Fat is one of the body's essential nutrients, and without it our bodies would lack insulation and the ability to store other nutrients, such as fat-soluble vitamins. For optimal health benefit, obtain your daily dose of fat from healthy fats that improve your overall well-being. Consult your doctor if you have questions about your fat intake, particularly if you have high cholesterol.
Health Benefits
Good fats are called "good" because of their many health benefits. Monounsaturated fats lower bad cholesterol levels in the blood, also known as low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. They also increase the levels of high-density lipoprotein, or good, cholesterol. Polyunsaturated fats fight inflammation in the body while also decreasing triglyceride levels. Essential fatty acids, a group of polyunsaturated fats, play an important role in mental health by preventing and treating conditions such as depression and protecting against memory loss. They are especially important during pregnancy, when they aid in fetal brain development.
Negative Health Effects
Unlike the unsaturated fats, the so-called "bad fats" have negative effects on health. Saturated fats increase the levels of LDL cholesterol, which in turn causes higher chances of stroke and heart disease. Trans fats are the worst types of fat, because they increase LDL cholesterol while also depleting good cholesterol. Trans fats also increase triglyceride levels. Due to their negative health effects, trans fats must be listed on the Nutrition Facts label, in addition to saturated fat. In 2008, California became the first state to ban the use of trans fats in restaurants.
Sources
Good and bad fats are found in different foods. Plant oils, legumes, olives, nuts, seeds, nut butters and avocados are all excellent sources of monounsaturated fat. Polyunsaturated fat is found in vegetable oils, sunflower and safflower seeds, soybeans, flaxseed and fatty fish. Saturated fat is abundant in many animal foods, such as whole-milk dairy products, fatty meat, eggs and poultry. Although trans fats are present in small amounts in some animal products, they are most common in baked goods, shortening, crackers, snacks, frozen foods, french fries and other fried foods. Generally speaking, good fats are found in liquid oils, such as canola, olive, peanut, flaxseed, safflower and sunflower oil. Bad fats are solid at room temperature and include butter, palm oil, coconut oil and shortening.
Recommendations
Fat should account for no more than 25 to 35 percent of your daily calorie intake. Most of these calories from fat come from unsaturated fats. The American Heart Association recommends that no more than 7 percent of your total daily calories come from saturated fat, and 1 percent from trans fats. To lower your intake of bad fat, substitute plant oils for butter and shortening and avoid fast food, which almost always contains some type of bad fat.
References
- HelpGuide.org; Choosing Healthy Fats; Melinda Smith, Maya W. Paul and Robert Segal; April 2011.
- FamilyDoctor.org; Dietary Fats: What's Good and What's Bad; May 2010
- The New York Times"; California Bars Restaurant Use of Trans Fats; Jennifer Steinhauer; July 2008
- American Heart Association; Knowing Your Fats; September 2010
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