Fats in a Healthy Diet

Fat has long been criticized for its negative effects on health, and is seldom recognized for its positive attributes. Fat is actually an essential nutrient --- without it, our bodies would not be able to function. While some fats can indeed be quite detrimental to our health, not all fats are so. Certain types of fats, known as unsaturated fats, provide a multitude of health benefits and are recommended by the American Heart Association as a part of a healthy diet.

The Good Versus the Bad

Fats can be categorized as either "good" or "bad" fat. Good fats have been shown to promote heart health as well as lower the risk of multiple other diseases. Fats labeled "good" include both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. There are two types of polyunsaturated fats: omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These fats are considered essential fatty acids, meaning they cannot be synthesized by your body, and therefore must be obtained through diet. The American Heart Association encourages the consumption of both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats as a part of a heart-healthy diet. Bad fats such as saturated fat and trans fat, on the other hand, are associated with an increased risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, stroke, hypertension and cancer. You should limit these types of fats or avoid them entirely.

Monounsaturated Fats

Monounsaturated fat has been praised for its ability to lower cholesterol as well as reduce the risk of heart disease. This healthful fat is found in a variety of foods including nuts, avocados and seeds. It is also contained in several types of oils including canola, olive, sesame, peanut and sunflower oil.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Health benefits associated with omega-3 fatty acids include lower cholesterol, improved brain functioning, lower blood sugar levels, as well as a reduced risk of arthritis, heart disease and several types of cancer, the University of Maryland Medical Center reports. Omega-3-rich foods include tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel, halibut, walnuts, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, soybeans, flaxseed oil, soybean oil and canola oil. Among plants, flaxseed oil has the highest omega-3 content, with 7.3 g per tablespoon of oil. Of the fish, herring and salmon are highest in omega-3s. Omega-3 fatty acids are also available as a flaxseed oil supplement; consult your doctor before taking this or any kind of supplement.

Omega-6 Fatty Acids

Omega-6 fatty acids provide numerous health benefits ranging from lower cholesterol to skin regeneration to stimulation of metabolism. Foods sources of omega-6 include safflower, corn, soybean, sesame and sunflower oils as well as pine nuts, sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, pecans, poultry, meat and eggs. Safflower oil is one of the richest food sources of linoleic acid, a type of omega-6, with 10.1 g per tablespoon. Omega-6 fatty acids can also be purchased in supplement form as evening primrose oil, borage seed oil and blackcurrant seed oil.

Recommendation

The American Heart Association recommends that 25 to 35 percent of your daily calories come from these healthful fats. The United States Institute of Medicine has established adequate intake values --- AI for short --- for both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The AI for omega-3 in the form of alpha-linolenic acid is 1.1 g a day for females 19 and older and 1.6 g a day for males. The AI for omega-6 is 12 g a day for females aged 19 to 50 and 17 g a day for males. Saturated fat should be limited to 7 percent of your daily caloric intake and trans fat to 1 percent.