Individuals suffering from diabetes have to pay special attention to the type and amount of fats included in their diet because diabetes is associated with a higher risk of developing heart disease, high cholesterol and weight issues, which are all linked with fat consumption. The American Diabetes Association recommends to consume healthy fats that include polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and omega-3 fats and to reduce the unhealthy fats such as saturated and trans fats.
Unsaturated Fats
Unsaturated fats are considered healthy fats, and they are divided into polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats. Sources of polyunsaturated fats are corn oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, walnuts, pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, such as tuna, herring, mackerel, rainbow trout, salmon and sardines, and plants, such as soybean, flaxseed and canola oil, are also considered healthy polyunsaturated fats .
Monounsaturated fats are considered healthy fats because they help decrease the bad, or LDL, cholesterol levels. Monounsaturated fats are found in abundance in avocado, olives, almonds, cashews, pecans, peanuts, sesame seeds and olive and peanut oils. According to Eduard Balch, M.D., the author of "Prescription for Nutritional Healing "polyunsaturated fats should not exceed 10 percent of the daily caloric intake, and monounsaturated fats should represent between 10 and 15 percent of the daily calories.
Saturated Fats
Saturated fats, also called the bad fats, are found mainly in animal products. This includes dairies such as whole milk, cream, cheese and butter. Fatty meats such as beef, veal, lamb, pork and ham, spareribs, bacon, bologna, hot dogs and sausages are also high in saturated fats. Chocolate, palm oil and palm kernel oils are vegetable sources of saturated fats. According to American Diabetes Association, a diabetic person should eat less than 7 percent of calories from saturated fat, which means approximately 15 g of saturated fat daily. The same source indicates that sedentary adults and women need fewer amounts of saturated fats compared with adults who exercise on a regular basis. Cholesterol is manufactured by liver from saturated fats and is also found in foods such as high-fat dairy products, organ meats, egg yolk and fatty meats. The American Diabetes Association recommends eating less then 200 mg daily of cholesterol.
Trans Fats
Trans fats occur when polyunsaturated oils are modified through a process called hydrogenation, which hardens vegetable liquid oils into solid products such as margarine and shortening. Also a variety of processed foods such as cakes, cookies, candies, snack foods and french fries contain trans fats. The American Diabetes Association recommends to individuals suffering from diabetes to read the labels found on dietary products and to choose foods that have 0 grams of trans fats.
Considerations
Consult a dietitian or nutritionist for an individualized diet. Not only fat intake, but also sugar and protein consumption is important for diabetics.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Fats
- "Prescription for Nutritional Healing"; James Balch, MD and Phyllis Balch, CNC; 2000
- "Prescription for Dietary Wellness"; Phyllis Balch, CNC; 2003
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