Healthy & Unhealthy Fats: What to Know
July 26, 2024
You’ve probably heard that our diets contain both “good” and “bad” fats. Rather than assuming all fats are bad for the human body, some can actually be beneficial in a number of ways, while others can cause health complications. So which is which when it comes to healthy and unhealthy fats? Continue reading as we dive into everything you should know about healthy and unhealthy fats, so you can fine tune your diet to improve overall wellness:
What Are Healthy Fats?
Unsaturated fats are considered to be healthy fats when consumed in moderation. These types of fats have double chemical bonds that impact how your body stores them and uses them as energy. They are typically heart healthy. Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are two types of such fats.
Monounsaturated fats are common in olive and canola oils, avocados, almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts and cashews. A 2014 study found that those who consumed high amounts of monounsaturated fats had a 12% lower risk of death from heart disease as compared to those who consumed much smaller amounts. The study also revealed the risk of stroke dropped by 17% in those who routinely got enough monounsaturated fats in their diet.
Polyunsaturated fats, such as those in fatty fish like salmon, nuts, seeds, and many vegetable and seed oils, are potentially even better for your health than monounsaturated fats. Polyunsaturated fats include omega-3s and omega-6s, which are essential fatty acids that your body requires for proper brain function and cellular growth. Omega-3s are beneficial for the heart by reducing triglycerides, reducing the risk of irregular heartbeat, slowing the build-up of plaque and they can even help to reduce blood pressure.
What Are Unhealthy Fats?
Trans fats are among the worst of the unhealthy fats. These fats are foreign to the body, as they’re produced by hydrogenating vegetable oil, and can contribute to heart disease and atherosclerosis. Consuming trans fats increases levels of harmful LDL cholesterol while reducing beneficial HDL cholesterol.
Trans fats are commonly found in fried foods like french fries, baked goods like cakes and cookies, processed snacks like microwavable popcorn and more. If an ingredient list of a food contains “partially hydrogenated,” then it contains trans fats.
What About Saturated Fats?
While not as bad for you as trans fats, it’s recommended that you limit your consumption of saturated fats as they can drive up total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, which can cause blockages to form in the arteries, when heavily featured in your diet. Some researchers believe saturated fats may not be as bad for you as once originally thought.
Most nutrition experts recommend limiting saturated fats to under 10% of your daily calories. Saturated fats are often in red meat, full-fat dairy products, butter, baked goods and ice cream.
An analysis of 21 different studies found that there wasn’t enough evidence to suggest that saturated fats increase the risk of heart disease. But it did find that replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats could reduce the risk of heart disease, making polyunsaturated fats the healthier option.
Knowing the difference between healthy and unhealthy fats can be beneficial for overall wellness. Are you interested in cleaning up your diet in order to shed some pounds? Take a look at our top tips for weight loss!
