentage of saturated fats can be higher (up to 33 percent of fat calories).

BOTTOM LINE: If you are trying to lose stored fat, you must consume at least 15 to 20 percent of your total calories from healthy fats if you want to avoid diabetes, high cholesterol, and fatty liver.