Good fats, bad fats. Trans-fats. Saturated fats and unsaturated fats. The list goes on!With all the different kinds of fats out there, some of which are good for you and some of which are not, it can be hard to figure out which fats you should eat and which you shouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole.
Food commercials, which promote foods that have zero trans-fats, confuse the matter even more. Of course, it's obvious to most people that junk-food and fast-food fats are, in general, not the healthiest to consume. And then there's the whole connection between fats and LDL and HDL. So how can you figure out which fats are good, bad or indifferent?
A Quick Review of Fats
To help you pick the good fats from the bad, let's chew the fat and do a quick review of the different kinds of fats out there. First, you need to something about fats: our bodies can make the different kinds of fats it needs from other kinds of fats or even from carbohydrates.
There is, however, one class of fats that the body cannot make, and these are called polyunsaturated fats. We have to get these fats from our diet. It's an important distinction, so keep it in mind as you read through this list of all the different fats out there.
The Bad Fats
There are two kinds of bad fats: saturated fats and trans-fats. Both of these kinds of fats tend to increase level of LDL, the bad cholesterol, and increase the chances of heart disease.
Saturated Fat
Saturated fats are very common in food, and are solid at room temperature. These are the fats that you see in bacon and butter. There are about two dozen different kinds of saturated fats, and are abundant in meat fats, fairy products, and certain vegetable oils, such as coconut and palm oil. Saturated fat tends to increase the amount of LDL, or bad cholesterol, in the body. Saturated fats from dairy products are the worst offenders, while the saturated fats in chocolate are not nearly as bad.
Trans-Fats
Trans-fats are basically a human invention. A while back scientists discovered that they could heat up polyunsaturated fat, one of the good fats, from vegetable oil and turn it into solid form by introducing hydrogen gas and nickel metal particles. This is a trans-fat. This made it easier for the food industry to use the fat in their good products, and ship the resulting foods around the world. Unfortunately, trans-fats are truly unhealthy. Not only do trans-fats increase LDL, the bad cholesterol, and decrease HDL, the good cholesterol, but studies show that these fats also increase inflammation in the body. These fats also contribute to the development of heart disease, diabetes, and blood clots. In fact, these fats are so bad that Institute of Medicine says that the only safe level of trans-fats for humans is zero. Avoid trans-fats by staying away from French fries, doughnuts, margarine, vegetable shortening, and pre-packaged pastries.
The Good Fats
There are also two kinds of good fats: monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. By increasing your intake of these two unsaturated fats in place of saturated and trans-fats, you get the benefits of decreasing LDL while increasing HDL, decreasing your risk of heart disease, and reducing risk of blood clots. And remember, your body can't make polyunsaturated fats so you have get them from the foods you eat.
Monounsaturated Fat
These fats are liquid at room temperature and are mostly found in the form of oils. Oils high in monounsaturated fat include peanut, canola, and olive oil. Foods high in these fats include avocados and nuts. These oils and foods are both good and good for you.
Polyunsaturated Fats
As with the monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature. You may know these fats from their two other names: omega-3 and omega-6.. Since our bodies can't produce this kind of fat, we have to include them in our diet. Foods high in omega-3 and omega-6 include blue green algae, fatty fish like tuna and salmon, whole grains, seeds, and soybean oil.
Well, I hope this little "chew the fat" session has helped to clarify the difference between the different kinds of fats out there. I have found that some of the best and most convenient sources of "good fats" are blue-green algae and fatty fish. Enjoy!
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