What Are the Good Fats and What Are the Bad?
According to a recent report published by the Harvard School of Medicine, the type of fat we eat plays a broader role in our wellness than the aggregate amount of fat we ingest. “Good fats” (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats) are really healthy for us and support good health. The “bad fats” (saturated and trans fats) can actually increase our chances for disease and contribute to weight gain. The important fact here is that some fat is necessary in our diet. A proper diet includes a reasonable amount of good fat and a minimum amount of bad fat, if any at all.
The first rule of thumb for a healthy fat diet is to avoid trans fats. They are the single most disease-promoting fats present in our diets. Regrettably, they penetrate our foods, especially convenience and restaurant foods, which can make trans fats especially daunting to avoid. The second rule for a nutritious diet is to exchange good fats for bad fats. And this requires that we know the difference between the two.
Good Fats
Monounsaturated fats are known to lower one’s overall cholesterol levels and foster weight loss by melting off body fat. Monounsaturated fats are found in almonds, peanuts, pistachios, walnuts, avocado, canola oil, and olive oil.
Polyunsaturated fats are also celebrated to lower bad cholesterol. These fats are a wonderful source of omega-3 fatty acids, found by and large in cold-water fish, nuts, oils and seeds, and also in dark leafy greens, flaxseed oils and many of the vegetable oils (corn oil, soy oil, safflower oil and sunflower oil).
Bad Fats
Saturated fats are best known by the fact that they are solid (not liquid) at room temperature. Saturated fats are found in meat and dairy products: cheese, butter, lard, bacon fat. Saturated fats provoke LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Saturated fats should be avoided altogether.
The Really Bad Fats: Trans Fats
Trans fats are not naturally occuring in nature. They are, in fact, made in a lab. Trans fats are produced by changing fluid vegetable fats into solid fat through a process called hydrogenation. Hydrogenated fats are a different name for trans fats. Hydrogenated fats are found in commercially packaged foods as well as fried foods. Look on labels in the grocery store for hydrogenated fat content and select not to eat any foods that contain it.
Learn more about good fats and bad fats.