For years, fat was a grimy word within the weight loss program world. After World War II, large studies established links between saturated fat and heart disease. Most nutritionists advised people to scale back their fat intake, not only due to heart connection, but additionally because fat had more calories per gram than protein or carbohydrates and was thought to contribute more to weight gain.
Many people did, but they often replaced the lost calories with large amounts of carbohydrates—especially refined carbohydrates. They also stopped maintaining a healthy diet fats like olive and canola oil. Instead of helping us shed pounds, the decline in fat consumption has increased rates of obese and obesity.
What went improper? As it seems, the “all fat is bad” message was improper. Foods that contain fat are likely to fill you up, so that you stop eating earlier.
More importantly, not all fats are created equal. Saturated fat, found primarily in meat and dairy foods, contributes to clogged arteries and heart disease. But monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, present in plants and healthy oils, actually protect your health by improving your cholesterol profile.
Fat has little direct effect on blood sugar levels. It’s an ideal source of energy in your body, and it helps you absorb certain vitamins and nutrients.
Another form of fat essential for a wide range of necessary body functions is the omega-3 family of unsaturated fats. Your body cannot make it by itself. They should get it from food. Good sources of omega-3s include fatty fish similar to salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel. Flaxseeds, walnuts, wheat germ, canola oil, non-hydrogenated soybean oil, and flaxseed oil are also wealthy in omega-3s.
Trans fats are the worst fats in your health. These fats are made when hydrogen is added to healthy unsaturated fats to solidify them and make them less more likely to go bad. Trans fats raise bad LDL cholesterol, lower good HDL cholesterol, increase inflammation, and make blood more more likely to clot.
The FDA has ruled that “partially hydrogenated” oils, the most important source of trans fat within the US food supply, are not any longer “generally recognized as safe.” By now, most food corporations have stopped using them. But definitely, search for products with zero on the “trans fat” line within the Nutrition Facts box.