Need to cut saturated fat and replace with MUFA


(Jeff Reisman) #1

Hi, New to the forum, came here looking for some answers!

Background: Been on Keto for 4 months in order to normalize weight and get healthier. I’ve lost 35 pounds so far (of 63 pound loss goal) and beat my carb addiction. I’m losing 1-2 pounds a week.

I have a family history of heart disease and I am genotype APOe 3/4. My recent expanded lipid panel came back with good numbers, mostly. HDL up, Triglycerides down, etc. However, LDL is up, as is LDL particle density, which is not good for high risk people. (We need low LDL concentration and count, and big fluffy particles that don’t clump.) It’s not alarmingly high, but it did climb somewhat.

From what I’ve found in studies on this, people on keto with my genotype saw LDL numbers improve when they replaced saturated fat with monounsaturated fat. One piece of advice I saw was to cut out the bulletproof coffee and cut down on the butter, then retest cholesterol after 1-2 months. I’ve cut out the MCT, but I’m finding it hard to reach my 75% fat macro without them.

I’m looking for a replacement to MCT oil. Has anyone tried Thrive algae oil in place of MCT in their coffee? It’s the same fat level as MCT (14g/tbsp) and calories, but it’s over 90% monounsaturated (13g) and only .5g saturated.

Also looking for good dessert-type fat bombs that use monounsaturated fat instead of something delicious, like lard and bacon!

Thanks in advance!


(KCKO, KCFO) #2

We are shifting to mono/polys and cutting back on sat. fats based on our gene profiles as well. We are cutting back on the coconut oil and butter. Having leaner cuts of grass fed red meat, more salmon, sardines and lots of olives, olive oil, avocados and avocado oil. For chocolate, I will rely on 100% cacoa bars. I used to make fat bombs with coconut oil and cacoa powder. We won’t stop using butter it does contain a good deal of mono sat fat if grass fed, as does the beef from grass fed cattle, so we will still have a steak now and again…

Here is a chart I found listing the best sources of poly. sat in 100 gram serves.

Here is a chart listing sources of mono. sat in 100 gram serves.


(Jeff Reisman) #3

Thanks, good info to keep handy.


#4

Let us know how it goes. I personally am not convinced that switching fats is necessary or that low LDL numbers are beneficial, but I am curious to hear your results.

I also want to point out that lard is primarily monounsaturated!

  • 45% monounsaturated
  • 39% saturated
  • 11% polyunsaturated

According to the USDA food database:

https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/04002?fgcd=&manu=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=default&order=asc&qlookup=lard&ds=&qt=&qp=&qa=&qn=&q=&ing=

So you should be able to enjoy some lard and bacon!


(Jeff Reisman) #5

Thanks LisaBD.

For people with APOe 3/4 or 4/4 (20% and 5% of the population, respectively,) it’s not so much the LDL particle count as it is the density and size of the particles. These genotypes have a harder time flushing LDL out of the bloodstream; when this condition is paired with too much saturated fat that leads to small dense LDL particles that clump together and then to the sides of the blood vessels. I have the good fortune to have my brother and his partners as my primary care doctors, so he’s very familiar with our family history; he also has a vested interest in cardiac health since he shares that history and our father is only alive thanks to modern cardiac care.
So we’ll see how it goes with 20-30g less saturated fat per day. Even with higher LDL I’m still healthier than I was at 263 pounds! The Doc wants me to stay on the diet for the time being, but adjust where I can for lower saturated fat.


(KCKO, KCFO) #6

Lisa, thanks for that source. I have no intention of giving up bacon nor lard. I’m cutting back on butter, but I will still use it with EVOO, because of the flavor profile. Just not as much, I really love my butter and bacon, so not giving up, but cutting back a wee bit.


(Jeff Reisman) #7

I picked up a 16.9oz bottle of Thrive culinary algae oil at Publix, with a $3 coupon on the bottle. Regular price is $11.79, which isn’t too bad.
It has almost no taste. Effectively it’s completely neutral. I put a tablespoon into my 20oz coffee this morning and didn’t even know it was there, whereas with MCT I was very aware of the oily-ness of it.
So I can say if you need the fat, but need to cut back on saturated, this is a great alternative to MCT.


(Bob M) #8

You don’t want PUFAs. They cause inflammation and your fat cells to be insulin sensitive, meaning that they cause you to get fatter. Seriously. If you really feel the need to reduce saturated fat, try to increase mono not PUFAs. Granted, all fats have a combination of all three, but look at labels and do research.


(Bob M) #9

Also, many meats are higher or as high in monounsaturated fat as saturated fat. Even the ribeye is only 50% or less saturated fat, with basically no or few PUFAs:

https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a19528108/ribeye-nutrition-facts/

Meanwhile, chicken with skin is very high in PUFAs (22%):

It’s going to take some research to eat both low PUFA and “low” saturated fat.


(Jeff Reisman) #10

Algae oil is 13g MUFA and only .5g each of PUFA and saturated. That’s nearly 93% MUFA. It’s almost pure DHA from farmed algae.


(KCKO, KCFO) #11

Actually, PUFAs that are cold pressed and unrefined are ok. It is the extracted and refined ones that cause the problems. Deep Nutrition gives a lot of good advice about all the fats.

Most fats contain a little of the others, just more of one kind or another.


(Mike W.) #12

At 4 months you should be well fat adapted and ready to cut back on the BPC and fat bombs if you want to keep losing weight. Also trying to meet a “fat macro” is unnecessary. It should be a limit not a goal. Eat until you’re full and then stop.


(Jeff Reisman) #13

I’m keeping myself at a caloric deficit and exercising, so the weight loss continues, slowly but surely. I feel much better when I keep my nutrition as close as I can to 75% fat, 20% protein, 5% carbs. Brain and body feel the best that way. I’m not eating “extra” just to get there, but instead trying to keep to that ratio. Many times I find myself down a bit on the fat, with calories to spare for the day, and wanting a snack, so a good fat bomb gets me on macro target while still in deficit.

The goal for me is to maintain that ratio, and the caloric deficit, but to do it with less saturated fat and more monounsaturated fat - a Mediterranean tilt to keto, if you will. Tough part is that the typical Mediterranean food is not really very appealing to me, so I have to get creative. The doctor’s order to replace some of the saturated fat with MUFA makes sense, according to many of the studies I’ve read with regard to keto diets and people with my genotype.

When I do reach my goal weight, I will make some adjustments (say a 60/30/10 ratio) and see how I feel then, making sure I can maintain that weight. With holidays and such that’s kind of where I’ve been the last few weeks. Still mostly in ketosis, but not feeling as good for sure!


(Todd Allen) #14

I wonder to what degree that is caused by most commercial chicken being grain fed? I’d like to see numbers for wild chicken or chickens fed a diet closer to wild.


#15

How much weight do you have left to lose?

If it is a small amount I would consider staying the course until you are at goal weight then reducing your fat intake overall.

You might find your lipids change some when you’re no longer actively losing weight.


(Jeff Reisman) #16

I have 27 pounds left to lose.

The LDL jump was more than would be expected from rapid weight loss, and is definitely explainable by the amount of saturated fat I had added to my diet between April (previous lipid panel) and November. LDL-C climbed from 53 to 73 (doc wants high risk people like me under 70.) LDL-P, which is a more accurate predictor of atherosclerosis, climbed from 935 (optimal range) to 1146 (intermediate risk.) Small LDL-P increased from 556 (just barely into intermediate risk range) to 657.

The numbers aren’t terrible, but do represent an increased risk when I’m trying to get to all green Optimal numbers across the board.

Otherwise, everything else in my panel improved: HDL-C up to 48, Triglycerides down to a paltry 77, HDL-P to 37.9 (on the cusp of optimal.)

The real test will be the next panel in late April, after further weight loss and reduced saturated fat, increased MUFA.


(Katie) #17

I put EVOO in my coffee once and it was nice.