Healthy and Unhealthy Fat Myths Exposed
“You are what you eat.” “Fat is bad.” “Fatty foods make you fat.” We’re constantly inundated with messages like the ones above. But the simple truth of the matter is this: Fats are an essential part of a nutritious, well balanced diet. I’ll say it again: Fats are an essential part of a nutritious, well balanced diet. First, let’s distinguish between dietary fats and body fat. Dietary fats, as the name implies, simply refer to the fats in the food we eat.
The fat we take in does not automatically become body fat. Before we go any further, keep in mind that we do need some body fat. Stored fat helps maintain body temperature and protects vital organs from injury. For most of us, it’s the excess the body fat that we worry about when we look in the mirror. This is the result of consuming more calories than you burn.
Calories are energy. You need them to fuel your body. But when you consume too many calories (in any form) your body has an ingenious way of storing those extra calories (energy) for when you may need them later – fat. Body fat is essentially your body’s “strategic energy reserve.” That’s all fat is: a source of concentrated energy, nothing more.
Back to dietary fat. One more time: Fats are an essential part of a nutritious, well balanced diet. Dietary fat aids in the absorption and transport of the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) and other fat-soluble nutrients. Plus, fat improves the mouth “feel” of food and makes it taste better. (No surprise there.) Finally, fat provides a sense of satiety (or “fullness”) that helps us moderate how much food we eat at one time. Your body needs two essential fatty acids. (Essential meaning the body cannot produce it on its own.)
The omega 3 fat alpha-linolenic acid, and the omega 6 fat linoleic acid.Both are necessary – some would say “critical” – for a wide variety of important physiological processes. So why all the bad press for fat? If dietary fat doesn’t automatically make you fat, can I stop worrying about my fat intake? Not quite. As noted, Fat at is an incredibly efficient energy source.
Remember, energy = calories. And one gram (g) of fat supplies nine calories. Carbohydrates and protein provide just 4 calories per gram (g). Hence, more dietary fat equals more calories. This may be how dietary fat got its bad name. But it’s important to distinguish between different kinds of fat. Important, and sometimes confusing. There are essentially four kinds of fat. Some healthy, some not so much. First, the bad fats.
TRANS FATS (also known as hydrogenated fats) the baddest of the bunch, Trans Fats are associated with an increased risk for heart disease. While very small amounts of trans fats occur naturally in some meat and dairy products, the majority of trans fat we consume (about 80%) is produced through an industrial chemical process called hydrogenation. (Sounds appetizing, no?)
Simply put, hydrogenation adds hydrogen to various places in the fatty acid chain. Technically, the hydrogenation process is incomplete – but the molecular structure of the fatty acids is transformed from the fats’ natural configuration to an unnatural “trans” configuration.
These trans fats appeal to food manufacturers because once fat has undergone this partial hydrogenation, it becomes a solid, spreadable fat with an increased shelf life. Thus these pernicious trans fats show up in a wide variety of everyday processed foods, everything from the obvious suspects such as margarine, shortening, and potato chips, to less obvious culprits like baked goods – breads, muffins, cookies, chips, even non-dairy creamers and candy.
Always check ingredient labels for any “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” oils. Fortunately manufactures are now including “trans fat” information on nutrition labels, but stay vigilante. And stay away from Trans Fats. Your heart will thank you. Still not convinced? In addition to increased risk for heart disease, high cholesterol and high triglycerides, continuing studies are linking trans fats to breast cancer, diabetes, birth defects, THE OTHER FATS… The remaining three fats occur naturally. While all are better than trans fats, not all fats are created equal: two have beneficial effects, but one can be harmful.
With names that don’t exactly trip off the tongue – Saturated Fats, Monounsaturated Fats, and Polyunsaturated Fats – it’s hard to tell which ones are better for you. Here’s what you need to know: The Saturated Fats: That stick of butter on the picnic table next to the corn on the cob? Chock full of saturated fats. Saturated fats are typically solid at room temperature. Others sources of saturated fat include coconut and palm oil, red meat, poultry, and lard.
Though less harmful than trans fats, these fats are the worst of the remaining three: Indeed, high dietary intake of saturated fat is associated with elevated cholesterol levels and an increased risk for heart disease. In addition, saturated fat can cause an inflammatory response that impairs the ability of the arteries to deliver blood to tissues and organs throughout the body. Consume this fat sparingly. The Monounsaturated Fats: Better for you than the saturated fats.
Monounsaturated fats are typically liquid at room temperature, but solidify when refrigerated. Sources of monounsaturated fat include olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, and avocados. Historically, monounsaturated fats, especially olive oil, were the most prevalent fats in the diets of people living in the Mediterranean and may be partly responsible for the low rates of many degenerative diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease seen in this region.
Extra virgin olive oil is delicious and good for you. But don’t overdo it. Try measuring out a tablespoon, mixing in some rosemary and crushed garlic, and using it to dip your favorite bread. The Polyunsaturated Fats: Polyunsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and remain in liquid form when refrigerated or frozen. The two essential fatty acids –– linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid, are polyunsaturated fatty acids.
They’re both key to good health, but their intake needs to be carefully balanced. Unfortunately in the U.S., intake of polyunsaturated fats is highly unbalanced. While many people consume excess polyunsaturated fat, (it’s common in processed and fast food) they don’t get enough of the two essential building blocks linoleic and linolenic acid. Worse, even those who do consume enough of the omega 6 building block (linoleic acid) do not consume nearly enough of the omega 3 building block (linolenic acid).
The good news: with a little care, you can easily increase your omega 3 intake. Best food sources of omega 3s include flax seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts and wild-caught fatty fish such as salmon. High dietary intake of omega 3 fats is associated with a decreased risk for heart disease, and may be beneficial in the treatment of a variety of health conditions including the autoimmune diseases (for example, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis) due to omega 3’s anti inflammatory properties.
The bottom line? When you go low-fat, be especially careful to maintain adequate intake of the omega 3 fatty acids. And go ahead, enjoy the salmon, roast some pumpkin seeds (but watch the added salt!) Your body will thank you. Fats are an essential part of a nutritious, well balanced diet. Just make sure you’re getting the right ones.
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