Everyone talks about fat. Either because they think they have too much of it on their body, are afraid of it in their food, love it and can’t live without it, or because they are just as confused as about what to do about fat as everyone else.

I am sure you have heard the news. “Low fat diets do not work.”

The New York Times wrote this a few weeks ago :
“The largest study ever to ask whether a low-fat diet reduces the risk of getting cancer or heart disease has found that the diet has no effect.”
That was quite a shock to many and I hope most read the entire article and found that indeed this “largest study ever” did not take the different kinds of fat into account. This is important to note before going out to eat that piece of red meat and ice-cream for desert. As always there is not one answer, but I will try to lighten up this fatty issue.

Now – before you start thinking that I am an advocate for low-fat – I am NOT. This is were the issue becomes tricky. Fat is not just fat. Fat is many things. Animal fat, vegetable fat, and the other shape of it – oil.

Saturated Fat: Are from animal products such as meat, dairy and eggs, and palm kernel oils. Saturated fats clog our arteries and directly raise total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.  As I wrote last month about heart health; Coconut oil is a saturated fat, but is believed to be a source that lowers cholesterol and increases your overall health, if consumed instead of other vegetable oils.

Trans Fats or Hydrogenated Fats : Trans fats are actually unsaturated fats, but they can raise total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels while also lowering HDL (good) cholesterol levels. Trans fats are used to extend the shelf life of processed foods, typically cookies, cakes, fries and donuts. Any item that contains “hydrogenated oil” or “partially hydrogenated oil” likely contains trans fats. Hydrogenation is the chemical process that changes liquid oils into solid fats.
Trace levels of TFAs are found naturally in milk fat (created by bacterial action in the stomachs of cows), but, even in butter.
What is important to note is that labels are now listing transfat content. BUT BEWARE, If it is less than .05 they don’t have to list it and this is per serving. This means; if one serving is one cookie -add up how many cookies you eat and voila; you eat a couple of grams of transfat afterall.

Unsaturated fats:

Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are two types of unsaturated fatty acids. They are derived from vegetables and plants.

Monounsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature but begin to solidify at cold temperatures. This type of fat is preferable to other types of fat and can be found in olives, olive oil, nuts, peanut oil, canola oil and avocados. Some studies have shown that these kinds of fats can actually lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and maintain HDL (good) cholesterol.

Polyunsaturated fats are also liquid at room temperature. These are found in safflower, sesame, corn, cottonseed and soybean oils. This type of fat has also been shown to reduce levels of LDL cholesterol, but too much can also lower your HDL cholesterol.

Omega-3 fatty acids are “essential” fatty acids, which means they are considered critical for our health but cannot be manufactured by our bodies. Good sources include cold-water fish, flax seed, soy, and walnuts. These fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, prevent cancer, and also boost our immune systems. About 80% of Americans are considered to be deficient in Omega-3. Omega-6 is already found in many foods and most do not need to supplement this as much as the Omega-3.

Health conditions linked to INSUFFICIENT intake of OMEGA-3 fatty acids:

Acne, AIDS, allergies, alzheimer’s, arthritis, ADD, autoimmune diseases, breast cancer and cysts, dementia, depression, dermatitis, diabetes, eczema, heart disease, high blood pressure, hyperactivity, hypertension, immune disorders, IBS, inflammatory conditions, kidney dysfunction, learning difficulties, menopausal symptoms, MS, pregnancy complications, psoriasis, stroke, vascular disease. The list is a bit longer, but you get the idea I am sure.

Some indications to look for which are often confused with stress and our environmental impact on us: Cracked nails, constipation, dry skin, hair, and mouth, fatigue, low energy, forgetfulness, immune weakness, indigestion, gas and bloating, lack of endurance and motivation.

Following some food choices to compare and consider:

The general guideline for healthy fat food choices is: Get your fat from plant foods, nuts, and grains. Limit animal fat from meat and dairy, and go for fish. And get a high quality Omega 3 supply every day either from good fishoil, flaxseed, flaxseed oil or hempseed oil.

Sources:
http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/lowfatbasics/a/fats1004.htm
http://www.bantransfats.com/
http://www.drweil.com/u/QA/QA352570/
http://www.mercola.com/2001/mar/24/coconut_oil.htm
http://www.coconutoil.com/

The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods

Yours in health, jeanette