Get Your Fats Straight

Not all fats provide the same health benefits. Therefore, it is essential to know the different types to make the healthiest choices.

Fat is one of the main energy sources—providing nutrients that your body needs to maintain optimal health. Inside the body, fat works to help absorb nutrients, maintain normal temperature, and protect organs and tissues. Fat also serves as an energy reserve and a precursor to other important compounds that are made inside the body. Although all fats provide 9 calories per gram, not all types provide the same health benefits. Therefore, it is essential to know the different types to make the healthiest choices.

Unsaturated fats
Fats that come from plant sources and are liquid at room temperature. They can be further classified as monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats. Both are considered the ‘healthy fats’ because they provide the most benefit to your body. Not only have they been shown to decrease cholesterol levels in the blood and reduce inflammation, but unsaturated fats also reduce the risk for Type 2 Diabetes and stroke.

Omega-3 fats are a type of polyunsaturated fat that is essential to your body but cannot be made internally and therefore must be obtained from the diet.  Good sources of unsaturated fats include vegetable oils (such as olive, canola, peanut, safflower, and sesame oil), avocados, fatty fish (such as salmon, trout, and tuna), and nuts and seeds (such as walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, and flaxseeds).

Saturated fats 
Fats that come primarily from animal sources and tend to be solid at room temperature. Consuming large amounts of saturated fat can increase blood cholesterol levels and lead to heart disease. Saturated fat intake is also correlated with certain types of cancers and stroke and should therefore be consumed in moderation.

Foods that contain saturated fat include fried foods, meat, butter, most desserts, milk, yogurt, cheese, and mayonnaise. Additionally, tropical oils such as coconut, palm kernel, and palm oils contain saturated fat although they do not originate from animals. It is recommended to keep saturated fat intake to less than 10% of total caloric intake per day.

Trans-fats 
Fats that are formed when liquid oils are made into solid fats during a process known as partial hydrogenation. This process is done to increase the shelf life and flavor stability of foods, but has negative health consequences that include raising bad cholesterol while lowering good cholesterol levels, and increasing risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Although a small amount of trans fat may be found naturally in some animal products, most trans-fat is found in processed foods containing partially hydrogenated oils such as vegetable shortening, some margarines, crackers, cookies, snack foods, and other foods fried in this oil. Trans-fats should be avoided and replaced with healthier unsaturated fats whenever possible.