Fat is actually good for your health, though you may be taught the opposite. As a matter of fact, you should know that there is a big difference between healthy fats and unhealthy fats. Here is the truth about fats. Read on.
Let us first talk about the healthy fats. Unsaturated fats are considered to be healthy fats. These are broadly classified into monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats.

Monounsaturated fats are in their liquid state at room temperature and solidify when cooled in the refrigerator. These fats are healthier and are found in plant sources including nuts, peanuts, avocados, olive oil etc. Though they are the healthier fats, they should be taken in moderate quantity, as they are high in calories.

Polyunsaturated fats are either liquid or soft fluids at room temperature. They are found in plant oils including corn, canola oils, flaxseed, sunflower oil and safflower and in seafood. The Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9 found in the polyunsaturated fats make them healthier for consumption. EFAs are essential part of the structure of every cell in our bodies. They are required for a healthy heart. These healthy fats should also be consumed in moderate quantities as they are also high in calories.

Let us now talk about the real culprits of extra pounds- the unhealthy saturated fats. Found in animal food products such as milk, eggs, meat and butter, these saturated fats are generally solid at room temperature. They are also found in palm oil and coconut oil. Saturated fats are unhealthy, excess of which can raise the cholesterol levels in the blood stream.
Doctors also recommend that you should increase the amount of Omega-3 fatty acids in your diet and replace the unhealthy saturated fats with healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats whenever possible.

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 19th, 2008 at 10:12 am and is filed under Anatomy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.