Fat
Fat
At one point, fat was considered something to avoid at all costs. The fat-free era that began in the 1970’s and early 1980’s started as a well-intentioned campaign to improve health. The second half of the twentieth century saw an alarming epidemic of heart disease, and countless studies sought reasons for this epidemic. It became clear that smoking, a sedentary lifestyle, and a high-fat diet were linked to the rising tide of cardiovascular disease. The lesson was obvious: to reduce your risk of heart disease, a major killer, you should cut as much fat as possible out of your diet. Cholesterol became a household word and Americans became fat-phobic.
It’s taken years for the more complicated and interesting truth to emerge. Research indicating that not all fats are bad has made its way into the public eye. Fat, as it turns out, is an essential nutrient in the body. It creates cellular structure and hormones, protects organs, increases a feeling of fullness that reduces overeating, and strengthens immunity, among several other important functions. When fats are deficient in the diet, health can actually be compromised.
We derive four basic types of fat from food: saturated, trans, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats:
Saturated Fats
The opinion on saturated fat hasn’t changed: saturated fat—found primarily in meats, full-fat dairy products, butter and some tropical oils—has well-established negative health effects, increasing your risk of diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, some cancers, and obesity. However, a small (but increasingly loud) voice is surfacing that saturated fats aren’t the culprits they have been made out to be. The benefits of some saturated fats are beginning to emerge – they may actually increase HDL (good) cholesterol, among other benefits. Until more is known, however, keeping saturated fat intake to no more than 7% of your total fat calories still stands. Stay tuned on this very intriguing subject…
Trans-fats
The trans fats listed on food labels as “partially hydrogenated vegetable oils” are the real and established health culprits. Trans-fats were created by chemists seeking a fat that would store better than animal fats in an effort to lengthen the shelf life of food products. A direct link between trans-fats and heart disease has been well established leading many cities to ban them from restaurants and food manufacturers to remove them from products. The FDA made it mandatory for food manufacturers to list the amount of trans-fats found in a product. While a noble gesture, the FDA allows food companies to call a product “trans-fat free” as long as it contains 500 mg or less trans-fats per serving. So, while you may think you’re eating a chip or cookie free of trans fats, you may actually be getting a good dose depending on how many serving sizes you eat. Instead of relying on the Nutrition Facts label, search the ingredient label for hydrogenated oils. Naturally occurring trans-fats are found in high fat meat and dairy products, as well, so choosing leaner fat varieties of both will reduce the intake of these potentially damaging fats.
Monounsaturated Fats
Monounsaturated fats (aka “good fats”) are found in such oils as olive and canola, avocados, nuts and seeds. These fats not only protect the cardiovascular system by increasing HDL and lowering LDL cholesterols, they also lower the risk of insulin resistance which is a marker for Type II Diabetes. Choosing more monounsaturated fats as your primary fat sources is a good plan.
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids
A diet rich in Omega 3 fatty acids has been shown to decrease inflammation, which may reduce your risk for developing chronic disease and inflammatory conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and CKD. Our diets tend to be higher in Omega 6 fatty acids – high amounts found in meats, dairy, eggs and some vegetable oils – and lower in omega 3’s. This imbalance may increase your risk for inflammation. To create a better fatty acid balance, start incorporating more omega 3 fatty acids into your diet by increasing cold water fish, flax, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and soybeans, and decreasing Omega 6 foods. Finding a balance with these nutrients is an important step in decreasing your risk for developing chronic disease.
See our Omega 3’s page for more complete information on Omega 3 fatty acids
The bottom line in the fat controversy: A fat-free diet is a thing of the past. Until more research emerges, increasing monounsaturated and omega 3 fats, reducing saturated fats and cholesterol, and avoiding trans-fats completely are important in maintaining fatty acid balance and optimal health.
It’s taken years for the more complicated and interesting truth to emerge. Research indicating that not all fats are bad has made its way into the public eye. Fat, as it turns out, is an essential nutrient in the body. It creates cellular structure and hormones, protects organs, increases a feeling of fullness that reduces overeating, and strengthens immunity, among several other important functions. When fats are deficient in the diet, health can actually be compromised.
We derive four basic types of fat from food: saturated, trans, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats:
Saturated Fats
The opinion on saturated fat hasn’t changed: saturated fat—found primarily in meats, full-fat dairy products, butter and some tropical oils—has well-established negative health effects, increasing your risk of diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, some cancers, and obesity. However, a small (but increasingly loud) voice is surfacing that saturated fats aren’t the culprits they have been made out to be. The benefits of some saturated fats are beginning to emerge – they may actually increase HDL (good) cholesterol, among other benefits. Until more is known, however, keeping saturated fat intake to no more than 7% of your total fat calories still stands. Stay tuned on this very intriguing subject…
Trans-fats
The trans fats listed on food labels as “partially hydrogenated vegetable oils” are the real and established health culprits. Trans-fats were created by chemists seeking a fat that would store better than animal fats in an effort to lengthen the shelf life of food products. A direct link between trans-fats and heart disease has been well established leading many cities to ban them from restaurants and food manufacturers to remove them from products. The FDA made it mandatory for food manufacturers to list the amount of trans-fats found in a product. While a noble gesture, the FDA allows food companies to call a product “trans-fat free” as long as it contains 500 mg or less trans-fats per serving. So, while you may think you’re eating a chip or cookie free of trans fats, you may actually be getting a good dose depending on how many serving sizes you eat. Instead of relying on the Nutrition Facts label, search the ingredient label for hydrogenated oils. Naturally occurring trans-fats are found in high fat meat and dairy products, as well, so choosing leaner fat varieties of both will reduce the intake of these potentially damaging fats.
Monounsaturated Fats
Monounsaturated fats (aka “good fats”) are found in such oils as olive and canola, avocados, nuts and seeds. These fats not only protect the cardiovascular system by increasing HDL and lowering LDL cholesterols, they also lower the risk of insulin resistance which is a marker for Type II Diabetes. Choosing more monounsaturated fats as your primary fat sources is a good plan.
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids
A diet rich in Omega 3 fatty acids has been shown to decrease inflammation, which may reduce your risk for developing chronic disease and inflammatory conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and CKD. Our diets tend to be higher in Omega 6 fatty acids – high amounts found in meats, dairy, eggs and some vegetable oils – and lower in omega 3’s. This imbalance may increase your risk for inflammation. To create a better fatty acid balance, start incorporating more omega 3 fatty acids into your diet by increasing cold water fish, flax, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and soybeans, and decreasing Omega 6 foods. Finding a balance with these nutrients is an important step in decreasing your risk for developing chronic disease.
See our Omega 3’s page for more complete information on Omega 3 fatty acids
The bottom line in the fat controversy: A fat-free diet is a thing of the past. Until more research emerges, increasing monounsaturated and omega 3 fats, reducing saturated fats and cholesterol, and avoiding trans-fats completely are important in maintaining fatty acid balance and optimal health.
