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Are you confused about dietary fats? If you are, it’s no wonder, as there seems to be so much conflicting information out there about fat.
For years, dietary fat has been maligned. But we’re here to put the record straight and champion the healthy fats deserving of a place on your plate. Certain fats are not only beneficial but necessary for optimal health.
Read on to learn about why you need to include fats in your diet, their health benefits, and where you can find them.
Are Low-Fat Diets Healthy?
You may have seen advice to avoid fats because they contribute to obesity and cardiovascular issues. Unfortunately, these attention-grabbing headlines don’t distinguish between the many different types of fats found in food. Lumping them together ignores the fact that the members of this family of nutrients behave very differently from one another in your body.
Your body needs fats not only for energy release but also for hormone balance, absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, and forming the structure of cell membranes.
So, by adopting a low-fat diet you’ll miss out on these crucial benefits. But it’s important to know which types of fats are most useful.
What Are Fats Made From?
All fats contain building blocks called fatty acids. These are chains of different atoms, namely carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
Fats are categorised according to the length of their atom chains, as well as the types of linkages holding the atoms together.
What’s the Difference Between Saturated and Unsaturated Fats?
The chemical structures of saturated and unsaturated fats differ, so they behave differently in your body. Saturation refers to how the carbon atoms are linked within the fat.
The types of bonds between carbon atoms, alongside the number of atoms they possess in their chains, cause one fat to behave differently from another.
- Saturated Fats
Saturated fats have single bonds. These types of fats are stable, because the bonds hold their atoms tightly together. They tend to be solid at room temperature. Furthermore, they can be heated to a higher temperature than other fats before their chemical structure breaks down.
Saturated fats are usually obtained from animal products like meat and dairy. They are also found in some plant oils like coconut and palm oil.
- Unsaturated Fats
Unsaturated fats on the other hand have one (monounsaturated) or more (polyunsaturated) double bonds between their atoms. This means they’re liquid at room temperature.
Monounsaturated fats are less stable than saturated fats, but they can safely be heated to a moderately high temperature.
The best-known monounsaturated fat is olive oil, with other examples being avocado oil, canola oil and the types of sunflower oil labelled as high oleic.
Polyunsaturated fats are the least stable. The weak bonds between their atoms can easily break if the fat is exposed to heat, light, and oxygen. When this occurs, free radicals are produced. These can damage body cells and contribute to chronic inflammation. In other words, polyunsaturated fats don’t respond well when heated and are best left for salad dressings and drizzling over cooked food.
It's worth mentioning most foods contain a mixture of several different types of fats.
Is Fat Unhealthy?
Broadly speaking the answer is no. But during food processing, fats can be altered. For example, naturally liquid oils are often turned into a solid to form a spread. This can cause the oils to react in your body in unpredictable ways.
On the other hand, industrial extraction of oils from seeds like sunflower and rapeseed oils uses heat and light. This alters the bonds in the oils, causing chemical changes. These are the oils found in transparent plastic bottles in the supermarket. Your best bet is to use cold-pressed oils in dark glass bottles.
Saturated fat has had a bad rap over the years. It’s been accused of contributing to cardiovascular disease by elevating cholesterol and clogging arteries. The science surrounding this, however, remains contradictory and muddled. Including saturated fats in your diet in moderate amounts from vegetable sources and unprocessed meat can form part of a healthy diet.
It’s worth remembering there are many different types of saturated fats, containing different fatty acids all with varying effects on health. For example, coconut oil contains a high proportion of lauric acid. This is a fatty acid with antimicrobial properties and with a medium-length carbon chain. On the other hand, meat from animals fed on grass has a different and far healthier fatty acid content than grain-fed meat.
Which Fats are Healthy?
Let’s have a look now at some fabulous healthy fats.
- Olive Oil
This oil is predominantly composed of monounsaturated fatty acids, especially oleic acid. Research has found oleic acid to be beneficial in supporting immune health and reducing inflammation (1). However, olive oil is also packed with natural plant compounds known as polyphenols. These have numerous health benefits including protecting your body cells from oxidative stress and supporting a healthy gut microbiome.
- Omega-3
Omega 3 is an example of a polyunsaturated fat. It’s known as an essential fat since the human body can’t alter the chemical structure of other fats to make it. Therefore, as with vitamins, omega-3 must be present in the diet.
Its star property is controlling inflammation. However, it also plays a role in healthy brain cells, flexible joints, and immune and cardiovascular health.
Omega-3 is found in walnuts, flax, chia and pumpkin seeds, and oily fish including salmon, mackerel, and sardines. The modern diet contains very little omega-3, so it’s worth being mindful of your intake.
Although it’s possible to obtain omega-3 without consuming fish, the omega-3 present in seeds and nuts must be processed by your body before it’s used. This is in contrast to the omega-3 in oily fish which is ready to use. Some people aren’t very efficient at making the conversion. If this applies to you it’s worth thinking about a supplement of omega-3 from fish or algae.
- Omega-6
This is another essential fatty acid. It’s present in seeds and their oils, especially sunflower, rapeseed, sesame, and grapeseed.
However, because the Western diet relies so heavily on seed oils like sunflower and rapeseed, omega-6 tends to be more widespread in most people’s diets than omega-3. Although omega-6 has many essential functions, including supporting cardiovascular health, the balance between omega-3 and 6 is crucial. If you have excess omega-6 relative to 3, this could drive up inflammation.
Harnessing the Power of Healthy Fats
Swapping unhealthy processed fats for healthy ones can be incredibly effective at driving down inflammation. Furthermore, knowing which fats are more stable when heated makes it easier to understand which are best for specific situations.
For light frying, a monounsaturated olive oil is fine, but if you intend heating food to higher temperatures, saturated fat may be better as it’s less likely to break down with high heat. Unprocessed coconut oil is a great choice.
Adopting a healthy diet doesn’t need to be confusing. Our practitioners can support and guide you, taking into account your personal requirements, because everyone is unique.
The first step in your journey towards optimal health with The Forbes Clinic is an Integrative Health Assessment. This includes expert-led testing and dietary analysis to establish your baseline levels of nutrients. For more in-depth support, you may benefit from a consultation with a Functional Nutritionist who can give detailed advice about dietary modifications, supplements, and lifestyle modifications to help you reach your health goals.
Start your journey to a healthier tomorrow by booking a Discovery Call today.
