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What nutrient brings you closer to your death?

Linoleic acid (LA) — the most harmful ingredient in your diet.

Fats are the primary building block of your cell membranes. This is one of the reasons why eating the right types of fat is so important for your health and longevity

While most nutritional experts blame the epidemic of chronic disease on the increase in sugar consumption, the role of sugar is relatively minor when compared to the impact of seed oils.

Currently, only two types of fats are considered "essential":

• Omega-3 (EPA, DHA, and ALA)

• Omega-6 (LA)

The main non-violent causes of death in 2023 are: (1,2):

1. Heart Disease (33%) - such as coronary artery disease and heart failure.

2. Cancer (28%) - Including lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers.

3. Stroke (Cerebrovascular Diseases) - 8% 

4. Alzheimer's Disease - 7%

5. Diabetes - 5%

The main causes of their occurrence are:

• Obesity, high cholesterol levels, and hypertension ^(3,4)

• Chronic inflammation ⁽⁵⁾

• Hypertension and atherosclerosis ⁽⁶⁾

• Myocardial infarction and cardiac arrhythmias contribute to stroke risk ⁽⁷⁾

The main cause of these diseases is the presence of inflammatory processes, insulin resistance, and elevated levels of bad cholesterol. In turn, the main source of these processes is increased consumption of LA (omega-6). ^{(8,9,10 ,11,12)} 

In 2023, a peer-reviewed article by Dr. Mercola on this topic was published in the scientific journal MDPI. For those interested in a deep dive into the subject, it will be interesting. The number of studies used to write it is impressive - 154 scientific studies. ⁽¹³⁾

Below I will provide the key points of the article for simplified understanding.

Why do we eat so much LA?

Prior to the 20th century, the average intake of LA was under 2% of the total daily caloric intake. The biological optimal range is approximately 1% to 2%, but current LA consumption is over 25% of the total calorie intake for the average person. ⁽¹⁴⁾

The consumption of LA at these levels lowers the metabolic rate ^(15,16) and increases tissue oxidative damage that increases susceptibility to chronic diseases.

Consistently elevated LA intake likely accelerates the biological clock, resulting in premature aging and death. ⁽¹⁷⁾

Before 1866, the Western diet consisted mainly of animal fats, such as tallow (beef fat), suet (mutton, beef, or lamb fat), lard (pork fat), and butter (milk fat). ⁽¹⁸⁾ Furthermore, Eastern societies used cold-pressed fats, such as coconut and palm oil. Vegetable and seed oils that are regularly consumed today did not exist prior to the late 1800s.

A fundamental change in agricultural history was the shift from the extraction of cold-pressed plant and seed oils to industrially processed seed oils after the US Civil War. ^(19,20)

However, the use of this innovation did not gain in popularity quickly, even with tactical marketing strategies. By the mid-1900s, animal foods still provided 99% of added fats in the human diet, but 86% of added fats came from seed oils by 2005. 

As you can see, progress is not always a good thing.

So how much LA do we need?

List and description of plant oils that contain the most LA::

1. Plant oils:

   • Safflower oil - contains up to 75%

   • Grapeseed oil - about 70-76%

   • Sunflower oil - about 65%

   • Corn oil - about 54-58%

   • Soybean oil - roughly 50-54%

   • Cottonseed oil is less commonly used in home cooking but prevalent in processed foods, containing a high percentage of omega-6 fatty acids

   • Sesame oil, particularly used in Asian cuisine, has a considerable amount of omega-6 fatty acids

   • Сanola, linseed, soybean, and cottonseed, contain small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, but these are not beneficial long-chain varieties.

2. The majority of ultra-processed foods contain one or more forms of industrially processed seed oils, including potato chips, cookies, pastries, bread, and others.

3. Less obvious and stealthy sources include most food establishments (e.g., restaurants), as they primarily use processed seed oils to prepare their food.

It is important to consume sufficient amounts of omega-3 fatty acids to sustain optimal health, with the recommended daily serving being between 500 and 1000 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids. ^(22,23)

Contrary to previous perceptions, however, consuming larger servings of omega-3 fatty acids does not support an ideal ratio. Instead, excessive quantities of omega-3s may cause additional metabolic damage—similar to that which occurs due to the conversion of elevated LA levels.

Furthermore, the circulation of excessive LA in the bloodstream, regardless of omega-3 fatty acid intake, contributes to the pathology of diseases. A more useful approach to increasing omega-3 fatty acid levels in the body and maintaining a healthy omega-3:6 ratio is by decreasing the consumption of omega-6 fatty acids, including LA ⁽²⁴⁾

By removing all plant oils from your diet (except for olive and palm oils), you will dramatically reduce the amount of LA and never be able to develop a deficiency. This is because LA is found in many vegetables that you consume in whole form, such as corn, soybeans, and others.

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Warm regards,
Kos and Helen.

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