But there is a dark side to fat. Too much or the wrong types of fat are thought to play
a role in cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Excessive dietary fat also has a role in
other diseases, such as obesity and cancer.
Bad Dietary Fat
The two main types of potentially harmful dietary fat:
Saturated fat.
This is a type of fat that comes mainly from animal sources of food.
Examples of foods containing a high proportion of saturated fat include animal fats such as cream, cheese, butter and ghee; suet, tallow, lard and fatty meats; as well as certain vegetable products such as coconut oil, cottonseed oil, palm kernel oil,
chocolate, and many prepared foods.
Trans fat.
This is a type of fat that occurs naturally in some foods, especially foods from animals. But most trans fats are made during food processing through partial hydrogenation of unsaturated fats. This process creates fats that are easier to cook
with and less likely to spoil than are naturally occurring oils.
Research studies show that synthetic trans fat can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Most fats that have a high percentage of saturated fat or trans fat are solid at room temperature. Because of this, they're typically referred to as solid fats.
They include beef fat, pork fat, shortening, stick margarine and butter.
Healthier Dietary Fat
The two main types of potentially helpful dietary fat:
Monounsaturated fat.
This is a type of fat found in a variety of foods and oils. Studies show that eating foods rich in monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) can decrease your risk of heart disease.
Research also shows that MUFAs may benefit insulin levels and blood sugar control, which can be especially helpful if you have diabetes.
Good sources are nuts and high fat fruits such as olives and avocados. Olive oil is about 75% monounsaturated fat while tea seed oil is commonly over 80% monounsaturated fat and Canola oil is about 58% monounsaturated fat.
Other sources include macadamia nut oil, grapeseed oil, groundnut oil (peanut oil), sesame oil, corn oil, popcorn, whole grain wheat, cereal, oatmeal, safflower oil, and sunflower oil.
Polyunsaturated fat.
This is a type of fat found mostly in plant-based foods and oils, and fish.
Evidence shows that eating foods rich in polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) can decrease your risk of heart disease. PUFAs may also help decrease the risk of diabetes.
One type of polyunsaturated fat, omega-3 fatty acids, may be especially beneficial to your heart. Omega-3s, found in some types of fatty fish, appear to decrease the risk of coronary artery disease. They may also protect against irregular heartbeats and help lower blood pressure levels.
Whole food sources of polyunsaturated fat can be found mostly in nuts, seeds, fish, algae, leafy greens, and krill.
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature, such as olive
oil, safflower oil, peanut oil and corn oil.
Tips for dietary fat
So now that you know which types of dietary fat are healthy or unhealthy, and how much to include, how do you adjust your diet to meet dietary guidelines?
First, focus on reducing foods high in saturated fat and trans fat. Then emphasize food choices that include plenty of monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs).
But a word of caution, don't go overboard even on healthy fats. All fats, including the healthy ones, are high in calories. So consume MUFA-rich and PUFA-rich foods instead of other fatty foods, not in addition to them.
Here are some tips to help you make over the fat in your diet:
- Get no more than 30% of your calories from fat;
- Read food labels and ingredient lists and avoid products with partially hydrogenated vegetable oil listed among the first ingredients;
- Saute with olive oil instead of butter;
- Use olive oil in salad dressings and marinades. Use canola oil when baking;
- Sprinkle slivered nuts or sunflower seeds on salads instead of bacon bits;
- Snack on a small handful of nuts rather than potato chips or processed crackers;
- Unsalted peanuts, walnuts, almonds and pistachios are good choices;
- Try nonhydrogenated peanut butter or other nonhydrogenated nut-butter spreads. Spread them on celery, bananas or whole-grain toast;
- Add slices of avocado, rather than cheese, to your sandwich;
- Prepare fish such as salmon and mackerel instead of meat twice a week;
- Limit sizes to 4 ounces of cooked seafood per serving;
