I would also argue that most of the nutritional benefit we get from LA comes from its longer chain derivatives DGLA and AA. The problem with supplementing with LA is that the conversion process of LA > GLA > DGLA > AA can be impaired, especially in people dealing with chronic illness (a high percentage of Americans today). That’s one of many reasons why I recommend eating liver and other organ meats (for DGLA) and butter, lard, other animal fats and egg yolks (for AA). This way we get the longer-chain fats we need without worrying about the conversion process.

The only thing I can add is that I think what happened to demonize saturated fat is happening to linoleic acid.

One of the reasons that saturated fat got its undeservedly bad wrap is that researchers made no distinction between saturated and trans fats so even though it was the trans fats that were creating the problem and not the non-damaged saturated fats, the baby got thrown out with the bath water.

The same thing is happening with Omega-6 (linoleic acid). The reason it is getting blamed incorrectly is that researchers aren’t considering the fact that undamaged linoleic acid isn’t the problem – it’s most likely the damaged kind that’s creating the negative effects.

Because linoleic acid is such a long chain polyunsaturated fat, it is VERY susceptible to damage. In fact, it’s almost impossible to get linoleic acid today that isn’t damaged. You have to really go out of your way to get it.

And damaged linoleic acid is ubiquitous. It’s in every salad dressing and just about anything that comes in a bottle as well as just about every packaged good.

While everyone believes (in large part thanks to Barry Sears of The Zone diet) that we should limit Omega-6 consumption in favor of Omega-3, this is actually backward, as we need more 6 than 3. I too believed this for many years and only recently figured out how this recommendation became so widespread. You can’t count the damaged Omega-6 as part of our linoleic acid consumption and then make extrapolations from there.

If researchers take this issue of damaged vs. undamaged linoleic acid into account, they will see that higher intakes of linoleic acid correlate with less heart disease and inflammation.

Welcome to THS!  Thanks for the feedback.  Glad to know you’ve had great results with the grain free diet.  I’m very familiar with SCD and have followed a similar approach called the GAPS diet.  It’s basically SCD but with emphasis on traditional, saturated fats (which SCD doesn’t mention) and more fermented foods.  I have Crohn’s myself and GAPS hsa been incredibly helpful.

Well anyways, you have a new reader!