Good Fats and Bad Fats

Many people think that cutting back on saturated and trans fat in a balanced diet rich in vegetables and fruit can help reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Most people may not know that some fat in the diet is actually healthy.

It helps to know which fats and foods to choose. Ideally it's best to get more unsaturated fats such as mono and polyunsaturated fats, including omega-3 fats and have less saturated and trans fats.

Fats to choose

Unsaturated fats are usually liquid at room temperature and are the healthier fats to include in your diet. Monounsaturated fats include olive, canola and peanut oil, soft unsaturated margarines made from these oils, and nuts and seeds. These fats have been shown to improve blood cholesterol levels. Polyunsaturated fats include corn, safflower, soybean and sunflower oils and soft unsaturated margarines made from these oils, as well as sunflower seeds. These can help the body get rid of newly formed cholesterol.*

Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat with very positive health benefits. DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish, supports the normal development of the brain, eyes and nerves. Omega-3s are being investigated for their role in reducing the risk of developing heart disease. The best sources of omega-3 fats are:
• Fish, especially fatty fish like mackerel, salmon, tuna, herring and sardines. Try to include at least two meals each week that include fish.
• Flaxseeds, especially when ground. Sprinkle ground flax seed on your morning cereal or yogourt, on your salad at lunch.
• Canola oil.
• Soft, non-hydrogenated margarines.

Fats to cut back

Saturated fats are found primarily in animal fats like poultry, meat full fat dairy products, butter, and lard, as well as in palm, and coconut oils. Saturated fats tend to raise "bad" LDL blood cholesterol levels.

Trans fatty acids are an unhealthy type of fat formed during the process of transforming vegetable oils from their natural unhydrogenated liquid state into solids like margarine or shortening. Trans fatty acids may actually be more damaging than regular saturated fats because they decrease "good" HDL cholesterol and increase "bad" LDL cholesterol. To avoid trans fats:
• Cook with liquid oils like olive and canola more often than margarine or shortening.
• Look for margarine labelled "trans-free" or "non-hydrogenated".
• Read labels and choose baked goods, sweets and crackers made with liquid oils versus hydrogenated oils or shortening whenever possible.
• Avoid deep fried foods such as French fries and doughnuts.