A Short Walk Goes a Long Way

Dear Ted,

Thank you. Excellent point.

Best regards,

David

For some reason, like a broken record, the world is stuck on the "we get too much omega 6" mantra implying that we get too much of the essential fatty LA omega 6 and that is is somehow toxic or bad for us. The problem is that commercial vegetables oils  are mostly oxidized or otherwise adulterated fatty acids whether of the omega 6 or omega 3 configuration. Any amount of these fatty acids is too much as they are all bad fats. Consuming oxidized fatty acids of the omega 6 configuration is not the same as consuming too much of the essential fatty acid all cis LA omega 6. Omega is a convention that designates the position of the first double bound from the left end of a fatty acid molecule. There many fatty acid molecules of the omega 6 configuration other than all cis LA omega 6 which are extremely toxic.

Please do your homework and use correct technical terms if you want to comment on fatty acids.

I have done my homework

I do understand what the latest scientific research says about omega 6. 

I do know how to research the latest information. 

And I have access to much of the full text papers on omega 6.

So if you don't understand that there is a  threshold level of around 4% of calories over which omega 6 intake becomes more damaging than helpfu,l you must justify you postition.
I have read and I think I've understood the research.

Perhaps you could provide a link to research that contradicts the evidence I have provided to date. I am more than willing to counter any links you provide with further evidence that supports my perspective. 

I accept fully that omega 6 is an essetial fatty acid and we all require some daily. 

But I see no reason for more than 4% of calories.

That can be easily obtained from diet rather than industrially made vegetable oils. 

I agree with Stephan Whole Health blog that once omega 6 intake has been reduced the amount of omega 3 that will be needed to counteract the adverse effects of excessive omega 6 will be reduced. 

I agree that oxidized omega 3 is as bad as oxidized omega 6 I think it's far too easy to get far too much omega 6 and because it's so cheap and so readily available then it's just too easy to get overwhelmed. Naturally our bodies evolved to cope with 1<>1 Omega 3<>omega6 NOT 25 OMEGA 6<> 1 OMEGA 3.

The current omega 6 intake is way out of line with evolutionary expectations and if you don't accept that then you need to have good evidence to support your position. 

As a first step how about providing analysis and assay data of the % of intact, all-cis w6, 9 octadecadienoic acid as well as oxidized fractions in representative samples of a number of the best selling commercial vegetable oils. After you have done that you have a basis for your position that we get too much of this EFA in our diet.

As a second step, please use the correct technical terms when referencing fatty acids. If you intend to reference the omega 6 configured fatty acid Linoleic Acid at the very least state 'LA omega 6 or better 'all cis LA omega 6' and and not simply 'omega 6'. LA omega 6 is an omega 6 configured fatty acid. But an omega 6 configured fatty acid is not necessarily LA omega 6.

Where we agree is that  we only need require a small amount of LA omega 6 in our diet. To reiterate my position, we do not need any amount of oxidized omega 6 configured fatty acids. For this reason I scrupulously try to avoid consuming commericial vegetable oils or products made with them.  Thanks to the widespread propaganda that PUFAs are healthful and FAs are harmful commercial vegetable oils are ubiquitous this is easier said than done.

I meant to say SFAs are harmful not FAs.

I meant to say SFAs are harmful not FAs.

Where is your evidence?

Stephan whole health source saturated  fats

I think it's unlikely that natural saturated fats are harmful. 

As your bodies store excess calories as saturated fats (palmatic acid) why do you think the body would do that if saturated fats are harmful?

Do you really think your body is aiming to harm itself?

Take a few deep breaths and read the post before my correction. Here is what I said:

"Thanks to the widespread propaganda that PUFAs are healthful and FAs are harmful commercial vegetable oils are ubiquitous this is easier said than done."

I think it is no accident that the demonization of saturated fat in the 50s fueled the replacement pf SFA with PUFA commercial vegetable oils as well as the increased consumption of carbohydrate. I eat a low carb, high fat diet with lots of saturated fat. My TG/HDL ratio (a prime marker of CVD risk) is typicaly 0.5 or less (<2.0 is good).

For those of you on LC, high fat diets who have higher LDL levels you should be aware that research has shown that LDL is significantly overestimated using the standard Friedewald equation when trylgicerides are <100. Particle size is also not taken into consideration because with rare exceptions LDL estimated and not directly measured.

Thanks for the clarification I agree with that position.