The fats that make up your diet play a crucial role in your health. Healthy fats provide energy and help your body absorb vital vitamins and minerals. In contrast, unhealthy fats increase disease risk and should be limited. Dietary fats are made up of long chains of carbon and hydrogen elements joined together. Different fats have different properties based on their molecular configuration.
Monounsaturated Fats
While fats get a bad rap, all fat is not created equal. Some fats are good for you and help your body absorb nutrients like vitamins A, D and E. Fats are also an important energy source. But, too much of the wrong kind of fat can increase your risk for heart disease and other health conditions.
Healthy fats are called unsaturated fats and they come in two forms — monounsaturated fats (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fats (PUFA). The difference between the two types is in the number of carbon double-bonds. The two types work differently to control your cholesterol levels.
Polyunsaturated Fats
Unlike saturated fat, which contains no carbon double bonds, unsaturated fats contain multiple double bonds, and thus are considered healthy. This type of fat is usually liquid at room temperature, and is found in foods like olive oil, peanut oil, avocados and some fish. This kind of fat may help lower LDL cholesterol, which can reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Polyunsaturated fats may provide heart-healthy benefits, but they also play a crucial role in brain function, skin and hair health, and bone and joint development. In addition, polyunsaturated fats can help decrease inflammation in the body and prevent chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and high blood pressure.
The two main types of polyunsaturated fats are omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Both are considered essential fatty acids, meaning the body can’t make them and must obtain them from food sources. Omega-3 fatty acids can help decrease depression, rheumatoid arthritis, menstrual pain and improve cognitive function, while omega-6 fatty acids may assist with the regulation of cholesterol and blood sugar levels as well as immune system functions.
Trans Fats
The health community has been sounding the alarm about trans fats, which have been linked to heart disease. These manmade fats are formed when hydrogenated oils have cis double bonds added to them, which changes the structure of the oil. Trans fats can increase your LDL (bad) cholesterol, lower your HDL (“good”) cholesterol and raise your triglyceride levels. They also tend to increase your weight, which can lead to other health problems.
Some food manufacturers and fast-food chains have reduced the use of trans fats since the FDA began warning about them. But they still are present in many foods, particularly those fried, baked or frosted. The best way to reduce your intake of trans fats is to eat mostly whole, unprocessed foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and beans, which naturally contain no trans fats.
A healthy diet includes a variety of fats, including monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. But avoiding trans fats is the most important step to improving your overall health. Trans fats can increase your risk for high cholesterol, heart disease and obesity, while eating healthier fats like olive oil and avocados can help prevent them.
Cholesterol
Healthy fats can help lower cholesterol levels and reduce your risk for heart disease. Eating less saturated fat and more unsaturated fat can make a big difference in your cholesterol levels, especially when those unsaturated fats are the types that are high in “good” HDL cholesterol and low in “bad” LDL cholesterol. However, swapping animal fats (like butter) with refined carbohydrates (like a bagel or pastry) will not have the same effect on your cholesterol and will increase your risk for disease.
A healthy diet includes a variety of different types of fat, including monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These heart-healthy fats are liquid at room temperature and come from foods like olive, canola and vegetable oils, avocados, nuts and fish. Unsaturated fats can improve cholesterol, decrease inflammation and stabilize heart rhythms.
The body also needs some saturated fats, which are solid at room temperature and found in meat and dairy products. These fats provide essential fatty acids. However, too much saturated fat can increase your cholesterol and raise your risk for heart disease.
