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September 27, 2013

Fit Facts: The Skinny on Fats

For a while, we all screamed for ice cream. Then, we ran screaming from it — and anything else that wasn’t fat-free. Now, experts are uncovering some surprises about fats and their effect on health. The percentage of calories from fat that you eat, whether high or low, isn’t really linked with disease. What really matters is the type of fat you eat. Experts are beginning to point out that balancing our fats, rather than just cutting back on them, leads to better health.

When it comes to the fats in our diets, there are several types:

  • Saturated fats are commonly referred to as solid fats. They come most often from animal products such as butter, cheese, ice cream, beef and pork. Some vegetable oils — including coconut, palm and palm kernel oil — are also saturated.
  • Unsaturated fats are broken down into two categories. Monounsaturated fats are in olive oil, avocados and most nuts. Polyunsaturated fats — including omega-3 and omega-6, those essential fatty acids — are found in soybean, sunflower and safflower oil; walnuts; flaxseeds; and fatty fish such as salmon and trout.
  • Trans fats are primarily created by an industrial process known as hydrogenation, when hydrogen is added to vegetable oils, hardening them. They’re most common in baked goods, fast foods, margarines and processed products; they keep foods fresh for long periods of time.

Chew the Right Fat
When it’s time to make your next grocery list, consider the following:

  • Get less than 10 percent of your daily calories from saturated fats. Try cooking with safflower oil instead of butter, or swap a wedge of full-fat cheese for a small handful of walnuts.
     
  • Instead of a steak or a pork chop, get hooked on fatty fish like salmon, herring and mackerel.
     
  • Eat as few trans fats as possible, 1 percent of your daily calories at most. For the average person, this amounts to less than 2 grams per day. Scope the ingredient list and avoid products with the words “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated.” Slow down on fast food, too. A donut typically has 3 grams of trans fats and French fries, 7 grams.

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Harvard School of Public Health; The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Vol. 90, no. 6, pp. 1632-41

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