Although all types of fat have the same amount of calories, some are less beneficial to your health than others. Learning about fats is also about making healthy choices that affect your health and well-being.
Two of the most harmful fats are saturated fat and trans fat. Both can raise blood cholesterol levels and increase your risk of developing heart disease. There are two ways trans fats raise the risk of developing heart disease:
Increase blood levels of so-called “bad cholesterol” (LDL-cholesterol). LDL-cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease.
Reduce blood levels of so-called “good cholesterol” (HDL-cholesterol). HDL-cholesterol protects against heart disease.
Take time to read your food labels; it also means taking time for your health. Food labels generally have information on the amounts of saturated fats and trans fats in the food you are consuming.
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It is rather easy to spot saturated and trans fats. They are solid at room temperature — these are commonly found in butter, shortening or meat. Saturated fat comes mostly from animal products although some tropical oils like palm kernel and coconut oils also contain saturated fat. Trans fat is found in whole dairy foods and meat products. Baked goods like cookies or crackers, as well as fried foods such as french fries and doughnuts often contain trans fats too. Think about your daily food choices, are they high in saturated and trans fats?
How do you spot the unsaturated fats? At room temperature, these are liquid. Polyunsaturated or monounsaturated, these fats generally tend to lower the risk of heart disease. Polyunsaturated fat is commonly found in soybean, corn, sesame and sunflower oils as well as fish and fish oil. Monounsaturated fat is found in olives, olive oil, canola oil, most nuts and their oils, as well as in avocados.
Remember, the choice is yours! Make healthy ones in your daily diet. It’s not that difficult to spot different fats after all.
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