GOOD FAT, BAD FAT

GOOD FAT- BAD FAT

We have been reminded so often about avoiding fat that the question in your mind may be, “Is there such a thing as a good fat when you are trying to lose weight? Yes, just as there is good cholesterol and bad cholesterol, good sugars and bad sugars, there really is good and bad fat? When choosing a food for your diet and the sake of your health the reasonable choice is to choose the good Fat. 

That sounds simple enough so what makes some of those combinations good and what makes the others bad?  The structure of all fats, break down as carbon, hydrogen and oxygen so what is the difference and why do you need fat at all? We cannot lump all fats, all calories, all carbohydrates and all sugars into one category because some of each type is essential to good health and a strong body.

Fats and oils are made up of mixtures of units called fatty acids and they are further classified as polyunsaturated fats, monounsaturated fats and saturated fats. Of these three classes, saturated fats are more stable which means they are less likely to turn rancid but saturated fats, while necessary in limited quantities, are  also the ones that when eaten consistently in your diet, create problems in the blood vessels and are stored in the fat cells. 

Animal fats from red meats, butter, whole or reduced fat milk and coconut oil are saturated fats which is evident  because they remain solid at room temperature.  Rancid oil, on the other hand is undesireable for cooking and yet according to Adelle Davis, who was a very respected nutritionist, rancid oils are reprocessed and used in making margarine .

There is also the matter of the degree of saturation in a fat. Mayo Clinic has rated oils that are high in saturated fats, including coconut, palm oil and palm kernel oil. Although they melt at a very low temperature, they remain solid at room temperature unlike monounsaturated fats like olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, avocado, safflower, corn, sunflower, soy, mustard and cottonseed oils which are generally healthier.
Some studies have shown, however that coconut, palm oil and palm kernel oil act differently than other saturated fats and that palm oil actually reduces the Cholesterol level compared to other saturated fats.

We can classify Canola, Flaxseed, Corn, sunflower, safflower and omega 3 oil as polyunsaturated fats and they are considered to contain essential fats which are not made by your body and must be acquired from the foods you include in your diet.

Vegetable oils, such as olive oil, and peanut oil are classified as monounsaturated fats which are less susceptible to rancidity but some are thought to possibly, promote insulin resistance.
The really bad guys, though are the trans-fats which are modified fats and are labeled, hydrogenated. These fats are artificially saturated by the addition of a hydrogen atom to the fatty acid molecules. Snack foods are often loaded with these fats and should be limited in your diet to protect your health and  completely eliminated from your weight loss diet.

This brings us to what makes good fat “good.”Fat is essential to your diet because without it, vitamins A,D,E and K would not be able to reach the tissues that require it. Neurological damage would be a result as well as blindness and osteoporosis.

The Omega 3 supplied by a tablespoonful of cod liver oil supplies the daily requirement of Vitamins A and D which makes it a super-food that no one should be without. If you are considering a weight-loss diet, make sure you include the essential fats to avoid damaging your health. All you have to do is choose fats wisely by eliminating the bad guys and including the good ones. I hope this is helpful to you in maintaining your health to make it an effective, healthy diet.

References: Lifescript, wikipedia, & health bistro