Yes, you heard it right! Not all food that contains a considerable fat amount is bad for your health. Despite holding a bad reputation throughout the mass as it is majorly responsible for heart-related diseases, a few types of fat are better choices for your health. There is plenty of healthy fat-enriched food available around us which if implemented into a regular diet will help you achieve better health with a happy heart. A few minutes of reading this article will surely be worth your time which will help you determine the kind of fats to avoid and those to take in moderation.
These are the major parts of dietary fats :
Trans Fat ( Most necessary to avoid)
Also known as 'trans fatty' acids which are considered to be the worst kind of fat that we consume. It is important to understand the basic role of trans fat which says it can raise your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) which is basically the bad cholesterol suppressing the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) which is actually the good cholesterol. All kinds of processed snack food and fried meals like french fries, roadside fast foods, etc. come with it in abundance. 'Trans fat' in its major form is supplied in abundance through cheap quality vegetable oil by industries that add hydrogen to it which causes the oil to become semi-solid at normal temperature. 'Dalda' for example, is a brand of 'hydrogenated vegetable oil' popular in South Asia which is heavily used in hotels and restaurants promoting and selling fried foods. These food have generally a longer shelf life, linked to elevated risk for inflammation in the body with its harmful effects which may include:
- Heart disease.
- Diabetes
- Blood vessel disease
- Stroke
Saturated fat (Controlled infrequent use)
Though it isn't as harmful as trans fat, however, uncontrolled consumption of saturated fat can again lead to an increase in blood cholesterol and LDL levels followed by high risks of heart disease. Scientific research from 2017 states that people who have encountered more symptoms of heart disease are habitual consumers of higher amounts of saturated fats in their daily meals. Meat and Dairy items, mainly animal fats hold the majority of it and are to be avoided on daily basis.
Here are a few examples of foods with saturated fat:
- Red meat (beef, lamb, pork, etc)
- Hydrogenated (& partially) vegetable oil
- Cheese
- poultry meat & skin,
- high-fat dairy products
- Tropical oil (Eg. coconut oil)
Although saturated fat is semi-solid 'like butter' at room temperature, a few plant-based oils, such as palm oil, coconut oil, etc also contain primarily saturated fats however, they do not contain cholesterol. It is better now to shift to Unsaturated fats
Unsaturated fats (A healthy choice)
Most of the health organizations and dietary experts around the world recommend consuming food with saturated fats in moderation(source). Plant sources of oil such as olives, nuts, and seeds, contain unsaturated kind of fats that tend to be liquid at room temperature and that is why recommended to be replaced with saturated fat consumption. Also, the unsaturated fat comes in abundance in fish in the form of Omega 3 fatty acids which is beneficial for your heart health.
Here are the two major divisions of Unsaturated fats.
1. Monounsaturated fats
This type of plant-based fats if consumed in an appropriate manner, can lower the risks of coronary heart diseases and overall improvise your immunity.
Few examples of foods with higher enriched monounsaturated fat :
- Peanuts
- Avocados
- Groundnuts and most seeds
- Almonds
- Canola Oil
2. Polyunsaturated fats
Polyunsaturated fats(Omega 3 & Omega 6 fatty acids) are necessary intake in order to keep our body functionality running, proper muscle movement along with blood clotting process. Research held in 2015 to study the symptoms of saturated fat regarding human cardiovascular organs and what has been concluded that replacing saturated fat in your diet with polyunsaturated fats can reduce your heart disease risk.
Here are some best sources of Polyunsaturated fats(Omega 3 fatty acids) :
- fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, Sardines, etc
- Soybean and flaxseed oil
- Corn Oil
- Chia seeds
- walnuts
- sunflower seeds
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