Amber O’Hearn
The Lipivore: what is fat for?
The role of body fat varies among species. Marine mammals have blubber for thermogenesis and insulation. Migrating birds use fat to derive water from its chemical breakdown. Of course, a primary use of fat is for energy. In some animals, fat can be used to generate ketone bodies, which are efficiently used by the brain as fuel. Humans have an apparently unique ability to continue to generate high levels of ketones even when fully fed. This fact has been used to explain our peculiar high levels of body fat, especially as infants, and also our unusual affinity for dietary fat.
Amber O’Hearn is a data scientist by profession with a background in math, computer science, linguistics, and psychology. She has been studying and experimenting with low-carb, ketogenic diets since 1997, and more recently writing and speaking about her findings.