How to Know the Good Fats from the Bad

Knowing which fats you should or should not have in your diet can literally be a matter of life and death. This is because some fats will increase your blood cholesterol and your risk of heart disease, while other fats will lower that risk. In this article, we will explore how different kinds of fats affect our health.

Saturated Fats

Saturated fats are the fats found in butter, lard, dairy products such as whole milk and cream, and high fat cuts of meat. Saturated fats are also found in oils such as coconut, palm, and palm kernel. These fats may also be found in processed foods. Consuming very much of these kinds of fats will raise the LDL, or "bad" cholesterol.

Monosaturated Fats

Monosaturated fats are some of the good guys. They help to lower the "bad" cholesterol when they are substituted for saturated or trans fats. These fats are found in olive oil, canola oil, peanuts and other nuts, avocados, olives, and peanut butter without the hydrogenated oil and any other saturated fats.

Polyunsaturated Fats

Polyunsaturated fats are more of the good guys. They also lower the "bad" cholesterol in the body. These fats can be found in safflower, sunflower, and soybean oils. They are also found in soybeans, walnuts, sesame seeds and the oil, fish, and ground flaxseed.

Trans Fats or Trans fatty Acids

Trans fat, or trans fatty acids come into existence when a liquid fat is hydrogenised, forming stick butter or vegetable shortening. Also in this group of trans fats are some fast food french fries. Most baked goods, such as pies, cakes, and cookies, will contain trans fats. Trans fat, or trans fatty acids are not our friends. They are known to increase the chances of getting cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is a disease that relates to both the heart and the blood vessels.