Steroids Source Talk | Anabolic Steroid Forum

There are three types of fat: Saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Most fats are a mix of all three. While it might be considered by some that there are four types, if you include trans fats, a man made fat, trans fats are really just an alteration of an existing type.

Monounsaturated fats

These are the type most associated with health benefits and are found in such foods as olive oil and other oils, nuts, avocadoes and some fish.

The Mediterranean Diet is high in monounsaturated fats and plenty of studies confirm that eating foods high in food such as olive oil and fish is extremely healthy.

Polyunsaturated fats

These are also found in vegetable oils, fish and seafood and can also be beneficial to your health.

A quick note on vegetable oil: Although, on the surface, it seems they are health giving, the reality is that most are not. The majority have been bleached and deodorized and are more or less devoid of any nutrients. In addition, they slowly congest the liver. To avoid this, choose extra virgin oils or at the very least, those with absolute minimal processing. Anyone out there seen how margarine is made and still wants to eat it?

Using NAC, milk thistle or other liver supplements is not pointless but if you are worried about liver health, then cutting out or at the very least minimalizing your consumption of the foods that will slowly destroy your liver has got to be worth considering.

Saturated fats

These are found naturally in animal meat, eggs, dairy products such as lard and butter and coconut and palm oil. Saturated fat is also found in cakes, biscuits, pies and other man made processed foods, usually in the form of butter or lard. It’s when added to other foods that saturated fat begins to lose its health benefits and starts to become detrimental to health.

Trans fats

Trans fats, trans-unsaturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids or hydrogenated fats are not found in nature. A major problem with this is that the body has no mechanism to effectively deal with the damage caused by these fats.

Trans fats, also known as hydrogenated fats, are made when unsaturated fats are hydrogenated and the result fat is solid at room temperature but is meltable and stable. A healthy fat will turn rancid in a relatively short period of time. Hydrogenated or trans fats do not.

Research indicates trans fats cause comparatively more weight gain than the same diet with monounsaturated fats and a redistribution of body fat tissue to the abdominal area, the riskiest place to carry extra padding.

Trans fats are also associated with inflammation and atherosclerosis; two extremely detrimental health risks.

Avoiding trans fats is becoming easier because manufacturers have realised that adding trans fats to their products is not the cleverest way to sell their products and most have all but eliminated it. The other way is to avoid processed foods. If a product is natural and unaltered by humans, then it can’t contain trans fats.

Essential Fatty Acids

Essential fatty acids are so called because the body cannot function and ultimately will not survive without them. Omega 3, 6 and 9 are essential fatty acids and are needed for the hormonal responses that control many of our important bodily functions.

For optimal health, it is important to get as close to the right balance of these omegas as is possible. Anyone who's realistic will know that is going to be very difficult and unfortunately, in today’s processed food society, we tend to eat far too much omega 6. Anyone who eats normally will most likely be eating more than enough omega 6 - be aware than vegetable oils are high in omega 6.

Omega 3 is a different matter. Unless you are specifically making the effort to do so, it’s unlikely you are eating enough omega 3.

Omega 3 benefits include a reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer and enhanced brain and joint function. They also help build muscle and assist in fat loss. For these reasons alone you should ensure you eat enough of this vitally important essential fatty acid. The best way to ensure this is to eat fish or take cod liver or other fish oils daily.

Of course, for strictly dieting bodybuilders it’s possible that the consumption of fats will add too many calories. However, fat is not just beneficial but is an ultimately obligatory addition to our diets.

Just make sure you eat enough of the right types of fat to allow the body to perform the functions it requires fat to perform and no more.

A good average intake of fat, depending on your body type and how you deal with carbs, is around 20 to 35% of your daily calories. Though I’m not sure how this applies to bodybuilders who can consume vast amounts of calories compared to the average person. It doesn’t really make sense that if you’re eating an additional 2000 calories for mass building, that you will ‘need’ an additional 77 grams of fats to perform your necessary body functions.

Unfortunately, as is often the case, I can’t find any research that takes into account a bodybuilders additional needs.