When it comes to disease risk, the type of fat you eat is more important than the amount of fat that you eat, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Some fat is necessary in the diet for good health, and some types of fat actually lower your disease risk, so you don't want to eliminate all fat in your diet. Just choose to consume more of the healthier fats and less of those that are unhealthy.
Beneficial Fats
The fats that are considered "good fats" are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Omega-3 fats and omega-6 fats are types of polyunsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats may be more beneficial than polyunsaturated fats, since they may raise HDL, or good cholesterol levels, according to the Arthritis Foundation. Both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats lower LDL, or bad cholesterol levels.
Unhealthy Fats
Saturated fats should be limited and trans fats should be avoided. Both of these types of fat increase your risk for stroke and heart disease by increasing your LDL cholesterol, according to the American Diabetes Association. Trans fats actually decrease your HDL levels as well.
Benefits
There are some benefits to consuming fat, according to Health Services at Columbia University. These include making it possible for the body to absorb fat-soluble vitamins, helping you to feel full after eating, adding flavor and texture to foods, providing energy and serving as building blocks to keep your cells healthy.
Considerations
One of the main drawbacks of consuming fats is that they contain a lot more calories than protein or carbohydrates. Each gram of fat is 9 calories, compared to 4 calories for each gram of protein or carbohydrate. These calories can really add up, making it easy to consume too many calories even when you eat only a small portion of high-fat foods.
Expert Insight
The Harvard School of Public Health recommends avoiding trans fats, using liquid plant oils for cooking, limiting consumption of meat and dairy products and eating at least one serving of omega-3 rich foods each day. Columbia University notes that the ratio between omega-6 and omega-3 fats should be four to one, but most Americans consume way too many omega-6 fats. Omega-6 fats are better than saturated fats, but they reduce HDL cholesterol, as well as LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol, unlike omega-3 fats.
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