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by Udo Erasmus
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The answer is:
It all depends on
the type and the quality of the fat under discussion.
There are fats that improve both physical and
mental performance (I call them 'fitness
fats'), and, there are fats that interfere
with physical and mental performance (I call
them 'misfit fats').
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outlined in the book FATS THAT HEAL FATS THAT KILL, we must come to terms with two opposite stories on fats.
This is as true for fitness as it is for cardiovascular,
immune, and inner organ systems, bones, joints, brain,
skin, and all other parts of the body.
'Fitness
fats' are fats the body cannot make, but must have for
optimum performance and health. The body must obtain
'fitness fats' from outside sources. The technical name
for 'fitness fats' is 'essential' fatty acids, and they
come in omega-3 and omega-6 forms. Most people get too little
omega-3, and people on 'low fat' diets, falsely advertised
as healthy, get too little omega-6 as well as omega-3.
'Misfit
fats' are those that have been damaged by destructive
processing, and these are not only unnecessary and unhelpful
for fitness, but they interfere with and are detrimental
to performance and health. 'Misfit fats' come in margarine
and shortening forms as trans-fatty acids, in fried fats,
and in over-processed, overheated commercial oils. To
some extent, saturated fats, sugars, and starches also
fit into this category, because they make an already
existing shortage of 'fitness fats' even worse.
While
'misfit fats' slow down energy production and performance,
'fitness fats' improve energy production, stamina, muscular
development, and the ability to focus. They improve reflexes,
speed learning, improve performance, and speed recovery
and healing. 'Fitness fats' also improve protein metabolism
and slow down muscle catabolism.
This
is not a new invention, since it has been true in nature
for a very long time. It is not even a new discovery.
What is new is its rediscovery. In industry's great efforts
to make products more shelf-stable, they have removed
the 'fitness fats' from foods to extend product shelf
life. Since 'fitness fats' are easily destroyed by light,
air, and heat, it also means that these three things
shorten the shelf life of products as well. This makes
them a manufacturer's nightmare, to be avoided at all
costs. Care needs to be taken in the production, storage
and use of 'fitness fats'. When the needed care is not
taken, fitness fats are turned into 'misfit fats'.
 'Misfit
fats' are those that have been damaged by destructive
processing, and these are not only unnecessary
and unhelpful for fitness, but they interfere
with and are detrimental to performance and
health.
To
avoid damage, 'fitness fats' must be made, stored,
and used with care. During manufacture and storage,
'fitness fats' need protection from the damage done
to them by light, air, and heat. They should never
be fried during food preparation, as frying damages
these delicate fats and makes them toxic. 'Fitness
fats' can be used in cold, warm, and even hot foods
such as soups or steamed vegetables. In food use, 'fitness
fats' are compatible with all foods: vegetables, proteins,
starchy foods, fruit, and juices. They are best mixed
in foods, because they enhance food flavors and improve
the absorption of oil-soluble ingredients present in
foods, thereby improving food value.
Given
to athletes in the appropriate amounts and blended to
produce the right ratio of omega-3 to omega-6, 'fitness fats'
can substantially increase the stamina of athletes pushing
the limits of their performance. They notice this increase
in their energy resources within a few weeks, although
some get improvement sooner. The study included runners,
cyclists, body builders, martial artists, and boxers.
The details of the entire study, including side effects,
can be found in the Danish
Athlete Study.
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Athletes taking 'fitness fats' were able to work out for
longer periods before they became tired. They recovered from fatigue more rapidly,
experienced faster healing from injuries, saw faster muscular development,
found it easier to lose body fat, had less joint pain, were able to
focus better (one boxer said that his 'reflexes were sharper'), and
had better skin, better mood, and sounder sleep. They were able to
train more often without incurring over-training problems.
 Given
to athletes in the appropriate amounts and
blended to produce the right ratio of omega-3 to
omega-6, 'fitness fats' can substantially increase
the stamina of athletes pushing the limits
of their performance.
Within a short time after discontinuing
intake of 'fitness fats', athletes found that they lost the
extra energy they had experienced while on the
oil blend used as their source of 'fitness fats'. Soon after going back
on the oil blend, the increased stamina returned.
An
older athlete performed at a level considered appropriate
for someone much younger than his chronological age,
and competed well against younger contenders. A boxer
taking the 'fitness fats' oil blend increased his workout
time from 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours twice daily. A runner
using the oil blend increased his weekly running distance
from 90km to 147km. A cyclist used the oil blend to increase
his daily cycling distance from 60-80km to 120km-180km
per day. This cyclist had saddle sores before he began
to use the 'fitness fats'. Contrary to expectations,
his saddle sores healed while his daily distance increased.
We
also measured cardiovascular risk factors. After 106
days, their resting blood glucose was slightly lower,
triglycerides were significantly reduced, 'good' HDL
cholesterol was significantly higher, 'bad' cholesterol
was down significantly, and HDL/LDL ratio was better.
One
Type I diabetic was able to lower his insulin intake,
and change from fast-acting to slow-acting while taking
the oil blend. When he discontinued the 'fitness fats',
he had to return to fast-acting insulin at the higher
dose. When he returned to using the oil blend, he was
able to lower his dose and go back to slow-acting insulin.
This indicates that the 'fitness fats' stabilized his
blood sugar or made him more insulin-sensitive, or
both. The same diabetic boxer was underweight at the
beginning of the study. Using protein and creatine,
efforts to increase his weight had been largely ineffective.
On the oil blend and creatine, he gained 11 pounds
of lean body mass in 4 weeks.
'Fitness fats' also provide benefits to
non-athletes. Physical and mental energy improve substantially, as do healing,
skin, brain function, mood,
learning, and physical co-ordination. People deal better with stress. Many
report sounder sleep. Risk factors for cancer, cardiovascular disease,
diabetes decrease. Mineral metabolism improves. 'Fitness fats' show benefits
both for mothers' health and children's development. 'Fitness fats' have
anti-inflammatory effects, and dampen the over-response of the immune system
in auto-immune conditions. Last, but not least, 'fitness fats' help to
reduce body fat. Research shows that they do so by increasing the body's
fat-burning, decreasing its fat production, and increasing heat (thermogenesis),
which keeps people warm in winter, and burns off calories even during times
of inactivity.
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 Physical
and mental energy improve substantially, as do
healing, skin, brain function, mood, learning,
and physical co-ordination. People deal better
with stress. Many report sounder sleep. Risk factors
for cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes decrease.
Mineral metabolism improves.
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Why
do 'fitness fats' work so effectively? Here's
a short review to help give context to 'fitness
fats' in the modern world:
- 'Fitness
fats' (omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids) are
required by every cell, tissue, gland, and organ
in the body.
- They
cannot be made by the body, and must therefore
come from foods.
- They
are easily destroyed by light, air, and heat.
- Omega-3
is destroyed 5 times faster than omega-6.
- Omega-3
is less abundant in our food supply.
- Average
omega-3 intake today is about 16% of omega-3 intake 150
years ago. Omega-6 intake has doubled during that
time, except for people on low fat diets).
- To
extend shelf life, manufacturers remove omega-3 and
omega-6 from foods because of their tendency to react
with oxygen and become rancid. Manufacturers
then promote 'low fat' products with implications
that they improve health (which they do not).
- Both
essential fats are inadequately supplied in the
diets of fat-phobic people on low fat and no
fat diets, leading to health problems (low fat
diets are damaging to health).
- Omega-3
is inadequately present in the diets of 95-99%
of the population, leading to sub-optimal health.
- Because
they are lacking in many diets, the introduction
of omega-3s into the diet makes them more effective
therapeutically in more conditions than omega-6s.
- Replacing
the missing or damaged omega-3 and omega-6 essential
fatty acids benefits all parts of the body, and
improves all conditions that are caused by their
insufficiency.
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(see
also, the Danish
Athlete Study, a study administed to 61 physically-active
people representing a wide variety of sports and
fitness-related disciplines)
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