Not All Fats Are Created Equal
by Diane Dankert, RD, Project Nutritionist
Sixteenth Street Community Health Center WIC, Milwaukee

Like it or not, we all need some fat. That’s because there’s more to fat than calories. Among other functions, fat helps absorb the fat-soluble Vitamins A, D, E and K. Plus, foods that contain healthy fats often contain other nutrients such as Vitamin E. Certain fats, like Omega 3s, are called essential fatty acids because our bodies cannot produce them. However, not all fats are created equal.

 

• The Good: Unsaturated fats have many health benefits, including improving cholesterol levels and easing inflammation. They are liquid at room temperature. There are two kinds: monounsaturated fats are found in olive and canola oils, avocados, pecans, almonds, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds; polyunsaturated fats include Omega 3 fatty acids and occur in fish, safflower and corn oils, soy, walnuts and flax seeds. • The Bad: Saturated fats can raise cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease. They are found in meats, milk (except skim), butter and cheese. • The Ugly: Trans fats raise blood levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and decrease “good” HDL cholesterol. They are created when liquid fats are processed into hardened fats. They are found in margarines, snack foods, baked goods and even in French fries. Be careful when reading the Nutrition Label listed on products; the amount of trans fat listed can be misleading. “Zero” doesn’t mean zero—it means less than half a gram. Half of a gram isn’t much…if that’s all you eat. Many people, however, eat several servings of processed foods every day, and that adds up. The way to avoid trans fats is to avoid foods containing partially hydrogenated fats.

The best strategies are to 1) limit saturated fats; 2) avoid trans fats; 3) eat foods with Omega 3 fatty acids; and 4) choose monounsaturated fats, but don’t overdo it. Too much of any fat can be, well...fattening! For more information, visit www.americanheart.org.