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High Fat Diets
High Fat Diets
There are high fat diets that are rich in conventional fat (also known as long chain triglycerides or LCTs) that have been around for a long time. These diets for fat loss are now making a comeback and are increasingly getting popular. These high fat diets have a number of problems associated with them. These high fat diets are low in carbohydrates and high in fats. However, carbohydrate is the preferred source of fuel for the body. High fat diets - thus low on carbohydrate - tend to unsettle the body's electrolyte balance - namely the sodium/potassium ratio. This is the second reason alongside glycogen stores, that leads to the weight gain experienced when carbohydrates are added back into the diet. Thus what you get is weight gain and not fat loss. This gain in weight is not gain in muscle mass.
The fats that are typically used in high fat diets come from processed sources. These processed sources often contain high levels of bacteria that impairs the function of the Reticuloendothelial System (RES). The RES has two important roles to play in the body. Firstly, it clears harmful bacteria in the system and secondly, it is involved in lipid clearance.
When wanting to lose weight and on the route to high fat diets, after a person goes on one or two cycles of a high fat diet, certain cells in the RES that produce antibodies become saturated with fat droplets - this reduces their ability to clear bacteria from circulation. This bacteria that goes undigested does not get processed in the liver and can end up in the lungs. This can often result in inflammation and possible organ failure. Additionally, because fat suppresses the immune system, high fat diets have also been linked to cancer. However, it has been seen that these health consequences do not occur with diet supplemented with medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs),. Scientifically it has been demonstrated by the American Health Foundation that MCFAs are a non-tumor promoting fat. On the other hand, there are other researches that have shown the MCF and other structured lipids like omega-3 fatty acids do not hinder the function of the RES.
If you do not follow a high fat diets - instead choose a sound weight gain nutrition program, the diet should be supplemented with the lipid MCT OILS. These oils can be used to provide the needed additional calories to support muscular growth and energy needs - without being stored as body fat. As far as conventional fats are concerned, it is recommended that you eat up to one tablespoon a day or more of safflower, linseed, canola or flaxseed oils to prevent an essential fatty acid deficiency. This shall constitute a sound nutrition program against a high fat diet.
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