Fats are an essential part of our diets: they provide energy and help absorb certain vitamins and minerals. However, navigating the numerous types of fats can be difficult. If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Are all fats bad?” or “Which fats should I be eating?” – you’re not alone. In this article, we’ll uncover the truth about fats – differentiating between healthy and unhealthy fats and helping you make better dietary decisions.
1. Let Your Diet Do the Talking: Unmasking Fats
Fat is often looked down upon when it comes to nutrition. But the truth is, fat is actually quite important for the body. Fat helps the body absorb certain vitamins, provides energy, and protects the organs. It’s time to take a closer look at fat and discover the hidden health benefits it can provide.
Good Fats: It’s no surprise that not all fats are created equal. There are good fats and bad fats, and it’s important to know the difference. “Good fats” include oils like canola, olive, and coconut, which can help improve cholesterol levels and reduce inflammation. High-fat nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts are also great sources of healthy fat, as are avocado and fatty fish like salmon.
Omega 3’s: Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for overall health. These polyunsaturated fatty acids are abundant in fatty seafood like salmon and mackerel as well as chia, flax, and hemp seeds. Omega-3s have been linked to many health benefits like improved heart health, better brain function, and reduced inflammation.
- Olive oil
- Canola oil
- Coconut oil
- Avocado
- Nuts
- Fatty fish
- Chia seeds
- Flax seeds
- Hemp seeds
Bad Fats: On the other hand, saturated fats can have negative effects on your health. Saturated fats are mostly found in animal products like red meat, cheese, butter, lard, and cream. Trans fats, which are created by heating liquids into solids, are also bad for health. Trans fats are found in heavily processed foods like cookies, cakes, and chips.
2. Seeing Through the Clutter: Which Fats Make the Cut?
When navigating the wide and seemingly endless aisle of cooking pantry ingredients, it can be quite daunting just trying to identify the “good” fats from the “bad” fats! Understanding the types of fats and their benefits is often a source of confusion and general misunderstanding. It is, however, important to consume the “good” fats for lasting health and well being.
When trying to make sense of the nutrition labels, consider these three categories of fats, which will help you make better, more educated decisions when shopping.
- Trans Fats: to be completely avoided
- Saturated Fats: may have some health benefits, however to be consumed in moderation
- Unsaturated Fats (Mono/Polyunsaturated): found in a variety of natural foods and are essential for optimal health
Trans fats are artificial, such as hydrogenated oils, and are found in many processed, pre-packaged foods. These fat sources should be completely avoided as they not only lack in health benefits, but are linked to a variety of degenerative diseases. Saturated fats are found in animal-based products such as eggs, dairy, and red meats, and can also be found in some plant-based options such as coconut. The most nutritious of these fats sources are the unsaturated fats, or mono/polyunsaturated fats, found in a variety of sources such as olive oils, avocados, and fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and trout.
Though it is important to consume fats in balance, it is also important to ensure that the most nutritious fats are incorporated into one’s diet. Aim to incorporate healthy fats with protein, carbohydrates, and other micronutrients for a well-rounded and nutritious diet.
3. Benefit or Burden: Weighing Up the Pros and Cons of Different Fats
We all hear about fats, and how we should either cut down or increase certain kinds depending on our lifestyle. Fats can be confusing to understand, and deciding whether to have them in our diet is complicated. Let’s look at some of the different types of fats and the pros and cons of having them:
- Monounsaturated fats: These are polyunsaturated fats which can often be found in vegetable oil, seeds, nuts, and meat. A known benefit of monounsaturated fats is the improvement of cholesterol levels and risk of heart disease. On the other hand, having too much can lead to weight gain, along with other health concerns.
- Polyunsaturated fats: These are liquid fats like vegetable oils. Polyunsaturated fats have been proven to lower cholesterol levels due to their impact on the type of cholesterol. Despite this fact, the potential health risks of consuming too much polyunsaturated fats include reproductive problems and an increase in certain cancers.
- Saturated fats: Saturated fats can be found in foods such as bacon, beef, butter, and coconut oil. Decades of research has been dedicated to its effects on cholesterol levels, but results have been inconclusive. Although eating saturated fat does increase the risk of heart disease, it also increases the risk of other illnesses such as stroke and diabetes.
- Trans fats: Trans fats are created from vegetable oils and are often found in processed foods. The benefit of consuming a small amount of trans fats is that they can reduce the risk of heart disease. Too much however, can increase the likelihood of breast cancer, as well as reduce the production of good cholesterol, contributing to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Being mindful of different types of fats when preparing meals can have a real positive impact on our health. Understanding the pros and cons will better equip us to make informed decisions.
4. Flexible Fats: Why Some Are More Healthful Than Others
When we hear the phrase ‘fat’, it can easily conjure up negative connotations. But not all fats are bad for us. Did you know that some fats can even be beneficial for our health? Let’s take a look at the different types of fat, and why some tend to be more healthy than other.
Saturated Fats: Usually derived from animal sources but can also be found in plants, saturated fat is solid at room temperature – think butter, lard, or coconut oil. While not completely harmful, an excess of saturated fat can increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Trans Fats: These tend to be formed through a process called partial hydrogenation, and are often found in cakes, pastries, some margarines, and fast food. They can increase bad cholesterol levels while decreasing good cholesterol and, as a result, can also increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Unsaturated Fats: This type of fat comes mainly from plants and fish, and includes polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. These fats are liquid at room temperature and are considered a ‘’healthy’’ fat. Examples of unsaturated fats include peanut oil, olive oil, canola oil, avocado oil, and fish (such as salmon and albacore tuna).
The key to using fats in your diet is to ensure that you are including the right types of fats and using them in moderation. Eating a variety of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats while limiting your intake of saturated and trans fats can help to reduce your risk of some chronic diseases, so don’t forget to make these healthy fats part of your!
- Replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats where possible
- Limit processed or fast foods
- Incorporate plant-based oils into your diet
- Try to include omega-3 fatty acids into your diet (through fatty fish or flaxseed)
5. Learn Your Lipids: Smarter Eating with Fats Unmasked
Fats are an essential nutrient, but “unmasking” them be tricky. Just like the cloak and dagger plot at the heart of a great spy novel, the process of understanding lipids can seem shrouded in mystery. Here’s a quick overview on how to decode the language of lipids:
Types of Fat
There are three primary types of fat: monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, and saturated fat. Knowing which type of fat is present in any given food is key in understanding the health benefits, or potential risks, of that food.
- Monounsaturated fat, has been found to be beneficial for heart health.
- Polyunsaturated fats, found in plant-based oils, and offer important omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
- Saturated fat, usually found in animal products, are more common and more detrimental to health.
Foods with High Fats
Common food sources of fats are things you might expect like nut butters and oils, but they can also be found in some surprise foods like cheese and avocado. Pay attention to nutrition facts labels to understand how much of each type of fat is contained in any given food.
Making Smarter Choices
If your goal is to maintain a healthy, balanced lifestyle, then understanding your fat intake is key. Many Americans now exceed daily recommended levels of saturated fat, so make sure to read nutrition labels and prioritize monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in your daily meals.
Fats: they’re deeply complicated, and understanding the distinction between healthy and unhealthy types can be daunting. But at the end of the day, it’s your health at stake. Fortunately, if armed with knowledge, deciphering the difference between healthy and unhealthy types of fats is like solving a puzzle – intriguing, yet solvable. Now, it’s time to take off the mask and reveal the truth about fats. Enjoy the journey of learning once more!
