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Understanding Good and Bad Fats |
Bad Fats
Saturated fats
- Saturated fats raise total blood cholesterol as well as the bad LDL cholesterol.
- Main contributors to heart disease.
- Promote obesity due to the excess calories they provide that are more readily stored as fat.
- Mainly found in animal products such as meat, dairy, eggs and seafood.
- Some plant foods are also high in saturated fats such as coconut oil and palm oil.
- Not all saturated fats are alike, and some are beneficial to our health.
- Some margarines contain saturated fats, and these margarines are mostly made from vegetable oils.
Trans fats
- Trans fat is the worst kind of fat
- Trans fats are the result of hydrogenation, a process that occurs when hydrogen is added to a vegetable oil for the purposes of maintaining shelf life.
- Trans fatty acids are found in many commercially prepared foods to enhance their longevity.
- They can raise total and bad LDL cholesterol levels while also lowering good HDL cholesterol levels.
- Found in processed foods such as non dairy cream, microwaved popcorn, cookies, cakes, fries and donuts.
- Any item that contains “hydrogenated oil” or “partially hydrogenated oil” likely contains trans fats.
- As from January 2006, all food manufacturers are required to list trans fat content on food labels.
Good Fats
Monounsaturated fats
- Lower total cholesterol and bad LDL cholesterol and increase the good HDL cholesterol.
- Found in olive oil, nuts, sesame seeds, peanut oil, canola oil and avocados.
- Liquid at room temperature but begin to solidify at cold temperatures.
Polyunsaturated fats
- Polyunsaturated fats also lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.
- Found in seafood like salmon, corn, soy, safflower and sunflower oils.
- Omega-3 fatty acids are critical for our health.
- Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids are cold-water fish, flax seed, soy, and walnuts.
Summary of good fats
- Good fats are an efficient energy source.
- They are a good source of protective nutrients for the brain and muscular system.
- An insulation source for the body, as they form a protective barrier against climate conditions and harmful substances.
- They serve as padding to protect vital organs.
- They are required for normal cell, tissue, gland, and organ function.
- They can come only from fats, hence fat-free diets cannot supply them.
Problems that can occur due to lack of good fats
- Dry skin
- Constipation
- Low energy levels
- Brittle hair and hair loss
- Poor nail growth
- Liver and kidney deterioation.
- Behavioral changes.
- Glands dry up
- Immune system deterioration.
- Digestion problems, inflammation, bloating, allergies, autoimmune conditions
- Bone mineral loss
- Reproductive failure: sterility in males and miscarriage in females
- Vision and learning problems
- Insulin resistance
- Increased risk of overweight
- Increased cancer risk
- Increased cardiovascular risk
- Decreased tissue oxidation
Fats and cooking
The smoke point of various fats is important because it is believed that fats that have gone past their smoke points contain a large quantity of free radicals which contribute to risk of cancer. The supplied table gives the smoke points of some fats.
Fat
|
Smoke Point °F
|
Smoke Point °C
|
| Unrefined canola oil |
225°F |
107°C |
| Refined canola oil |
400°F |
204°C |
| Extra virgin olive oil |
320°F |
160°C |
| Virgin olive oil |
420°F |
216°C |
| Unrefined sunflower oil |
225°F |
107°C |
| Refined sunflower oil |
450°F |
232°C |
| Unrefined corn oil |
320°F |
160°C |
| Refined corn oil |
450°F |
232°C |
| Unrefined flaxseed oil |
225°F |
107°C |
| Unrefined peanut oil |
320°F |
160°C |
| Unrefined soy oil |
320°F |
160°C |
| Refined soy oil |
450°F |
232°C |
| Unrefined walnut oil |
320°F |
160°C |
| Hemp seed oil |
330°F |
165°C |
| Butter |
350°F |
177°C |
| Ghee (Indian Clarified Butter) |
485°F |
252°C |
| Coconut oil |
350°F |
177°C |
| Unrefined sesame oil |
350°F |
177°C |
| Sesame oil |
410°F |
210°C |
| Lard |
370°F |
182°C |
| Macadamia nut oil |
390°F |
199°C |
| Cottonseed oil |
420°F |
216°C |
| Grapeseed oil |
420°F |
216°C |
| Almond oil |
420°F |
216°C |
| Hazelnut oil |
430°F |
221°C |
| Peanut oil |
440°F |
227°C |
| Refined peanut oil |
450°F |
232°C |
| Soybean oil |
495°F |
257°C |
| Avocado oil |
520°F |
271°C |
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