Eaten in moderation, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are the healthy kinds of fats to include in your diet. The U. These bad fats come from animal sources—primarily meat and dairy products—but there are also plant-based foods, such as coconut and cocoa butter, that contain saturated fats.
Known as the worst type of fat, trans fats, also called trans fatty acids and partially hydrogenated oils, can be found in many of the foods we hate to love.
They can be found naturally in some animal products, such as meat and whole milk, or in some baked goods. Like saturated fats, trans fats can increase your bad cholesterol levels—but even worse, they can lower your good cholesterol too! This increases your risk for developing heart disease, stroke and is also associated with higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
With such a negative impact on our health, the U. Read the list of ingredients and look for the words hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated in relation the oils in the products. Learn more about healthy eating and staying well , as well as healthy recipes at bannerhealth.
By Regan Olsson , Contributing Writer. Corn oil, sunflower oil, and safflower oil are common examples. Polyunsaturated fats are essential fats. That means they're required for normal body functions but your body can't make them. So, you must get them from food. Polyunsaturated fats are used to build cell membranes and the covering of nerves. They are needed for blood clotting, muscle movement, and inflammation. A polyunsaturated fat has two or more double bonds in its carbon chain. There are two main types of polyunsaturated fats: omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids.
The numbers refer to the distance between the beginning of the carbon chain and the first double bond. Both types offer health benefits. Eating polyunsaturated fats in place of saturated fats or highly refined carbohydrates reduces harmful LDL cholesterol and improves the cholesterol profile. It also lowers triglycerides. Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines, flaxseeds, walnuts, canola oil, and unhydrogenated soybean oil.
Omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent and even treat heart disease and stroke. In addition to reducing blood pressure, raising HDL, and lowering triglycerides, polyunsaturated fats may help prevent lethal heart rhythms from arising.
Evidence also suggests they may help reduce the need for corticosteroid medications in people with rheumatoid arthritis. Studies linking omega-3s to a wide range of other health improvements, including reducing risk of dementia, are inconclusive, and some of them have major flaws, according to a systematic review of the evidence by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Omega-6 fatty acids have also been linked to protection against heart disease. Foods rich in linoleic acid and other omega-6 fatty acids include vegetable oils such as safflower, soybean, sunflower, walnut, and corn oils. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content.
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They also occur in solid foods. This group breaks down further into two categories, called monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Mediterranean diets are typically high fat but have links to good heart health.
Learn more about this diet here. Some meats and dairy products contain small amounts of trans fats, but they play a role in processed foods.
However, since , the Food and Drug Administration FDA has taken steps to eliminate partially hydrogenated oils PHOs , a significant source of trans fats, from processed food.
Manufacturers had until the beginning of to stop adding PHOs to their food products. Examples of food products that may still contain trans fats include cookies, crackers, doughnuts, and fried foods. However, trans fats are becoming less and less present. Despite the abundance of research on dietary fats, there are still questions regarding the relationship between saturated fats and adverse health outcomes, such as heart disease.
However, many experts agree that limiting the intake of most saturated fats and consuming enough unsaturated fats, such as plant oils, avocado, and fish, is the ideal approach to a healthful diet in the long-term. Dietary changes can have unexpected effects on health, especially for people with underlying health conditions and heart problems. In this Honest Nutrition feature, we explore the practice of "clean eating," and why this concept has been a controversial one for researchers.
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Is saturated or unsaturated fat better for health?
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