What makes one fat different from another is the length and shape of the carbon chain and the number of hydrogen atoms connected to the carbon atoms. Seemingly slight differences in structure translate into crucial differences in form and function. The worst type of dietary fat is the kind known as trans fat. It is a byproduct of a process called hydrogenation that is used to turn healthy oils into solids and to prevent them from becoming rancid.
Trans fats have no known health benefits and that there is no safe level of consumption. Therefore, they have been officially banned in the United States.
Early in the 20 th century, trans fats were found mainly in solid margarines and vegetable shortening. As food makers learned new ways to use partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, they began appearing in everything from commercial cookies and pastries to fast-food French fries.
Trans fats are now banned in the U. Eating foods rich in trans fats increases the amount of harmful LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream and reduces the amount of beneficial HDL cholesterol. Trans fats create inflammation, which is linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. They contribute to insulin resistance, which increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Saturated fats are common in the American diet.
They are solid at room temperature — think cooled bacon grease, but what is saturated fat? Common sources of saturated fat include red meat, whole milk and other whole-milk dairy foods, cheese, coconut oil , and many commercially prepared baked goods and other foods.
The word "saturated" here refers to the number of hydrogen atoms surrounding each carbon atom. The chain of carbon atoms holds as many hydrogen atoms as possible — it's saturated with hydrogens.
Is saturated fat bad for you? A diet rich in saturated fats can drive up total cholesterol, and tip the balance toward more harmful LDL cholesterol, which prompts blockages to form in arteries in the heart and elsewhere in the body. A handful of recent reports have muddied the link between saturated fat and heart disease.
One meta-analysis of 21 studies said that there was not enough evidence to conclude that saturated fat increases the risk of heart disease, but that replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat may indeed reduce risk of heart disease. Two other major studies narrowed the prescription slightly, concluding that replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fats like vegetable oils or high-fiber carbohydrates is the best bet for reducing the risk of heart disease, but replacing saturated fat with highly processed carbohydrates could do the opposite.
Good fats come mainly from vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fish. They differ from saturated fats by having fewer hydrogen atoms bonded to their carbon chains. Healthy fats are liquid at room temperature, not solid. There are two broad categories of beneficial fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Monounsaturated fats. When you dip your bread in olive oil at an Italian restaurant, you're getting mostly monounsaturated fat. Monounsaturated fats have a single carbon-to-carbon double bond. The result is that it has two fewer hydrogen atoms than a saturated fat and a bend at the double bond. This structure keeps monounsaturated fats liquid at room temperature.
Good sources of monounsaturated fats are olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, avocados, and most nuts, as well as high-oleic safflower and sunflower oils. The discovery that monounsaturated fat could be healthful came from the Seven Countries Study during the s. It revealed that people in Greece and other parts of the Mediterranean region enjoyed a low rate of heart disease despite a high-fat diet.
The main fat in their diet, though, was not the saturated animal fat common in countries with higher rates of heart disease. For example: Make your own salad dressings, marinades, dips and sauces. Coat pans to keep food from sticking. Spread or drizzle on foods for flavor. Substitute for butter, margarine or solid fats in recipes. Tips for cooking with healthy oils: The healthier oils listed here are generally safe for most home-cooking uses, including higher temperature cooking such as stir-frying and pan frying.
We do not recommend deep-fat frying as a cooking method. Any oil starts to degrade once it reaches its smoke point. So, if you accidentally let your oil smoke or catch fire, get rid of it and start over. When an oil is stored too long it can become oxidized or rancid. It will have a distinct smell, and you should get rid of it. Buy cooking oils in smaller containers to avoid waste, and store them in a dark, cool place to keep them fresh longer.
Last Reviewed: Apr 24, Trans fat is what gave fat a bad rap to begin with, and can harm your health in a number of ways. They increase your LDL bad cholesterol levels while decreasing your good ones. Trans fats may cause inflammation that can raise the risk of diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and other health conditions.
Here are some of the healthy fat foods that you can include in your diet right now. Cheese is a good source of selenium, phosphorus, vitamin B12, calcium, and other nutrients.
Choose cheese from grass-fed, hormone-free, ethically-treated cows for a superior nutrition profile. The yolks of whole eggs are high in fat and cholesterol. Whole eggs are loaded with antioxidants, choline a brain nutrient , minerals and vitamins. The best eggs are pastured or omega-3 enriched. Almost all the nutrients are found in the yolk. Fatty fish are loaded with omega-3 fats that play a significant role in brain and heart health.
Examples of fatty fish include trout, salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, and fresh tuna. Avoid over-indulging on high-mercury fish such as tilefish, King mackerel, and swordfish. Chia seeds contain a wealth of nutrients. An ounce of the chia seeds contains 8. These nutritious seeds also provide calcium, iron, protein, fiber, and antioxidants. Add some chia seeds to your smoothie to make it more nutritious or add them to your salad to give it a healthy boost. Coconut oil and coconuts are an excellent source of saturated fat.
The majority of fats in coconut oil are medium-chain fatty acids. You can add coconut oil to your hot drinks, soups, and smoothies. Full-fat yogurt is loaded with healthy, probiotic bacteria that can have beneficial effects on your health. You can enjoy yogurt with berries, seeds, and nuts as a dessert, snack or breakfast. It is jam-packed with potent antioxidants and contains vitamin K and vitamin E.
Pork fat is an excellent source of minerals and B vitamins. It is more healthy and unsaturated than beef or lamb fat. In addition to oleic acid, they also contain fiber and protein. You can sprinkle avocados with a pinch of pepper and salt or you can cut them into small pieces and drizzle them with salt, pepper, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.
Avocado is also delicious with eggs. Edamame young green soybean is a significant source of protein and fat. You can add edamame to your salads, stews, stirfries and soups.
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