Fats continue to receive negative notoriety by the media and many of us continue to remain confused on the subject of dietary fat.  Not all fats are created equal and we do need dietary fat for energy storage, absorption of fat soluble vitamins, healthy cell membranes, insulation and the protection of our nervous system.

Let’s examine the healthy dietary fats first. 

Unsaturated Fats

A healthy diet will include unsaturated fats.  Unsaturated fats are obtained from vegetable oils.  Proper extraction and storage of vegetable oils is integral to preventing the oils from becoming rancid and suffering molecular damage thereby making them unhealthy.  Unsaturated fats may be mono or polyunsaturated.  These fats are best not heated or heated only slightly.

• Monounsaturated Fats:  Although these fats are found in most foods you will find them mainly in nut and vegetable oils such as olive, peanut, canola and almond. 
• Polyunsaturated Fats: You should never heat these fats.  The two types of polyunsaturated fats that are essential for your health are known as omega 3 and omega 6.  These fats are referred to as  “essential” because the body needs them but cannot manufacture them by itself.   You will find Omega 3s abundant in flaxseed and some fish oils.  You will find omega 6 fatty acids in vegetable oils.
• Essential Fatty Acids – also known as EFAs:  Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (alpha-linolenic acid) and omega 6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (linoleic acid) are the two main fats that are  classified as essential.  Our body makes hormone-like prostaglandins (also called “super hormones”) from EFAs.  The EFAs are extremely important for your good health.  It is important to your body to balance the omega 6 and the omega 3 as too much of one will cause a deficiency in the other.  In general you can consider good food sources of the essential fats to be flaxseeds, hempseeds, almonds, walnuts, avocados, pumpkin seeds, green leafy vegetables, tofu, soybeans, eggs and cold water fish.  

Let’s examine dietary fats that are best limited to eating in moderation.

Saturated Fats

Aminal sources such as meat (red meat, pork), eggs, dairy products (dairy fat, butter, cheese) and plant sources such as tropical oils (coconut, palm, palm kernel and cocoa butter) provide us with saturated fat.   It is better if we eat these in moderation. Optimal health does not necessarily mean including saturated fats in your diet.

Now let’s examine the dietary fats that we must avoid.

Hydrogenated fats and Trans Fatty Acids

During the process of hydrogenation, liquid vegetable oils turn into solid fats.  This process is extremely damaging to oils and thereby poses the most dangerous health risk to your body.  A structural change in the fat results when an oil is hydrogenated.  A trans fatty acid is created when the naturally occurring “cis” structure of the fat is converted to a “trans” structure.  It has recently been proven that heart disease, cancer and pre-mature aging are some of the major health risks associated with trans fatty acids.

Examples of hydrogenated fats are vegetable margarine and shortening.  Typically, you will find hydrogenated fats in commercially prepared baked goods, candies, ice cream, peanut butter, snack foods, boxed cereals and chocolate.

Read labels to avoid hydrogenated fats and avoid fried and processed foods.

Tags: Dietary Fat, Essential Fatty Acids, Hydrogenated Fats, Monounsaturated Fats, Polyunsaturated Fats, Trans Fatty Acids, Unsaturated Fats