FATS: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

Do you need to eat fat to be healthy? Does eating fat make you fatter? The answer to both of these questions is YES and NO! You certainly need to ensure you are consuming the right types of fat as there are health benefits, but you also need to watch your fat intake as it can lead to weight gain if you eat too much.

In Part 1 this week, I will discuss the different types of fat that exist and point out which ones are healthier for you.


Part 1: Understanding The Different Types Of Fat That Exist and What They Mean To Your Health


The first thing to understand about fat is that there are numerous types of fat, and most foods contain several different kinds of fat. Your body makes its own fat from taking in excess calories. But some fats are found in foods from plants and animals and are known as dietary fat. Dietary fat is one of three fundamental macronutrients that provide energy for your body. (The other two macronutrients are protein and carbohydrates.) Fat is essential to your health because it supports a number of your body's functions, including improving cardiovascular health, improving brain function, and improving skin moisture levels. In addition, some vitamins must have fat to dissolve and nourish your body.

On the other hand, the concern with some types of dietary fat is that they are thought to play a role in cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and obesity.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS: There is extensive research that suggests when it comes to dietary fat, you should focus on eating healthy fats and avoiding unhealthy fats.

So what are unhealthy fats? And what are healthy fats?

There are two main types of unhealthy fat: saturated fat and trans fat.

Saturated fat is a type of fat that comes mainly from foods from animals. Saturated fat raises total blood cholesterol levels as well as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, which can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. Saturated fat may also increase your risk of type 2 diabetes.

Trans fat is a type of fat that occurs naturally in some foods, especially foods from animals. However, most trans fats are made during food processing through partial hydrogenation of unsaturated fats. This process creates fats that are easier to cook with and less likely to spoil than are naturally occurring oils. These trans fats are called industrial or synthetic trans fats, and research studies show that synthetic trans fat can increase unhealthy LDL cholesterol and lower healthy high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. This can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. Most fats that have a high percentage of saturated fat or trans fat are solid at room temperature. Because of this, they're typically referred to as solid fats. They include beef fat, pork fat, shortening, stick margarine and butter.

There are also two main types of healthy fat: monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat.

Monounsaturated fat is a type of fat found in a variety of foods & oils. Studies show that eating foods rich in these fats improve blood cholesterol levels and may benefit insulin levels and blood sugar control.

Polyunsaturated fat is a type of fat found mostly in plant-based foods and oils. Research shows that eating foods rich in polyunsaturated fats improves blood cholesterol levels, which can decrease your risk of heart disease. These fats may also help decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes. One type of polyunsaturated fat, called omega-3 fatty acids, may be especially beneficial to your heart. Omega-3s, found in some types of fatty fish, appear to decrease the risk of coronary artery disease. They may also protect against irregular heartbeats and help lower blood pressure levels. Omega-3s can also be found in nutritional supplements for those that don't eat fish. Just make sure your nutritional supplement is manufactured to pharmaceutical-grade standards so you can ensure quality. Foods made up mostly of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature, such as olive oil, safflower oil, peanut oil and corn oil.

Because some fats are considered healthy and others unhealthy, it pays to know which ones you're eating and whether you're meeting national recommendations. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, issued by the Department of Agriculture, provides recommendations for dietary fat intake. I will discuss these recommendations next week in Part 2 of my article on "FATS: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly".

Until then, do you know how to determine the different types of fat that you are eating?