There has been much-heated debate as to whether fat is good or bad for you. After all, with the word “fat” having such a negative connotation, why would anyone think it can be good? The truth is, fats are much more complex than to be labeled in such simple terms as either good or bad. Our body needs fat from food as it is a significant source of energy; improves absorption of vitamins and minerals; and is crucial for blood clotting, inflammation, and muscle movement.
The fat-shaming started in the 1950s when researchers discovered that those who went on a diet with less saturated fat appeared to be healthier than others who ate more saturated fat. The people in charge of this matter then started to warn the public that consuming too much food containing this kind of fat can lead to heart disease. By the 1980s, official dietary guidelines, which weren’t all scientifically educated, advised Americans to reduce their total fat intake. Nowadays, health-conscious consumers have this tendency to eat food products with the low-fat label.
This “low-fat” diet craze triggered a few unintentional destructive consequences. To satisfy consumers, some food manufacturers replaced the fat in their products with other ingredients such as refined carbohydrates, sugar, and introduced them as “healthy alternatives”. However, not only these added alternatives were healthy ones, but also it has turned out that they are just as harmful as the fat. Saturated fat in their products was also replaced with trans fat. “Fat is your friend. The brain thrives on a fat-rich, low-carbohydrate diet.” David Perlmutter says.
Types of fats
Fats are divided into three main types: saturated fats, trans fats, unsaturated fats. As long as the chemical level is concerned, all of them are structured of a chain of carbon atoms bonded to hydrogen atoms. The differences between fats are the shape of their carbon chains, the length, and the number of hydrogen atoms bonded to the carbon atoms. These seemingly slight differences translate into remarkable impacts on our body. Current knowledge shows that trans fats are the worst for health, unsaturated fats the best, and saturated fats placed somewhere in between.
A. Unsaturated
Unsaturated fatty acids are known as heart-healthy fats. These types of fat are considered as beneficial ones so that they can enhance levels of blood cholesterol, help inflammation, stabilize heart rhythms, and play a number of other beneficial roles. Unsaturated fats consist of one or more double bonds between carbon atoms, are moderately unstable, and are mostly liquid at normal temperature, making them vulnerable to oxidative damage. Unsaturated fats are mainly found in foods from plants, such as vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds.
Monounsaturated fat: The structure of Monounsaturated fats includes a single carbon-to-carbon double bond. Indeed, it has a bend at the double bond and two fewer hydrogen atoms than saturated fat. This structure of monounsaturated fats is the main reason for being liquid at room temperature and helping in maintaining the overall health of cells. Besides, while they can reduce bad cholesterol, Monounsaturated fats increase HDL (high-density lipoprotein), the good cholesterol which can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke in the long run. There are several healthy foods containing high concentrations of monounsaturated fats, including:
- Cooking oils: olive oil, sesame oil, and canola oil
- Peanut butter
- Nuts: peanuts and cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans
- Avocados
- Olives
- Seeds: pumpkin and sesame
- Healthy spreads labeled “high oleic”
Polyunsaturated fat: Since Polyunsaturated fats have more than one double bond in their structure, they are different from monounsaturated fats. Like monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats can help decrease bad cholesterol. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, necessary for your body for cell growth and brain function, can be found in Polyunsaturated fats. Both the heart-healthy omega-3 and less heart-healthy omega-6 polyunsaturated fats reduce total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol. In addition, they are used to make eicosanoids, which are oxygenated fatty acids. Those eicosanoids produced from omega-6 tend to cause blood clotting, inflammation, and increase blood pressure. "Compared to 100 years ago, Omega 3 is down 80%, B vitamins are estimated to be down to about 50% of the daily requirement. Vitamin B6 consumption may be low as it is removed in grain milling and not replaced. Vitamins B1, B2, B3, and E have also been lost in food processing. Minerals are depleted in a similar way. Fiber is down 75-80%. Antinutrients have increased substantially—saturated fat, 100%; cholesterol, 50%; refined sugar nearly 1000%; salt up to 500%; and funny fat isomers nearly 1,000%."—Dr. Rudin says.
Eicosanoids made from omega-3 have the opposite impact as they dilate blood vessels, blood clotting, and reduce inflammation. This balancing process between omega-6 and omega-3 is crucial for maintaining normal circulation and other essential processes. Omega-3 fats, a certain type of polyunsaturated fat, can reduce triglyceride levels and slightly raise levels of HDL (good cholesterol). In fact, eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as tuna, salmon, and sardines, 2-3 times a week remarkably decreases blood triglyceride levels. Polyunsaturated fats can be found in high concentrations in:
- Cooking oils: corn oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, flaxseed oils, and Canola oil. Although it is higher in monounsaturated fat, it’s also a good source of polyunsaturated fat
- Nuts: pine nuts and walnuts
- Seeds: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and Flax seeds, and chia seeds
- Fish: salmon, mackerel, herring, and tuna
B. Saturated fats
Saturated fats are known as “bad fats” due to excessive levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and the “bad” cholesterol, which can lead to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular illness. These kinds of fats contain no double bonds between carbon atoms, making them usually very stable and solid at room temperature. Foods with high saturated fat include red meat, full-fat dairy products, and tropical oils like palm and coconut. Based on a study which has been done in the UK in 2015, saturated fat should comprise only about 10% of total daily intake calories.
Surprisingly, healthy foods such as chicken and nuts have a few saturated fats, though much less than the amounts exist in beef, ice cream, and cheese. A few plant foods also have high saturated fats, such as palm, palm kernel oil, coconut, and coconut oil. "I think there is support for removing all animal products from the diet for health purposes," says Susan Levin of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which advocates vegan diets.
C. Trans fats
Trans fatty acids, known as trans fats, are produced by a process called hydrogenation in which oils of liquid vegetable are heated in the presence of hydrogen gas and a catalyst. This process makes vegetable oils more stable and less likely to become rancid. It also turns the oil into a solid, which turns them into function margarine or shortening. Since partially hydrogenated oils can tolerate repeated heating without breaking down, they are the main ingredient in the food industry through which snack foods and margarine are fried, baked, and processed. Naturally, few Trans fats exist in dairy fat and beef fat. They are the worst kind of fat for the heart, blood vessels, and rest of the body because they:
Increase bad LDL and decrease good HDL more than saturated fat: They cause inflammation, a reaction related to immunity which has a significant role in heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.
Contribute to insulin resistance: Based on a survey Published in Harvard health publishing in 2015, Trans fats create inflammation, which is relevant to diabetes and other chronic conditions. They also contribute to insulin resistance, which surges the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It was proven that small amounts of trans fats could be destructive for health. In other words, 2% of calories from trans fat consumed in a day, the risk of heart disease increase by 23%.
Some strict rules have been set which oblige food manufacturers to indicate the amount of trans fat on the nutrition label. Therefore, many processed foods rich in trans fat such as chips, crackers, cakes, peanut butter, and margarine are now “trans-fat free”. You can check the ingredients list for “partially hydrogenated” oil to see if the food contains trans fat. If so, do not buy that food.
In sum, you don’t need to stay away from fat completely since the old idea of “all fat is bad” has proven incorrect. From now on, we just have to be careful about the kinds and the amount of fat we consume. In terms of weight control, it still depends on calories regardless of their origin; fat, protein, or carbohydrate. Although it is better to consume beneficial fats and stay away from others, you should eat fewer calories than you need to lose weight. Besides having healthful diets and exercising on a regular basis, you can think of some major surgeries such as Liposuction, Body Lift (Thigh Lift, Buttock Lift, and Abdominoplasty), and Bariatric Surgery (Gastric Balloon, Gastric Bypass, and Sleeve Gastrectomy) as effective solutions for solving your weight-related problems.
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