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Fats and Oils: The Good, The Bad, The Unhealthy

For decades, nutritional wisdom proclaimed that fat and oil were bad and we were to get rid of them, at all cost, and were to eat low-fat, which we now know causes its own health problems. In more recent years, nutritionists and doctors have determined that not all fats are bad and in fact some are not only good for you, but essential - needed, as the body can not make its own.

Trans Fat

Trans fat is is the worst kind of fat - it lowers HDL levels, the good cholesterol, while raising LDL levels, the bad cholesterol, ultimately cloging arteries because there is no way for your body to break it down. Disturbingly, trans fat content of food does not even show up on nutritional labels in the US yet. Since 2006 food companies are required to list trans fat content, though you can determine how much there is based on labels that spell out fat content by adding the amounts for saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated together, then subtracting that from the total fat in grams - the difference, the trans fat content. Trans fats are found in margarines (although there are now more healthy ones on the market, look for ones that list healthier oils and non-hydrogenated) and shortening and products made with these, particularly fried foods and those containing "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" oils. A small amount of trans fat is found naturally in meat and dairy products, but not in plants. Margarine, shortening, crackers, baked goods, and junk foods are all typically high in hydrogenated oils which helps to extend shelf life of products, but they do nothing to nothing to extend life of people, just the opposite.

Saturated Fat

These are the "unhealthy" fats which are solid at room temperature. Saturated fat raises levels of both HDL and LDL; the overall effect is unhealthy. Saturated fat is high in animal foods (meats, pig / pork, poultry, dairy products. etc.), lard, seafood, and certain kinds of oils (coconut, palm kernel oil, and vegetable shortening). Saturated fats from plants are a healthier choice than from animals sources. The liver uses saturated fats to manufacture cholesterol, so it's important to restrict intake of saturated fat for this reason as well. Saturated fats should make up less than 10% of your total fat intake and if you follow a low animal based diet, you naturally reduce you intake of Saturated Fat. Saturated fat is also associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, as well as many other cancers and diseases.

Polyunsaturated Fat

Polyunsaturated fat raises both HDL and LDL and is a much better alternative than Saturated or Trans Fats. Polyunsaturated fats contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, both with good and bad qualities. Omega-3s protect against cancer and cardiovascular disease. Flaxseed, hemp seed, walnut oils, safflower, and sunflower oil are all good sources. Other oils with a significant amount of polyunsaturated fat are corn, pumpkin seed, sesame, soybean, and walnut oil. Omega-6 fatty acids (also called linolenic oil) are found in vegetable oils, and in small amounts can lower cholesterol levels, but in larger amounts they can lower levels of the "good" cholesterol, and they are associated with an increased risk of cancer.

Monounsaturated Fat

Monounsaturated fat is very good for you, as it raises good cholesterol levels and lowers bad cholesterol. However, heat can destroy these beneficial properties, so these oils are healthiest when not used for cooking. Oliveand avocado oil are the highest in monounsaturated fat; other good sources are canola, flaxseed, olive, grape seed, hemp, palm, peanut, sesame, and sunflower oils and most fresh, unprocessed oils.

Any fats, even the healthy ones, can become toxic if heated. Erasmus notes, "Frying once or twice won't kill us, but after ten, twenty, or thirty years of eating fried foods, our cells accumulate altered and toxic products for which they have not evolved efficient detoxifying mechanisms. Un-toasted sesame oil and olive oil are the most stable of the unsaturated oils and therefore may be heated more safely than other unsaturated oils, which include safflower, corn, and canola. These three commonly used oils are treated with sodium hydroxide and phosphoric acid, and are deodorized, bleached, and heated at high temperatures, all of which makes them unhealthy and likely to be carcinogenic."

Fat, especially from animals, often contain pesticides, hormones, fungicides, along with other environmental pollutants and carcinogens. The feed that animals are fed in large amounts contain chemicals to make them fatter faster and ready for market. These chemicals can accumulate in the animal's fat, which are then ingested by people. These toxins have an affinity for fat, and women's breasts are a prime gathering spot for these chemicals and pose a real health risk. Men are not immune, as they can also get breast cancer.

Some scientific studies have shown a strong relationship between dietary fat and breast cancer and if women were to reduce their intake of fat, especially the unhealthy kind from animals products, by 50% or more, the risk of breast cancer could be lowered significantly, to almost no change whatsoever. Not bad, and if men were to do the same, their chance of certian cancer's goes down significantly as well. For instance, if men were to remove all America dairy products from their diet, their chance for protate cancer drops nearly to nil, at least 90%. Because, European cheeses are made naturally, with unpasturized milk and allowed to age naturally, they end up being much healthier, just don't over consume.

All oils contain some combination of the above fats in varying amounts. It is a always a good idea to read nutritional labels.

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