Do you know that all types of fat are not bad? Yes, it’s true. In fact, healthy fats are essential for overall well-being and heart health. This article will explore the importance of these beneficial fats in your diet and enhance your knowledge of good fats vs bad fats.
We often eliminate all fat from our diet when aiming for healthy eating. However, our bodies require various types of fats for optimal function, including essential ones like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
This raises the question of how to make informed food choices to ensure a healthy intake of fats. This article will dispel misconceptions about fats and guide you towards a balanced diet.
What Are Fats?
Fats are the most energy-dense of all the macronutrients, with 1 g providing 37 kJ (9 kcal). It has double the energy of carbohydrates and proteins per gram.
Fatty acids are long hydrocarbon chains with a methyl group at one end and an acid group at the other. They are made up of three molecules; hence, they are called triglycerides.
Fats are stored throughout the body, including under the skin, between internal organs, and in the inner cavities of bones. They are known for storing and releasing energy and providing insulation. While the body produces some fats, essential fatty acids like Omega-3 and Omega-6 must be obtained from the diet.
Why Is Fat Important?
Not all fats are bad. Some are essential for good health. Including the right types of fat in your diet is important. Let’s explore how fats contribute to your body’s functions.
- Fat helps absorb vitamins, like vitamins A, D, E, and K. These vitamins are fat-soluble and can only be absorbed with the help of fats.
- Fat keeps our skin healthy.
- Essential fats like Omega-3 are important for heart health.
- Healthy fats, like unsaturated fats from plant oils, can help lower levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol.
- Fat adds flavour to food.
- Fat keeps you feeling satisfied longer after a meal.
There are three types of fats present in our food:
- Saturated fats
- Unsaturated fats
- Trans fats
Now that we have covered the importance of fat, let us break down each of them in detail and understand more about good fats vs bad fats.
Unsaturated Fat: The Good Fat
Unsaturated fats are hydrocarbon chains containing at least one carbon-carbon double bond, whereas monounsaturated fat contains one double bond and polyunsaturated fat contains more than one double bond.
The position of the double bond in polyunsaturated fats determines whether it is an omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acid. These fats are liquid at room temperature.
Unsaturated fats help reduce levels of LDL cholesterol and boost HDL cholesterol, which helps remove bad cholesterol from the bloodstream. These fats can be a better choice for your diet as they are heart-healthy.
1. Monounsaturated Fat
Research has shown that foods containing monounsaturated fat can improve your blood cholesterol and decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases when eaten in moderation.
Dietary sources for monounsaturated fats include nuts such as almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, peanuts, and pistachios. Other sources are rapeseed oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, olives, and avocados.
2. Polyunsaturated Fat
Like monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat is also a good form of fat that can help maintain heart health. They are essential fats. Our body cannot make them on its own, so they need to be taken from outside dietary sources. The primary sources of these fats are plant-based foods and oils.
Dietary sources of polyunsaturated fats include walnuts, ground flaxseed and flaxseed oil, hemp seed and hemp hearts, chia seed, canola oil, and fatty fish such as mackerel, salmon, unsalted herring, sardines, and trout.
3. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
The two primary forms of polyunsaturated fat are omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. They are also essential fats, as the human body cannot produce them. Omega-3 fatty acids are known to improve the brain, heart, and metabolism. Omega-6 fatty acids provide energy for your body. Important functions of omega-3 fatty acids include:
- Improves heart health by managing the level of cholesterol. It also manages blood pressure levels.
- It may help prevent diseases such as depression, Parkinson’s disease, and psychosis.
- It may help decrease liver fat.
- It supports brain development in the foetus.
- It fights inflammation and prevents diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and heart failure.
Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids are: flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, soybean spinach, Brussels sprouts, and salmon. You may easily get omega-3 fatty acids from these foods.
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Benefits Of Healthy Fats
- Lesser risk of diabetes
- Reduce belly fat
- Reduce inflammation
- Monounsaturated fats lower the level of LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase the level of HDL (healthy or good) cholesterol in your body.
- Omega-3 fats lower the level of triglycerides in your body.
Saturated Fats
Saturated fats are single-bond carbon molecules filled with hydrogen molecules. Due to the saturation of hydrogen molecules, they are solid at room temperature.
Too much saturated fat makes the cell membrane rigid and hinders cellular responsiveness. A diet rich in saturated fats can raise the level of LDL (bad) cholesterol.
It is considered unhealthy as it can cause clogging of blood vessels that further blocks the blood flow in your heart and leads to a heart attack. If the blood vessel in your brain is blocked, it can lead to a stroke.
They are found in animal products and tropical oils. A few examples of saturated fats are cocoa butter, palm oil, coconut oil, fatty cuts of beef, pork, and lamb, dark chicken meat and poultry skin, whole milk, butter, cheese, sour cream, ice cream, biscuits, cakes, and pastries, and lard.
Trans Fats: Avoid Eating
A report by the World Health Organization shows that 5 billion people globally remain unprotected from trans fats and are at risk of heart disease.
Trans fats are produced when healthy fats, such as soybean oil, go through a chemical process called “partial hydrogenation.” Here, hydrogen atoms are added to the oil, which turns them into a solid.
There are also naturally occurring trans fats that come from ruminants, such as cows and sheep. Trans fats are artificially added to fried, packed, and processed foods to increase their shelf life. Consumption of trans fat raises the level of LDL, bad cholesterol, and reduces the level of HDL, healthy cholesterol.
It can cause diseases such as type 2 diabetes, stroke, cardiac disease, inflammation, and other chronic illnesses. There are no associated advantages to consuming trans fats, and so they are declared illegal in the USA.
To check the presence of trans fat in your packed food, look at the label for “partially hydrogenated” or “hydrogenated” oils or fats on the ingredients list. If either of these fats or oils is on the label, it means that there is trans fat in the product.
Foods with trans fats include:
- store-bought crackers and cookies
- store-bought cakes, pie crusts, pastries, and donuts
- vegetable shortening, hard margarine
- french fries, potato chips, and corn chips
- deep-fried foods
The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has stated that all food items should contain less than 2% trans fat. Now that you have understood the difference between good fats vs bad fats, let us look at the importance of reading food labels.
Read Food Labels: Make Healthy Choices
Reading the label is underrated in India. A study conducted by the National Institute of Nutrition shows that out of 90% of people who read food labels, 81% of them only check for manufactured and expiry dates, and only one third check for nutritional facts and ingredients.
In India, the labelling and packaging of food are regulated by the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labeling) Regulations, 2011. Also, FSSAI recommends mandatory labelling of the TFA and SFA content of all edible oils and fats.
Many packaged foods, such as chips, cookies, and ready-to-eat meals, are high in unhealthy fats, such as trans fats and saturated fats. Consuming too much unhealthy fat can lead to health problems such as high cholesterol, heart disease, and obesity.
Therefore, it is crucial to limit the intake of unhealthy fats and focus on consuming healthy fats, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. FSSAI also recommends mandatory labelling of the TFA and SFA content of all edible oils and fats.
Understanding the food label is crucial to making healthy choices. Whenever you go to purchase a packed food, read the list of ingredients and nutritional facts and check for serving size, calories, macronutrient content, additives, nutrient content claims, ingredient list, added sugars, and salt content. By doing so, you can make more informed decisions about the food you eat.
Takeaway
As previously discussed, not all fats are harmful. The impact of fat on health depends on overall dietary patterns. Saturated fats aren’t consumed in isolation and often coexist with other nutrients. For instance, saturated fats found in dairy, poultry, and certain plant oils may be neutral or even beneficial for heart health.
Prioritising good fats from sources like vegetables, nuts, seeds, fish, and unprocessed meats, while limiting unhealthy fats like those in partially hydrogenated oils and processed meats, is generally recommended for a balanced diet. Rather than cutting out fat completely, it’s crucial to focus on the types and amounts of fat you consume.
We hope this article on good fats vs bad fats has helped you and provided you with valuable insights.
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Rakshita Mehra
Rakshita is a nutritionist executive at Cloudnine Group of Hospitals. With over 3 years of expertise, she offers personalized nutrition therapy for diverse health needs. Certified in diabetes, gut health, sports nutrition, and food safety, she provides evidence-based guidance. She is also passionate about sharing her knowledge through writing and public speaking.
Rakshita Mehra
Rakshita is a nutritionist executive at Cloudnine Group of Hospitals. With over 3 years of expertise, she offers personalized nutrition therapy for diverse health needs. Certified in diabetes, gut health, sports nutrition, and food safety, she provides evidence-based guidance. She is also passionate about sharing her knowledge through writing and public speaking.
