When it comes to diet, fat often gets a bad notion. Yes, there are indeed certain fats that are bad on our health. However, it is important to know not all fats are created equal and some are actually essential for good health. Knowing the difference between the types of fats and where we can find them may help you determine what you should look to avoid and which to eat in moderation.
The worst one
The worst type of dietary fat is trans fat. These fats should all together be avoided. Trans fats are the byproduct of a process called hydrogenation, or turning healthy oils into solids to prevent them from becoming rancid. Consuming foods rich in trans fats increases the amount of harmful LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream and reduces the amount of beneficial HDL cholesterol. Trans fats are responsible for creating inflammation, and most predominantly involved in cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and obesity.
Alright fat, but could do better
Saturated fats are very common in the American diet. They are solid at room temperature, and should be eaten very sparingly. Think bacon grease. A diet high in saturated fats drives the balance of cholesterol to more harmful cholesterol over healthy cholesterol. This can eventually prompt blockages in arteries of the heart and throughout the body. The daily intake of saturated fats should be limited to 10% of calories a day. Common sources of foods high in saturated fats include red meats, whole-milk dairy products, coconut oil, cheeses, and personal favorite treat; peanut butter.
The good fats
Monounsaturated fats do not have a specific recommended daily intake, but some recommend supplementing them into your diet as much as possible (along with polyunsaturated fats, which we will discuss next) to replace trans and saturated fats. Sources of monounsaturated fats are oils such as olive, peanut, sunflower, and canola. As well as avocados and most nuts.
The health benefits of monounsaturated fats were actually discovered through a study done on the diets and health in parts of the Mediterranean region. Despite a high- fat diet these individuals had a very low rate of heart disease.
finally, the best fat yet
Polyunsaturated fats have two main types: omega- 3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. The body is capable of producing all the fatty acids it needs, except for these. This is why they are known as “essential fatty acids’” and are a necessity to receive through our diet. These both have many great health benefits but it is important to note foods of each one have their own function and effects but among them they play a role in lowering blood pressure, heart health, and often coined as “brain food” for the benefits they provide in brain health.
Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include fatty fish, flaxseeds, walnuts, chia seeds, and canola oil. In addition to omega-3 fatty acids, you can find polyunsaturated fat in omega-6 fatty acid containing foods such as soybean derived food such as tofu, seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, sesame), and oils such as corn, safflower, sesame, and sunflower.
In conclusion
Healthy fats are very important in your diet, and most of the good ones come mainly from vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fish sources. However, it is always important to remember fats are high in calories. Fat in the diet is not what makes a diet unhealthy, overeating is what is harmful. It is still crucial to moderate your consumption to avoid excess calories. On top of this, many foods and oils also contain a mixture of fatty acids, but the predominant type of fat they contain is how we categorize them as being more or less healthy.