You need some fat in your diet if you want your body to function properly, according to University of Maryland Medical Center. However, the quantity of fat you consume as well as the type of fat you eat can affect your health. Eating omega-3 polyunsaturated fats can help to protect you against heart disease, whereas you may end up with health issues such as heart disease if you eat too much trans or saturated fat, according to Oregon State University. There are four types of fat: trans, polunsaturated, saturated and monounsaturated. This is based on the structure of the fatty acids in each fat. Fats are a class of lipids, as are waxes.
Saturated Fat
Saturated fats are found in foods that come from animals. These include lard, meats, and whole-milk dairy products such as ice cream, cheese and butter. Saturated fats also are found in plant oils including coconut, cocoa butter, palm and palm kernel oils. Saturated fats are one of the main dietary factors that can raise your cholesterol. The American Heart Association recommends that you limit your saturated fat intake to 7 percent of daily calories.
Trans Fat
Trans fats are found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, according to the American Heart Association. Such oils are common in foods including doughnuts, commercial baked goods, French fries, onion rings, cakes, crackers and cookies. Trans fats can raise your "bad" LDL cholesterol and your total cholesterol. Meanwhile, they can lower your "good" HDL cholesterol. The American Heart Association recommends that trans fats not make up more than 1 percent of your total daily calories.
Polyunsaturated Fat
Polyunsaturated fats are found in nuts and seeds. You'll also find them in spreads and margarines made from soy, safflower, corn, sesame and sunflower-seed oils. This unsaturated fat can lower your cholesterol when you use it instead of saturated fat, according to the American Heart Association. Polyunsaturated fatty acids also are known as PUFAs. Essential fatty acids such as the omega-3 fatty acids also are in this category. Omega-3s are found in fish such as herring, salmon, lake trout, mackerel, sardines and albacore tuna. They're also found in flax seeds and in canola oil. Omega-3 fatty acids can help improve heart health, lower blood pressure and lower triglyceride levels, notes the American Heart Association. Omega-6 fatty acids also are in this category. These are found in seeds and nuts and the oils made from them, including soybean oil.
Monounsaturated Fat
Monounsaturated fats are found in nuts, olives, dark chocolate, legumes such as edamame and peanuts, and avocados. You'll also find them in spreads and margarines made from peanut, canola and olive oils. This unsaturated fat also can aid in lowering your blood cholesterol level when you use it instead of saturated fats, according to the American Heart Association. These are also called omega-9 fatty acids, or MUFAs, and are a cornerstone of the Flat Belly Diet, says Liz Vaccariello, author of the "Flat Belly Diet! Pocket Guide."
Plant Lipids
Certain plant lipids, commonly known as sterols, may help to lower serum cholesterol, says G.R. Thompson in an article for the "European Heart Journal." Those that naturally occur in soybean, rape, corn and sunflower seed oils appear to have this effect. Taking in 2g a day of the sterols called sitostanol and sitosterol can lower the "bad" LDL cholesterol by 10 to 15 percent more than diet alone, says Thompson. Either one will work, Thompson notes. Sitosterol has a chemical structure that is similar to cholesterol. Other plant lipids, like carnauba wax, coat the leaves of some fruits. This wax is used as a food-grade polish for items such as sweets.
References
- American Heart Association: Fat
- Oregon State University: What's Good About Dietary Fat?; Donald B. Jump, Professor of Nutrition and Exercise Sciences; 2008
- "European Heart Journal"; Plant lipids that lower serum cholesterol; G. R. Thompson; 1999
- "Flat Belly Diet! Pocket Guide"; Liz Vaccariello; 2009
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Omega 3 Fatty Acids
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