People hear the word "fat" and instantly think it's a bad thing. What they don't know is that some fats are actually good and necessary for our bodies to operate smoothly. There are fats to avoid, but there are also fats that are good for your brain and heart.
The Good – Unsaturated Fats
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are good for your body — they help your brain and heart. These unsaturated fats improve cholesterol levels, minimize inflammation, and stabilize heart rhythms, among other roles. They are found predominantly in plant foods, but also in fish.
Monounsaturated fats can be found in:
- Avocados
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Olive, peanut, and canola oils
Polyunsaturated fats can be found in:
- Fish
- Walnuts
- Flax seeds
- Sunflower, corn, soybean, flax seed, and canola oils
The Bad – Trans Fats
Trans fats are made through a process called hydrogenation, when liquid vegetable oil is heated with hydrogen gas and a catalyst. It is the worst type of fat: it raises bad cholesterol, lowers good cholesterol, creates inflammation, and contributes to insulin resistance. Thanks to research conducted in the 1990s, trans fat has been nearly eliminated from food in the U.S.
The Debate – Saturated Fats
Saturated fats were once believed to be harmful, but that has since been debunked. While you may not want to eat them in high amounts, they are not as harmful as trans fats. In fact, lowering your saturated fat intake can be detrimental if not replaced with good fats. Cutting back on saturated fats lowers the bad cholesterol, but it can also lower the good cholesterol and increase triglycerides — which is just as bad as eating too much saturated fat.