Topic Overview
Fats are nutrients that give you
energy. Fats are either saturated or
unsaturated, and most foods with fat have both
types. But usually there is more of one
kind of fat than the other.
Saturated fat
Saturated fat is solid at room
temperature. It is mostly in animal
foods, such as milk, cheese, and
meat. Poultry and fish have less saturated fat than red meat. Saturated fat is
also in tropical oils, such as coconut oil, palm oil, and cocoa butter.
You'll find tropical oils in many snacks and in
nondairy foods, such as coffee creamers and whipped
toppings. Saturated fat can raise your
cholesterol.
Trans fat
This is a fat that has been
changed by a process called hydrogenation. This
process increases the shelf life of fat and
makes the fat harder at room
temperature. Harder fat makes crispier crackers and flakier pie crusts. Trans
fat can raise your cholesterol, so eat as
little trans fat as possible. You'll find it
in:
- Processed foods.
- Snack foods,
such as chips and crackers.
- Cookies.
- Some margarines
and salad dressings.
- Foods made with shortening and partially
hydrogenated oils.
Unsaturated fat
Unsaturated fat is liquid at room
temperature. It is mostly in oils from plants.
If you eat unsaturated fat instead of saturated fat, it
may help improve your cholesterol levels. Try to eat mostly
unsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat are
both types of unsaturated fat.
-
Monounsaturated fat:
This fat is in vegetable oils, such as canola, olive, and peanut oils. Eating
foods that are high in monounsaturated fats may help lower your "bad"
LDL cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats may
also keep "good" HDL cholesterol levels high. This may lower
your risk of heart disease. But eating more unsaturated
fat without cutting back on saturated fat may
not lower your cholesterol.
-
Polyunsaturated fat: This type of fat is mainly in vegetable oils such as safflower,
sunflower, sesame, soybean, and corn oils. Polyunsaturated fat is also the main
fat found in seafood. Eating polyunsaturated fat in place of saturated fat
may lower LDL cholesterol.
- Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of
polyunsaturated fat that may reduce the risk of heart disease. To get
the health benefits of omega-3s, eat a
3 oz (85 g) serving of fatty
fish such as salmon or mackerel twice a week. Taking fish
oil supplements is not necessary. Ground flaxseeds and flaxseed oil, nuts, and
seeds also have omega-3 fatty acids.
Total fat
Experts recommend
that 20% to 35% of your total calories each day come from
fat. This includes:
- No trans
fat.
- Up to 10%
polyunsaturated fat.
- Up to 10% saturated
fat.
- 10% to 15%
monounsaturated fat.
Credits
|
Author
|
Debby Golonka, MPH |
|
Editor
|
Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
|
Associate Editor
|
Pat Truman, MATC |
|
Primary Medical Reviewer
|
Ruth Schneider, MPH, RD - Diet and Nutrition |
|
Specialist Medical Reviewer
|
Rhonda O'Brien, MS, RD, CDE - Certified Diabetes Educator |
|
Last Updated
|
February 6, 2009 |
