Is your high fat diet increasing inflammation?
High-fat diets are all the rage these days due to the villainization of carbohydrates.
However, this approach is much too simplistic.
When we take a closer look, this could actually be doing more harm than good over the long term because it harms our gut!
A high fat (especially saturated) and simple carbohydrate diet is associated with endotoxemia.
Endotoxemia means a person’s state of their gut is not able to protect them from absorbing toxins into the bloodstream.
Increased endotoxin activity is associated with systemic inflammation, obesity, and metabolic syndrome due to changes in the gastrointestinal barrier and shifts in the gut microbiota. These are all prevalent issues and risk factors in the PCOS pathogenesis.
With a diet that focuses on high or excess amounts of fat (especially saturated), gut dysbiosis can occur.
This can promote intestinal permeability meaning it creates openings in the tight junctions of the intestinal lining that is meant to protect our inner environment from the outer environment.
High fat intake can promote large amounts of endotoxins to be released from gram-negative bacteria which then can filter into the bloodstream due to this compromised gut barrier.
Studies consistently show that compared to other populations, Western societies have weaker microbiomes that struggle to provide protection against endotoxemia.
What influences our gut health?
Type of birth and our diet as an infant and child
Our diet
Medications: antibiotics, NSAIDs, PPIs, H2 blockers, laxatives, opioids, HBC
Toxins
Timing/ Frequency of meals
Stress (emotional, mental, social)
Sleep
Exposure to nature
High saturated fats have been shown to promote endotoxemia the most (found in animal products & coconut oil).
While omega 3 fats have been shown to dampen the endotoxemia response.
PCOS women have been shown to have significantly higher serum endotoxin levels, notably due to poor gut health.
Chronic inflammation is the driver for all disease and a driving force in the PCOS pathogenesis, promoting visceral fat accumulation, insulin resistance, abnormal glucose regulation, altered gut hormones, and lipotoxicity.
This is why gut health must be a central focus in the management of PCOS.
Always!
This is one of the reasons why when I started to put more attention on my gut health while reducing saturated fat (by lowering my coconut oil intake as well as animal products and going more plant-based), I noticed a significant difference in my cystic acne, digestion, energy, and even mood!
For a healthy gut we absolutely need carbohydrates (essential to our microbiome) - but the right ones!
This means complex carbohydrates that are fiber-rich, which includes fruit, whole grains, beans, legumes, starches, and non-starchy vegetables. Some of my favorites include berries, asparagus, jicama, apples, yam, sweet potato, pumpkin, quinoa, and leafy greens.
We must adopt a new approach to food, as medicine, if we truly want to heal.
Resources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3978718/
https://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/journal/2018-07/high-saturated-fat-diet-increases-endotoxemia
https://academic.oup.com/humrep/article-abstract/35/10/2303/5899885?redirectedFrom=fulltext