All Fats are Not Equal

Written by Lynn Roblin, MSc. RD

The fat you get from foods is made up of a combination of different types of fat including saturated fat, unsaturated fat (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated), and trans fat.

Saturated fats are fats that are solid at room temperature. This type of fat is found mainly in foods of animal origin such as meat, lard, butter, whole milk, and cheese. Saturated fat is also found in some processed foods, particularly those made with lard, palm or coconut oil. Too much saturated fat in the diet is a health concern because it raises LDL or "bad" blood cholesterol levels, which is a risk factor for heart disease.

Trans fat is the fat that forms when vegetable oils are hydrogenated. Hydrogenation is a process used to keep liquid oils solid at room temperature. Trans fats are found in foods containing partially hydrogenated oil including some margarines, shortening, French fries, doughnuts, pastries, cookies, crackers, chips and other processed foods. Small amounts of trans fats are found naturally in dairy products and meat. Trans fats can raise LDL cholesterol and lower HDL or "good" cholesterol.

Polyunsaturated fats are found in foods from plant sources such as vegetable oils and soft margarines made with these oils. Corn, safflower, sunflower and soybean oils are all high in polyunsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats include olive, canola and peanut oil and foods made with these oils such as margarine and salad dressings. These unsaturated fats tend to lower cholesterol levels. Omega 3 polyunsaturated fat found in fatty fish, flax and omega 3 eggs is also important for health.

Cholesterol is found in foods of animal origin such as eggs, dairy products, meat, and fish. Plant foods do not contain cholesterol. The cholesterol you get from food is called dietary cholesterol. Blood cholesterol is the cholesterol that is produced and circulated in your body. For most healthy people, cholesterol from foods has little effect on their blood cholesterol levels. High intakes of fat, especially saturated fat and trans fat, have a greater impact on increasing blood cholesterol levels than cholesterol in food. Therefore it is important for people who are concerned about high blood cholesterol levels to cut back on all fats, especially saturated and trans fats.

We all need some fat in our diet to stay healthy but too much of any kind of fat is a health concern. Here's how you can reduce your intake of fat, including saturated and trans fat:

- Check the Nutrition Facts table and choose foods with the lowest combined amount of saturated and trans fat. Also look for foods that include a "trans fat free" claim on the package.
- Cut down on deep-fried or fried foods.
- Use a moderate amount of olive, canola, safflower, corn, soybean or sunflower oils in cooking or baking instead of saturated or solid fats.
- Choose small amount of a soft margarine that is low in saturated fatty acids and non-hydrogenated instead of hard margarine, butter or shortening.
- Use reduced fat spreads, mayonnaise and salad dressings.
- Limit lower fat milk products such as buttermilk, skim and 1% milk, yogurt or cottage cheese made with 1% milk fat or fat-free yogurt.
- Trim or drain fat from meat and remove the skin from the chicken.
- Select fatty luncheon meats, bacon and sausages less often.
- Consume in moderation foods that contain hydrogenated fats such as cookies, snack crackers and chips.

Lynn Roblin is a registered dietitian, freelance nutrition writer and co-author of Suppertime Survival (2005). For more information visit www.eatwrite.com. The nutrition and physical activity information found in this article is provided as a service to the public. It is for informational purposes only and may not be applicable to everyone. Always consult your health care professional before making any significant changes in your dietary habits or your physcal activity routines.etary habits or your physcal activity routines.