PUFAs vs Saturated Fat: What Your Mitochondria Actually Notice
PUFAs vs Saturated Fat: What Your Mitochondria Actually Notice
TL;DR
Saturated fats are stable. They don't oxidize. Your cells use them for clean energy and strong membranes. PUFAs are unstable. They oxidize easily. They create damaged membranes and inflammatory byproducts. Your mitochondria notice the difference. Saturated fats mean steady energy and warmth. PUFAs mean oxidative stress and fatigue.
You switched from butter to vegetable oil because your doctor said so.
Heart healthy. Lower cholesterol. Live longer.
Ten years later you're colder, tireder, and heavier than before.
Your cholesterol dropped. Your energy dropped harder.
Your mitochondria are engines. Saturated fats are premium fuel. PUFAs are contaminated fuel that gums up the works.
What Makes Them Different?
Saturated fats have no double bonds. Every carbon is saturated with hydrogen. Butter. Coconut oil. Beef tallow. Stable. They don't react with oxygen.
PUFAs have multiple double bonds. Polyunsaturated. Soybean oil. Sunflower oil. Canola oil. Unstable. They react with everything.
When PUFAs oxidize, they break into smaller molecules. Aldehydes. Free radicals. Your body treats these like invaders. Inflammation follows.
Saturated fats don't oxidize. They stay intact. Your cells incorporate them into membranes. The membranes stay fluid and functional. Hormones can pass through. Nutrients enter. Waste exits.
PUFAs oxidize before they even reach your plate. Heat during processing. Light on the shelf. Air in the bottle. By the time you eat them, they're already damaged.
Then they oxidize more inside your body. Your cells try to use them for membranes. The membranes become rigid. Less fluid. Hormones can't pass through easily. Cell function declines.
Ray Peat documented this for decades. He showed that animals fed saturated fats have higher metabolic rates than animals fed PUFAs. Same calories. Different fats. Different outcomes. Read more about how seed oils suppress thyroid function.
Your mitochondria burn saturated fats cleanly. Complete combustion. CO2 and water. Energy and heat.
PUFAs burn dirty. Incomplete combustion. Free radicals and aldehydes. Less energy. More inflammation.
What Your Body Does With Each
Saturated fats:
Your body uses them for energy. Burns them in mitochondria. Makes ATP efficiently. Produces heat as a byproduct. You feel warm.
Your body uses them for structure. Builds cell membranes. Makes hormones. Protects organs. Insulates nerves.
Your body stores excess as body fat. This fat is stable. It doesn't oxidize sitting in your fat cells. When you need energy later, you can burn it cleanly.
PUFAs:
Your body tries to use them for energy. But they don't burn as cleanly. They generate more oxidative stress per ATP produced. You get less energy for more cellular damage.
Your body incorporates them into cell membranes. This is the problem. PUFA-rich membranes are less fluid. They're more prone to damage. They interfere with hormone signaling.
Your body stores excess as body fat. But this fat oxidizes slowly over time. Even sitting in your fat cells, PUFAs generate inflammation. You're carrying oxidized fat around. This is why PUFAs drive obesity more than sugar does.
Losing weight when you're PUFA-loaded means releasing oxidized fats into your bloodstream. This is why some people feel terrible when they lose weight quickly. They're mobilizing years of stored vegetable oil.
What This Means for You
If you've been eating seed oils for years, your cell membranes are full of PUFAs. Your fat tissue is storing them. You can't fix this overnight.
But you can stop making it worse.
Stop eating seed oils today. Your body will gradually replace PUFA-rich membranes with saturated fat membranes. This takes weeks to months.
Start cooking with butter, coconut oil, and ghee. Your body will use these for new membrane synthesis.
Eat enough carbohydrates. Glucose helps your body preferentially burn PUFAs for energy instead of storing them. Orange juice. Fruit. Potatoes. Honey.
Track your temperature. As your membranes improve, your temperature should climb. More energy production means more heat. You should feel warmer within a few weeks. Learn how to track body temperature correctly.
Be patient. If you've been eating vegetable oil for twenty years, you won't reverse it in two weeks. But you'll notice improvement faster than you expect.
Some people feel worse before they feel better. You're clearing stored PUFAs. This temporarily increases oxidative stress. Push through. It passes.
FAQ
Q: Don't we need omega-6 PUFAs for health? A: You need tiny amounts. About 1-2% of calories. You get this from whole foods like meat and eggs. You don't need extracted seed oils. The dose makes the poison.
Q: What about omega-3s from fish oil? A: Also polyunsaturated. Also unstable. Fresh fatty fish comes with antioxidants that protect the fats. Extracted fish oil in a capsule oxidizes quickly. Be cautious. Track your response.
Q: Is olive oil okay? A: Mostly monounsaturated. More stable than PUFAs. Extra virgin olive oil has protective polyphenols. Use it cold for salads. Don't cook with it at high heat. Better than seed oils. Not as good as saturated fats.
Q: How long does it take to clear PUFAs from my body? A: Cell membranes turn over in weeks to months. Fat tissue stores PUFAs for years. Most people notice significant improvement within 4-8 weeks of eliminating seed oils. Full clearance takes longer.
This isn't medical advice. I'm not your doctor. You're responsible for your own diet choices.
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