We all have heard of ‘fats’, but how many of us really know that there are many different types of fats? An essential ‘MACRONUTRIENT’, fats are very important components of our diet and a source of energy for the body. For example, fat helps to move some vitamins around in the body & also helps in the creation of hormones.
However, fats contain high amounts of CALORIES & small amounts of fat can add up quickly! So, if you eat more calories, you’re bound to put on weight. This excess weight is also known to have negative effects on health.
One of the main concerns of dietary fat is that it is also linked to type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Known to also have a cousin, ‘cholesterol’, fat is known to contain many different ‘fatty acids’, which contributes to weight gain.
So, in short, it is the type of and amount of fatty acid that you consume that contributes to the effect of the fat on your health!
There are mainly four groups of dietary fats. These include:
- Saturated Fats: A fat, which mainly comes from full-fat dairy products & animal sources of food such as poultry and meat; this type of fat can increase the blood cholesterol levels and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. Also found in eggs, cookies, cocoa butter, chocolate, crackers and butter; saturated fat is considered the unhealthy type of fat.
So what does this mean? This means that if you have excess of foods having this type of fat, there are high chances of you increasing your risk of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes! Saturated oil can easily be found in palm oil, coconut oil, beef tallow (bovine fat) and palm kernel oil.
Un-saturated fats (Poly & Mono unsaturated fats)- THE HEALTHIER FATS!: Predominantly found in foods from plants; such as nuts, vegetable oils and seeds; unsaturated fats are considered to be the healthy type of fat to be included in your diet. They help in improving and lowering the blood cholesterol levels, stabalise heart rhythms, ease inflammation; and play a number of other roles as well.
The two main types of ‘un-saturated fats’ are:
2. Mono-unsaturated (MUFAs): Found in a variety of food sources and oils, this type of fat benefits insulin levels and helps in blood sugar control. Foods such as nuts, seeds, olives, peanut butter, cashew nuts and avocados are high in MUFAs. Various cooking oils such as canola oil, olive oil, peanut oil and Mid-oleic sunflower oil. They help to decrease the total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol; thereby maintaining HDL cholesterol.
3. Poly-unsaturated (PUFAs): Found mainly in plant-based foods and oils, poly-unsaturated fats (PUFAs) help to improve blood cholesterol levels; thereby decreasing any risk in developing heart diseases and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. These fats can also be found in nuts, soybean, corn and fish. Some other foods that this fat can be found in include tofu, margarine, mayonnaise, pecans and hazelnuts. The different oils that have a high amount of these fats are sunflower oil, soybean oil and corn oil.
There are ALSO two main types of poly-unsaturated fats:
i. Omega-3 fats: Easily found in BOTH plants and marine foods, omega-3 fats (also known as Omega-3 fatty acids) are especially known for the health benefits it has, including reducing the risk of developing heart disease. Some examples of marine foods in which it can be found in, include fish, especially Mackerel, oily fish such as Atlantic salmon, sardines, trevally and Southern blue fin tuna. Some of the plant food sources in which it can be found in include canola-based margarines, canola and soy oils. They may also be found in walnuts, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, pecan nuts, hazel nuts, Persian walnuts and butternuts.
ii. Omega-6 fats: Found specifically in four major food oils- palm, sunflower, rapeseed and soybean; there are also plenty of dietary sources of Omega-6 fatty acids. Considered to be essential fatty acids, they play a crucial role in brain functions and help to stimulate skin and hair growth; regulate metabolism, maintain the reproductive system and maintain bone health. Omega-6 fatty acids are known to play a role in promoting inflammation. However, these fatty acids are extremely useful for reducing symptoms of patients having diabetic neuropathy, rheumatoid arthritis, ADHD (Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder), curing allergies, breast cancer, eczema, reducing blood pressure, treating menopausal symptoms reducing symptoms of people having cyclic mastalgia, multiple sclerosis, Osteoporosis and providing relief to women having premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
4. Trans Fat: Similar to saturated fats, trans fats tend to increase the LDL blood cholesterol levels in the body and also play a role in increasing the risk in developing cardiovascular diseases such as heart diseases or strokes. Thus, they play a role in lowering the HDL cholesterol, which is extremely harmful to health. Extremely rare in nature, this type of fat is actually created in the stomachs of cows and sheep. It is thus extremely rare to find trans fats in food substances. However, they are present in small quantities in milk, cheese, lamb and beef. They may also be created during the manufacture of baking products such as pastries, cakes, pies, buns and biscuits. So, it would thus be far more important to avoid these fats that are made during food manufacturing, rather than trans fats, which are naturally found in foods.
Each one of these types serves a different function in our bodies. Understanding each one of them is extremely important, especially when choosing the foods that we eat.
