Good Fats vs. Bad Fats: Everything You Need to Know: The 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans state that over half of adult Americans suffer from one or more chronic, diet-related disorders that are avoidable, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. This worrying trend can be attributed mostly to poor food and activity habits.
Eliminating or decreasing fats could appear like a good idea, particularly for people who are overweight or at risk of developing a condition linked to nutrition. However, it’s critical to understand the distinction between good and bad fats, or healthy and unhealthy fats.
Good Fats vs. Bad Fats: Everything You Need to Know
Good fats
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are examples of healthy fats. Vegetables, nuts, seeds, and seafood are the main sources of these healthy fats.
Dr. Cook states that foods high in monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats are healthier options and should be substituted for those high in trans or saturated fats, which are regarded as unhealthy fats.
When consumed in moderation, monounsaturated fats can help lower blood levels of harmful cholesterol and minimize the risk of heart disease and stroke. Monounsaturated fat-rich oils also contribute vitamin E, an antioxidant that is deficient in most Americans.
High quantities of advantageous fatty acids, such as omega-3s and alpha lipoic acid (ALAs), are present in healthy fats, which are present in a variety of foods, including:
- Canola, olive, and peanut oils
- Cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, and almonds
- Pumpkin, chia, flax, and sesame seeds
- whole avocados and olives
- Mackerel, herring, trout, catfish, and salmon
Bad fats
The diet of Americans is often high in saturated fats. Red meat, cheese, butter, and other foods derived from animals are common sources.
Saturated fat-rich diets have been shown to elevate LDL, or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or “bad” cholesterol levels and to increase heart disease risk.
Adults should consume no more than 5 to 6 percent of their calories from saturated fat, according to the American Heart Association. Less than ten percent of daily calories should come from saturated fats, according to the Dietary Guidelines. Included in this are the following:
- Beef
- Lamb
- Pork
- Poultry, especially with skin
- Butter
- Cheese
- Ice cream
- Some baked and fried foods
Most trans fats are harmful to your health. While natural trans fats from animal products are considered safe in moderate amounts, artificial trans fats are associated with health problems, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
The Food and Drug Administration banned artificial or industrial trans fats in processed foods in 2020, which has made them easier to avoid.
What is a heart healthy diet?
Heart-healthy diets must include a variety of healthful fats. Among the most popular diets is the Mediterranean one. This and other such diets place less emphasis on red meat, sugar, and salt and more emphasis on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, seeds, fish, and healthy fats.
“Compared to a traditional American diet, people in the countries with the healthiest populations eat a lot more whole grains, beans, vegetables, fruits, and very little meat,” continues Dr. Cook.