Based on my reader survey, the majority of you wanted more nutrition-related information (YAY!) on the blog.  Because the information presented in this post is a little science-heavy, I’ve decided to turn it into the first post of my new ‘Let’s talk nerdy’ series.  I hope you find the information helpful and thought-provoking. (Please read my disclaimer regarding the nutrition-related information shared on this blog.)

Okay, let’s get to it!  Most of the time, the word ‘fat’ carries a negative connotation; however, when consumed in moderation, fat is healthy.  Yup, you read that correctly.  Fat is healthy!

Fats belong to the lipid family, which is made up of triglycerides (fats and oils), phospholipids and sterols.  A few people have asked me recently why unsaturated fat is better for you than saturated fat.  Without getting too far into the chemistry of it, here is a quick rundown of what each fat is, what foods they’re found in, and why they are good or bad for the body.

In general, an excess of dietary fat can play a role in developing cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, obesity or some types of cancer.  The fats that we should consume are known as ‘healthy fats’ and the ones we should minimize in our diets are ‘unhealthy fats.’  Let’s review some of the ‘unhealthy fats’:

Saturated fats

• Found mostly in animal fats (full-fat dairy products, red meat, poultry)
• Mostly solid at room temperature
• Fat molecules with no double bonds (That is where the term ‘saturated’ comes from – the carbons are ‘saturated’ with hydrogen (H) atoms)

 

WHY THEY ARE BAD:

Saturated fat increases the cholesterol in the blood, which can lead to plaque build-up and an increased risk of heart disease.

THE LOW DOWN ON CHOLESTEROL:

• Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that’s found in all cells of the body
• It is not bad.  However, too much cholesterol can cause health problems
• Your body makes all the cholesterol it needs
• Cholesterol travels through your bloodstream in small packages called lipoproteins
  • Two kinds of lipoproteins carry cholesterol throughout your body: low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL).
• High levels of LDL can lead to cholesterol build-up in the arteries (which carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body)
• HDL, sometimes referred to as ‘good’ cholesterol, carries cholesterol from the rest of the body to the liver for disposal

EXAMPLES OF SATURATED FATS:

• Butter
• Cheese
• Milk
• Fatty beef
• Pork

Unsaturated fats

• Found mostly in nuts, vegetable oils and fish
• Mostly liquid at room temperature (due to kink in chain from the double bond)
• Fat molecules with one or more double bonds (ie. double bonds between carbons (C) )

WHY THEY ARE GOOD:

Can help reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering leves of LDL in the body and increasing levels of HDL

THE LOW DOWN ON MONO AND POLYUNSATURATED FATS:

•  Two types of unsaturated fats: mono and polyunsaturated
  • Monounsaturated fats: one double bond between carbon molecules
  • Polyunsaturated fats: two or more double bonds between carbon molecules
    • Polyunsaturated fats are broken down into two types: omega 3’s (the body needs and provide potential health benefits) and omega 6’s (the body also needs, but cannot produce on its own)

EXAMPLES OF MONOUNSATURATED FATS:

•  Nuts
• Vegetable oils
• Canola oil
• Olive oil
• Sunflower oil
• Avocados

EXAMPLES OF POLYUNSATURATED FATS:

• Soybean oil, corn oil (omega 6’s)
• Flaxseed oil, salmon, herring, trout, walnuts, canola oil  (omega 3’s)

 Trans fats

• Two types: natural and unnatural (called trans fatty acids)
  • Trans fatty acids: created in an industrial process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid
  • Called ‘partially hydrogenated oil’ on ingredients list
  • Mostly found in processed foods

WHY THEY ARE BAD:

Contribute to heart disease by raising levels of LDL in the body and decreasing levels of HDL

THE LOW DOWN ON TRANS FATS:

• In 2013, FDA issued a notice that trans fats are no longer generally recognized as safe (GRAS)
• Why companies use them: inexpensive to produce and last a long time

 EXAMPLES OF TRANS FATS:

• Frosting
• Microwave popcorn (←ingredients for Pop Secret here)
• Packaged pies
• Frozen pizzas
• Margarines
• Coffee creamers

 WHAT YOU CAN DO

• Eat a diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish and nuts
• Limit red meat and sugary foods and beverages
• Avoid processed foods (cakes, cookies, muffins, etc)
• Look for “0 trans fats” on nutrition labels
• Use naturally occurring oils, such as canola or olive oil (here is a great guide for oils)
• And in the words of Michael Pollen, “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.”

Sources: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8

Is there a nutrition-related topic that you’d like me to cover?  Send me a message or leave a comment below.