The truth is our bodies
need a variety of natural fats for good health! Healthy fats are important for
brain development, supply antioxidants like vitamin E, and add flavor and
richness to food. However, different oils serve different purposes, and
understanding them can be complicated. There are three areas you should pay
attention when choosing oils. The first is the type of fat in the oil;
the second is the processing or refining of the oil; and the third is
the stability and heat-sensitivity of the oil.
1) All oils contain
three types of fats in varying ratios: saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated. Monounsaturated
and polyunsaturated fats are the “healthiest” because they can help lower bad cholesterol and reduce your
risk for heart disease. These healthy proprieties are a result of the chemical
structure of the oil. Monounsaturated fats are found in oils (olive, peanut,
canola, avocado), nuts and seeds. Polyunsaturated fats are also found in nuts
and seeds, but they are also found in many vegetable oils (grapeseed,
safflower, corn, sunflower, soy, cottonseed), and fatty fish. Polyunsaturated
fats have the additional property of containing linoleic (omega-6) and alpha-linolenic
acid (omega-3) essential fatty acids that the body cannot produced.
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| solid v. liquid fat |
Saturated fats, on the other
hand, increase your risk for chronic diseases, like heart disease, because they
can increase your bad cholesterol. These are found in high ratios in animal
fats, like butter and cheese, and other solid fats like coconut and palm oil. A trick to remembering this is look at the
fat at room temperature. If it’s a liquid, then it’s probably high in mono- and
polyunsaturated fats; if it’s a solid (think butter!) then it’s higher in
saturated fats.
