What are Fats and Oils?
Not all fats are created equal. Some are good for you, and some are bad for you. There are 4 main types of fat: saturated, trans, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Below is a list of foods from each category:
•Saturated (burgers, lard and cream, butter, cheese, sausage): solid fats at room temperature; unhealthy
•Trans (baked goods, fried foods, margarine, fast foods): solid fats at room temperature; unhealthy
•Monounsaturated (olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil): liquid fats/oils at room temperature; healthy
•Polyunsaturated (soybean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil): liquid fats/oils at room temperature; healthy
What You Need to Know About Fats and Oils
Foods high in saturated and trans fats need to be avoided. Those types of fats are very sticky, and can create fatty deposits in your blood vessels and organs. If you have too much, you are at a higher risk for heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Many of these fats are not natural, which is a sign to avoid in any foods you eat.
Foods with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are healthy for you. Many of those fats are found naturally in plants, nuts, seeds, and fish. If you have enough in your lifestyle, you are at a lower risk for heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Summary and Recommendations
Fats are very important to keep your body to work well. For example, your nervous system depends on fats to work properly. You need to eat the right kinds of fat, in moderation, to be strong and healthy. Thus, avoid the bad fats as much as you can.
Resources
Precision Nutrition
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-healthy-fats
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/aa-bad-fats
American Heart Association
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Saturated-Fats_UCM_301110_Article.jsp
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Monounsaturated-Fats_UCM_301460_Article.jsp
Special Thanks:
Derek Chang graduated with a Bachelors degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Utah. Go Utes! He was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. He aspires to become a physician-entrepreneur to find and create new ways of improving overall patient health. He enjoys skiing, hiking, camping, reading books, meeting new people, and learning anything new.
