For decades, dietary fats have been misunderstood, often labeled as “bad” without considering their true complexity. But fats are not just a source of calories—they play a much bigger role in our health. The types of fats we eat affect the fatty acids in our cell membranes, which in turn influence important processes like appetite, inflammation, and energy balance. This is something carbohydrates, which mainly provide energy, cannot do.
One fat that has gained attention is linoleic acid (LA), an omega-6 fatty acid found in vegetable oils like soybean oil. Over the past century, LA consumption has increased dramatically due to the rise of processed foods. Once consumed, LA is converted into arachidonic acid (AA), which gets stored in our cell membranes. From there, AA is used to produce molecules called endocannabinoids, which are part of the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS helps regulate appetite, fat storage, and inflammation.
When we consume too much LA, it raises AA levels in our cells. This leads to higher production of endocannabinoids like anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). While these molecules are important for maintaining balance in the body, having too many can overstimulate the ECS. This overstimulation has been linked to problems like overeating, weight gain, and chronic inflammation—key features of metabolic syndrome.
Not all fats have this effect. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish and flaxseeds, can help by balancing out omega-6 fats like LA. Omega-3s compete with omega-6 fats for space in cell membranes and reduce the production of AA-derived endocannabinoids. Instead, they promote anti-inflammatory molecules that help restore balance to the ECS. Ingesting too much omega-6 compared to omega-3 can have implications also for omega-3 metabolism, as both types of fat share identical metabolic enzymes.
Other fats also play a role. For example, oleic acid, found in olive oil, produces molecules that regulate appetite and reduce inflammation. Saturated fats like palmitic acid and stearic acid also create their own unique mediators—such as PEA (palmitoylethanolamide) and SEA (stearoylethanolamide)—that can influence health through anti-inflammatory or neuroprotective effects.
The key takeaway? Dietary fats are not simply “good” or “bad.” Instead of focusing on how much fat we eat, we need to think about the types of fats we consume. Avoiding cheap omega-6-rich vegetable oils while choosing more omega-3 fatty acids—and including healthy fat sources like olive oil and butter—can help maintain a healthy ECS and improve overall well-being. The long-standing vilification of saturated fats becomes difficult to justify once we understand their role in producing essential lipid mediators.
By recognizing that dietary fats serve dual purposes—as energy sources and as precursors for important signaling molecules—we can make smarter choices about what we eat. Unlike carbohydrates that simply provide fuel, dietary fats shape our biology at a fundamental level. It’s time to move beyond outdated ideas about fat and focus on eating the right kinds of fats for a healthier future.
If you want to learn more about the eCBome and its relationship to our health, this blog post Understanding the Endocannabinoidome: A Deep Dive into Human Physiology is for you.