What are the various kinds of fats in food?

Cholesterol is manufactured naturally in our bodies by our liver, as well as found in certain foods like eggs, seafood, meats, organ meats and animal products.

A high intake of dietary cholesterol has been shown to be linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. As for fats, there are generally four different kinds, namely mono-unsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated and trans fats.

The unsaturated fats are healthier than saturated and trans fats because they do increase our HDL (high density lipoproteins – the “good” cholesterol) and decrease our LDL (low density lipoproteins – the “bad” cholesterol. Saturated and trans fats do the opposite, especially trans fats, which increase LDL and decrease HDL. Saturated fats contain single bonds and are found in foods like animal fat, animal skin, animal products such as butter, coconut milk and dairy products.

Trans fats are formed by putting a vegetable oil through a process called hydrogenation, so all products that state “partially hydrogenated” or “hydrogenated” vegetable oil in their ingredient list do contain trans fats. Saturated fats and trans fats should take up only 10% of our daily caloric intake.

When eating out, it is not easy to find a meal without fats. Most meals require the use of oil or fat in their preparation. Anyway, our bodies do need a certain amount of fats for absorption of vitamins as well as other daily functions. However, do take note that our meals should comprise most unsaturated kinds of fat as mentioned above. Avoid trans fat found in fast foods, junk foods, and processed foods.

Some sources of unsaturated fats are vegetable oils like olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil and foods like nuts, avocados and oily fish.

Another Reason to Avoid Trans-Fats Like the Plague

If you needed yet another reason to avoid trans-fats like the plague, here it is: A new study from Harvard shows that increased intakes of trans-fatty acids may increase the risk of prostate tumors by a stunning 100 percent. The study followed almost 15,000 men over 13 years and found significant increased risk for prostate cancer among the men who were eating higher levels of the dangerous fat. This adds to previous research linking trans-fats to cardiovascular disease.

Trans-fats are man-made fats found in any product that contains hydrogenized or partially-hydrogenized oil in the ingredients.

Through a particularly sleazy loophole in the regulations, manufacturers are allowed to include up to half a gram of trans fats per serving and still claim "Zero Trans Fats" on the label. If they make the "serving size" small enough (however unrealistic that "serving size" may be), you can wind up consuming a couple of grams of trans-fats in an average serving. So forget the "Zero Trans Fats" claims and look a little deeper. Read the ingredients. If it says hydrogenized or partially-hydrogenized oil, it's got trans fats- don't buy it.

And don't buy into those apologist statements by "spokespeople" from the American Dietetic Association who tell you to "reduce" trans-fats. The recommended intake for hydrogenated oils (trans-fats) in the human diet is zero.

posted by Dr. Jonny Bowden (visit his website at www.jonnybowden.com)