We've been told for years that fat is bad for us, and recently we've learned that there are good fats and bad fats, but did you know that some of these bad fats could be lurking in food items that claim they aren't there?
The Confusion with Fat
By now, thanks to the modern age we live in, with the internet and the ability to not only have information at our fingertips but to be able to share information so quickly with each other, it has led us to become more knowledgeable about the foods we eat, and in this case, fat. We have all heard that butter, margarine, and fried foods are bad for you, but do you know why and did you know that food can be hiding bad fat while it claims to be free of it?
Let's just quickly brief those who don't already know that the "good" fats include: avocados, nuts, salmon, olive and canola oil, flaxseed, and coconut. While the "bad" fats include animal fat, lard, butter and margarine, corn oil, and shortening. So what makes these good or bad? The answer is that these good fats are made of plant-based consisting of mono or polyunsaturated acids while the bad is made of saturated fats and trans fats. Why understanding the difference between the types of fat is important is because the different types of fat can either greatly benefit your health or hurt it and possibly lead to obesity, heart disease, diabetes type 2, cancer, and more. To be more encouraging and less grim, know you have the power to take control of what you choose to put in your body and overall affect your health positively and it can be as easy as making only a few changes to your diet.
The Biggest Enemy of Them All: Trans Fat
If you have ever read a nutrition label and saw the words "partially hydrogenated oil", you could be ingesting trans fat. Manufacturers hydrogenate oils by adding hydrogen to the liquid oil breaking its double bond to reach desired saturation or make them more solid. One benefit of this is that it can increase the shelf life of foods containing fat, but unfortunately, the downside is that by doing this, it produces trans fat.
This is important to avoid because, by consuming trans fat, you are severely increasing your risk for heart disease. This is because trans fat increases your LDL (bad cholesterol) and decreases your HDL (good cholesterol).
According to the American Heart Association, eating trans fats increases your risk of developing a stroke and is also associated with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Be sure to read the ingredients in your packaged food and be on the lookout for these words and avoid them if you can. Your health could depend on it.
Take a look at the chart below. As you can see, polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats can decrease your chances of coronary heart disease, while saturated fat can increase your chances by 20% and trans fat in your diet can increase your chances by 80%!
"But I thought trans fat was banned in the U.S.?" The answer to this is yes, but... " Although trans fat was banned from foods in the U.S. in June 2018, it can still be hiding in your favorite foods such as fried foods, baked goods, and non-dairy coffee creamers. Did you know that these food manufacturing companies do not have to add that a food contains trans fat in it if it is less than .5 grams per serving? That means, if your favorite cookie has .4g in a serving and you have 4 of them, you are consuming almost 2g of trans fat, when the nutrition label said it contained 0g. Frustrating, right?
Rule of Thumb
So how can you tell the difference between good fats and bad? One rule of thumb is that most animal fats tend to be solid at room temperature, indicating that it is made of saturated fat, while most plant products, tend to be liquid at room temperature, meaning it is more likely to be made of polyunsaturated fats such as olive oil and canola oil. There are some exceptions such as tropical oils ( palm kernel oil, and coconut oil) which tend to have more saturated fats as they are more solid at room temperature.
In Conclusion
Saturated fat and trans fat are dangerous things we do not want in our diet. Knowing how to look for these fats can help you make better choices, which could result in lowering your risk for coronary heart disease and other diseases. While you don't have to avoid animal fat altogether, it is advised to limit how much you are consuming. It is recommended to have 3 or fewer servings of red meat each week. Other changes can be made such as cooking with olive oil instead of butter or lard. Once you are able to recognized the difference, you will be on your way to a more heart-healthy you!
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