Originally published September 30 2005
Not all fats are bad, columnist says
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The three main types of fatty acids include saturated fats, found in animal fats and foods like butter and cream cheese; polyunsaturated fats, found in margarines, vegetable oils and seeds; and monounsaturated fats, found in olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, avocado oil and some margarines. Saturated fats are the worst for your heart, and you may be able to reduce your heart disease risk by replacing them with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats whenever possible.
You may have wondered about the absence of my weekly column in your local newspaper lately.
If I say Hurricane Katrina, you'll know why.
I live in Ocean Springs, and we were hit hard.
Thanks for your patience as things gradually slip back into gear.
Here's my first column written A.K. (After Katrina).
Q: I'm confused about the different types of fats in foods and how they affect the risk of heart disease.
Fat present in food is primarily in the form of triglycerides, and the term "fat" generally refers to triglycerides.
The body stores fats as triglycerides and uses them for energy production.
The three types of fatty acids are saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated.
� Saturated fats are present in animal fats such as beef, pork and lamb, as well as butter, cream, cream cheese, mayonnaise, salad dressings, and coconut and palm oils.
� Monounsaturated fats are present in olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, avocado oil and some margarines.
Foods high in saturated fat raise cholesterol levels more than anything else you eat, including low-fat, high-cholesterol foods such as eggs.
One way to cut down on saturated fat in the diet is to replace red meats (beef, pork, lamb) with white meats (chicken and fish).
Another way is to use polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats in place of saturated fats.
Omega-3 fatty acids are a particular type of polyunsaturated fat present in fish oil that lowers triglycerides and provides other heart-healthy benefits.
Finally, trans fat is a "hybrid" type of fat that raises LDL cholesterol and may be even worse for you than saturated fat.
Trans fat is created when unsaturated vegetable oils are hydrogenated to make them more solid in consistency and prolong their shelf life.
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