Fats

By Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS

Fat comes in many forms that have very different effects on your health. While you may try to avoid it altogether -- especially if you’re watching your weight -- some fats are healthful and essential to our diets. With some fat savvy, you’ll know which to banish and which to embrace.

Fats come categorized according to their degree of saturation with hydrogen. The ones that hold the maximum number of hydrogen atoms are called saturated -- all the rest are unsaturated. Unsaturated fats are further divided into monounsaturated fats (olive oil, macademia nut oil) and polyunsaturated fats. And polyunsaturated fats are divided once again into two groups: Omega-3’s and Omega-6’s. Some fats are considered essential because the body can’t make them on its own and must come from diet. These are from the Omega-3 and Omega-6 group.

Saturated Fat
Many people believe that saturated fat is bad and all other fats are good, but that’s not completely accurate. Some saturated fat -- from natural, whole food sources like an egg -- are not necessarily bad especially when you don’t overeat them and balance them with fats from the other families, like monounsaturated and omega-3’s. After all, the body makes saturated fat on its own so there’s clearly a need for it. For most people, getting less than 10 percent of your calories from saturated fat found naturally in foods like yogurt and eggs is okay. The remaining fat in your diet should come from unsaturated fats.

Monounsaturated Fat
Monounsaturated fats -- from olive oil, nuts, seeds, fish and avocados, for example -- are extremely heart healthy. The Mediterranean diet, which is associated with less incidence of virtually every disease, is heavy in monounsaturated fat.

Polyunsaturated Fats (Omega 6 and Omega 3)
Westerners -- with their typical diet of highly processed foods -- get far too many Omega-6’s (found in vegetable oils like safflower and sunflower) and far too few omega-3’s (found in flaxseeds, flaxseed oil and fish oil). Omega-3 fats protect the heart and the brain, support circulation, boost mood and lower blood pressure. While both Omegas are good, most of us to eat need more healthy Omega-3’s. Mackeral, sardines, and cold water fish like wild salmon are wonderful sources of Omega-3’s, as are fish oil supplements. Flaxseeds (and flaxseed oil) are one of the best plant sources.

Balancing Act
You need a good balance of fats for the health of your cells, heart, and brain. Fat also helps keep you full and sated, making it far less likely that you’ll overeat. About 30 percent of your total daily calories should come from fat, including a healthy balance of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated (omegas 3 and 6) and even a little saturated. Avoid toxic trans fats altogether. Eating fat won’t inherently make you gain weight as long as you monitor your overall fat intake, your total calorie consumption and your portions.