Good Fat vs Bad Fat

Fat are an important part of a healthy diet, we all need fat and can't live without them. Unfortunately, most people think that eliminating fat completely from their diet would solve their weight loss problems which is totally untrue. 

Fat provide essential fatty acids, keep our skin soft, deliver fat-soluble vitamins and are a great source of energy. Most of us, get ourselves confused about differentiating between good fat and bad fat, how to avoid artery clogging, trans fats, and the role of omega-3 fatty acids play in the heart health.

Does Dietary Fat Make You Obese?

So you might want to blame your obesity on dietary fat. Actually, fat is only part of the problem. Eating more calories{from fats, carbohydrates, protein and alcohol} than you burn off leads to weight gain i.e if you get little exercise and you consume diets that contains high amount of calories you are more likely to gain weight. Note, genetics, age, sex and lifestyle also affects you weight-gain. 

Although, dietary fat plays a significant role in obesity, as fat is calorie dense, at 9 calories per gram, beating carbohydrate and proteins which have 4 calories per gram and alcohol which has 7 calories per gram. It is easy to consume fat more because they lurk in so many foods. And eating too much fat can not just expand our waistline but trigger type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and heart diseases. 

 Good Fats vs. Bad Fats

Basically, there are two groups of fats: saturated and unsaturated. Within each group are several more types of fats.

Let's start with the good guys -- the unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats include polyunsaturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fats. Both mono- and polyunsaturated fats, when eaten in moderation and used to replace saturated or trans fats, can help lower cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of heart disease.

Polyunsaturated fats, found mostly in vegetable oils, help lower both blood cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels -- especially when you substitute them for saturated fats. One type of polyunsaturated fat is omega-3 fatty acids, whose potential heart-health benefits have gotten a lot of attention.

Omega-3s are found in fatty fish (salmon, trout, catfish, mackerel), as well as flaxseed and walnuts. And it's fish that contains the most effective, "long-chain" type of omega-3s. The American Heart Association recommends eating 2 servings of fatty fish each week.

Plant sources are a good substitute for saturated or trans fats, but they are not as effective as fatty fish in decreasing cardiovascular disease notes. Do keep in mind that your twice-weekly fish should not be deep-fat fried!

It is best to get your omega-3s from food, not supplements, except for people with established heart disease, there is no data to suggest omega-3 supplements will decrease heart disease risk.

The other "good guy" unsaturated fats are monounsaturated fats, thought to reduce the risk of heart disease. Mediterranean countries consume lots of these -- primarily in the form of olive oil -- and this dietary component is credited with the low levels of heart disease in those countries.

Monounsaturated fats are typically liquid at room temperature but solidify if refrigerated. These heart-healthy fats are typically a good source of the antioxidant vitamin E, a nutrient often lacking in American diets. They can be found in olives; avocados; hazelnuts; almonds; Brazil nuts; cashews; sesame seeds; pumpkin seeds; and olive, canola, and peanut oils.

The Bad Fats In Your Diet 

There are two types of fat that should be eaten sparingly: saturated and trans fatty acids. Both can raise cholesterol levels, clog arteries, and increase the risk for heart disease.

Saturated fats are found in animal products (meat, poultry skin, high-fat dairy, and eggs) and in vegetable fats that are liquid at room temperature, such as coconut and palm oils. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting saturated fats to 10% or less of your total calories, while the American Heart Association recommends keeping them to just 7% of total calories.

Lichtenstein recommends using liquid vegetable oils in place of animal or partially hydrogenated fats.

There is evidence that saturated fats have an effect on increasing colon and prostate cancer risk, so it is  recommended that whenever possible, choose healthy unsaturated fats -- and always strive to be at a healthy weight.

We're also hearing a lot these days about trans fatty acids, or trans fats. There are two types of trans fats: the naturally occurring type, found in small amounts in dairy and meat; and the artificial kind that occur when liquid oils are hardened into "partially hydrogenated" fats.

Natural trans fats are not the type of concern, especially if you choose low-fat dairy products and lean meats. The real worry in the American diet is the artificial trans fats. They're used extensively in frying, baked goods, cookies, icings, crackers, packaged snack foods, microwave popcorn, and some margarines.

Some experts think these fats are even more dangerous than saturated fats.

"Trans fats are worse than any other fat, including butter or lard," says Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nonprofit advocacy group.

Research has shown that even small amounts of artificial trans fats can increase the risk for heart disease by increasing LDL "bad" cholesterol and decreasing HDL "good" cholesterol. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends limiting trans fat to less than 2 grams per day, including the naturally occurring trans fats. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines simply recommend keeping trans fats consumption as low as possible.

Still, eliminating trans fats is not a magic bullet, experts say.

"Trans fat is getting lots of bad press, but it is important to keep in mind the 'big fat picture,' which includes lowering total fat, reducing saturated fat, and engaging in an overall healthy lifestyle,"

Here are more tips to help you reduce the total amount of fat in your diet and make sure the fats you consume are the healthy ones:

• Choose a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
• Try a vegetarian meal, with plenty of beans, once a week.
• Select dairy products that are skim or low-fat.
• Experiment with light and reduced-fat salad dressings.
• Replace fattier sauces with vinegar, mustard, and lemon juice.
• When using fats, do so sparingly. Try to use unsaturated liquid oils, such as canola or olive, instead of butter or partially hydrogenated margarine.
• Limit your consumption of high-fat foods, such as processed foods, fried foods, sweets, and desserts.
• When cooking, substitute the lower-fat alternative (for example, low-fat sour cream or low-fat cream cheese) whenever possible