By now, almost everyone knows some fats are healthy, but beyond that, the technicalities can be difficult for some shoppers to grasp. A HealthNewsDigest.com article by Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN, food and nutrition columnist, noted the types of fat one eats is more important than how much fat is consumed. And, she added moderate intakes of certain fats are good for the body.
She tried to simplify the situation by giving a brief description of different fats. She started with the building blocks of fatty acids, which are found in every type of fat and include saturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids. Mixtures of fatty acids are found in all fatty foods, but we classify the food by which fatty acid is the most abundant.
Triglycerides, she wrote, are the most typical fat compound. In food, triglycerides can be solid (butter) or liquid (oils); in the body, they can be stored for future energy use.
Saturated fat, found in animal products, raise cholesterol levels; raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol values; and increase the risk for heart disease, stroke and cancer. Heslin said eliminating saturated fats from the diet may be too difficult for some to do, but she recommended reducing intake as much as possible.
However (this is where is starts to get complicated), she noted not all saturated fats are unhealthy. She gave the example of stearic acid, found in beef and chocolate, which does not raise cholesterol levels.
Moving on, she said monounsaturated fats, which are found in olives, nuts and avocados, have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels, reduce triglyceride levels, reduce LDL cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure and reduce the risk for diabetes. She suggested using monounsaturated fats in place of saturated fats, but said these foods are usually high in calories, so limits are necessary.
Polyunsaturated fats include omega-6 fats and omega -3 fats. She said Westerns eat too many omega-6-rich foods, such as vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, soft margarine and wheat germ, but don’t eat enough omega-3 fats, such as flaxseeds, walnuts and fish. She said research shows this imbalance may be increasing the risk of cancer, heart disease and arthritis. She noted eating fish two times a week could help increase omega-3 intake. She added even though many foods are now fortified with omega-3s, research hasn’t shown these functional foods to offer the same dieses prevention as foods naturally rich in omega-3s.
Trans fats, are mostly man made and should be limited, Heslin said. However, the natural trans fats CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) and VA (vaccenic acid) may help prevent cancer, heart disease and diabetes. She said, fortunately, in 2003, companies were required by law to list trans fat content on food labels, which has caused them to be reduced in the food supply.
She concluded by saying the science on fats is still evolving, and so far, humans know a few key facts. We know eating too much of any fat is unhealthy, eating a moderated amount of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated can be healthy, and artificial trans fats (including hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats) should be avoided.