PUFAs: What They Are & Why You Should Ditch Them

What the Heck are PUFAs? 

PUFA is short for polyunsaturated fatty acid. Most foods fall under the categories “unsaturated” or “saturated” fats. 

We’ve been told for many years to avoid saturated fats and eat more unsaturated fats. However, research is very clear that saturated fats are actually very healthy and beneficial for health. Conversely, the damaging effects of poly-unsaturated fats (PUFAs) are simply avoided or not talked about by most health circles.  

Why you should ditch them

PUFAs are highly unstable fats. Fats have a certain temperature that causes them to oxidize. The oxidation of fats means they can become unstable, become toxic, go rancid, etc. The oxidation temperature for PUFAs is very low. 

Unstable fats are prone to oxidation. Oxidation leads to free radicals. Free radicals lead to cellular damage in your body that can manifest both internally in the form of damaged organs/glands and externally in the form of rapidly aging skin. 

Moreover, perhaps the scariest thing about oxidized fats is that they are inflammatory. Check out this article for more details on the harms of oxidized fats and inflammation.

In addition, many of these fats can become unstable before they even enter your body. During processing, many of these “seed” oils are exposed to high heat which can often make the oils go rancid. 

Further, these oils may be exposed to high heat during travel which can also lead to a damaged and unstable product. This is one of the reasons many of these oils are shipped in dark containers and are required to be refrigerated.

Major Areas PUFAs Effect:

• Skin
• Metabolism
• Blood Sugar
• Digestion
• Detoxification
• Immune System

What are the top foods to avoid? 

The most damaging PUFAs are the processed liquid cooking oils below:

• Canola oil
• Grapeseed Oil
• Corn Oil
• Soybean Oil
• Generic Vegetable Oil
• Walnuts Oil
• Cottonseed Oil
• Sesame Oil
• Peanut Oil
• Margarine
• Flaxseed Oil

Other foods that have high amounts of PUFAs include flax and chia seeds, potato chips, granola, and many energy bars. 

Additionally, commercially-raised beef, eggs, and poultry have high amounts of PUFAs due to the animals being fed a diet high in corn and soy. 

When shopping for animal products, always opt for organic, 100% pasture-raised items.

Also, keep in mind that most restaurants use animal products that are high in PUFAs and use PUFA cooking oils. 

And probably the most shocking item that is high in PUFAs is fish oil! While using it therapeutically for a few months might be effective at reducing inflammation, long-term daily use has a number of negative implications.

Eliminating PUFAs

Avoid all PUFA oils as much as you can.

Always use heat stable fats for cooking like coconut oil, olive oil, ghee, butter, or tallow.

Since it’s much harder to control how your food is prepared and where it is sourced, you should limit the amount of times per week that you eat out.

Additionally, consume high PUFA foods like nuts, seeds, and fatty fish in very limited quantities.

Also, be sure to only consume animal products that are organic, pasture-raised beef, eggs, poultry, and dairy products. 

If you are a vegan or vegetarian and nuts and seeds are a significant portion of your diet it may be beneficial to consume high amounts of coconut oil and to supplement with Vitamin E. 

Vitamin E is a very powerful antioxidant and may help offset the damage caused by PUFAs. 

Finally, eat more saturated fats, especially on days when you will be consuming PUFAs as saturated fat can offset the damage caused by PUFAs.

Be mindful of PUFAs and take action to eliminate them as much as possible from your life.

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*Not Medical Advice. Always consult with your trusted medical professional.