Over the years we have been told that eating foods rich in fats will add inches to our waistline, raise our cholesterol level and cause numerous health problems. But did you know that not all fats are bad? As some fats cause harm to our health, there are also existing dietary fats that help promote good health as part of our balanced diet. So, there is no need for us to eliminate all types of dietary fats from our diet. We just have to choose wisely which type of fats we need to consume that will help us achieve better nutrition.
Fats are type of macronutrient just like protein and carbohydrates. Dietary fats are essential to give our body energy and to support cell growth. They also help protect the organs and keep the body warm. Furthermore, fats help the body absorb some nutrients that it needs and produce important hormones too. Therefore, our body definitely needs dietary fats. By understanding the difference between good and bad fats, we can decide better which type of fats are healthier to be included in our diet.
“Bad” fats can cause unhealthy effects that all fats have been blamed for including weight gain, clogged arteries, increased risk of certain diseases, and many more. However, there are two main types of potential dietary fats. One is saturated fats, the type of fats that come from animal sources of food, such as red meat, poultry and full-fat dairy products. Saturated fats increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL or "good") cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol levels, which may increase our risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The other type of “bad” fats are the trans fats. Most of the trans fats are made from oils through a food processing method called “partial hydrogenation” to keep them solid even at room temperature. They can be found commonly at commercially-baked pastries, packaged snack foods, margarine, vegetable shortening and fried foods. Like the saturated fats, trans fats cause more harm as they increase total blood cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, but lower HDL cholesterol which could increase your risk for heart diseases and stroke.
On the other hand, “good” fats are type of fats that are good for the heart, cholesterol and overall health. These are primarily unsaturated fats such as Mono- and Poly-unsaturated fatty acids. Monounsaturated fatty acids are fats found in variety of foods and oils including olive, canola, peanut and sesame oils, avocados, olives and nuts, while polyunsaturated fatty acids are type of fats that are found mostly in plant-based foods and oils such as sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin seeds, flaxseed, walnuts, fatty fish and fish oil, soymilk and tofu. The last type of “good” fats are the Omega-3 fatty acids which can be mainly found on fishes such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines and herring and plant and seed sources like flaxseed, soybean oil, walnut, butternuts and chia seeds. These fats help improve blood cholesterol level, decrease risk on heart diseases and may also help decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes.
So, which type of these fats do you think is better for us? Undeniably, it is the “GOOD” FATS! Thus, before you think of cutting off fats from your diet, consider that contrary to the popular belief not all fats cause ill-effects to our body. Trying to avoid all fats may put us at risk of irregularities in bodily functions along with getting insufficient amount of fat-soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids. Therefore, make a wise and best decision. Choose the right thing. After all, fats are needed to function normally. Hence, instead of avoiding all fats, why not enjoy the healthy fats as part of your balanced diet?
References:
1. How to choose healthy fats from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/2014/06/09/how-to-choose-healthy-fats/
2. Choosing healthy Fats from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/choosing-healthy-fats.htm
3. Dietary fats: Know which types to choose from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/fat/art-20045550
