Good Fats vs Bad Fats (Diet Series II)
Category : Women Health, Women Lifestyle
Scientists have been studying the impact of dietary fats on the risk of developing cardiovascular disease since the outset of two famous research studies: the Seven Countries Study and the Framingham Study, both begun in the 1950s. With the identification of dietary fats – especially saturated fats and cholesterol from animal products such as meats and full-fat dairy products – as the primary culprits in the elevation of serum cholesterol, the outcome was to create a public health recommendation to reduce the amount of total fat in the diet. As decades passed and research progressed, it became clear that all fats are not created equal.
There is no question that lowering total fats, and saturated fat in particular, lowers blood cholesterol levels. In fact, a study of subjects who already had symptoms of coronary artery disease showed that by placing them on a low-fat, whole-foods diet, their underlying disease process was reversed and blood flow to the heart improved. This type of study has been repeated several times and no other diet can claim such remarkable statistics.
Meanwhile, in response to the public demand to eliminate saturated fats from processed foods and baked goods, food manufacturers tried to revamp our food supply by creating a new kind of fat in the laboratory that contained all the same cooking properties as saturated fats. Hence, hydrogenated fats were formed, otherwise known as trans-fatty acids. If we thought that saturated fats were bad, we now understand that trans-fats are probably worse.
Dietary intake of trans-fats actually can predict the risk of developing coronary artery disease and diabetes. Recent data indicate that trans-fats are associated with physiologic markers of inflammation in women. Inflammation is a co-factor in the initiation and progression of hearth disease, diabetes and other conditions still yet to be uncovered. Trans-fatty acids are found in foods that contain hydrogenated fats and oils, such as margarines, vegetables shortenings and many processed baked and snack foods. Recommendations are zero tolerance level of dietary intake of trans-fats.
Recent evidence on total fat intake indicates that we have thrown the baby out with the bath water. By reducing all the fat in our diets, we eliminated not only the bad saturated fats, but what we now understand to be the good unsaturated fats, as well. These good fats include monounsaturated fats found in fish oil, olives and olive oil, vegetable oils, avocados, egg yolks, nuts, seeds, and butters made from nuts and seeds. Polyunsaturated fats, especially the omega-3 fats found in beans, flaxseed, nuts and fatty fish, are also high on the list of good fats. By limiting the inflammatory processes that lead to disease, these fats not only promote heart health, but also may help you avoid cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, and help your mood stay elevated rather than depressed.
Some data even show that omega-3 fatty acids may enhance fat burning and help you lose fat, especially abdominal fat. In active individuals, a higher-fat diet rich in omega-3s may allow for better endurance, improved fat metabolism and more energy availability. Since fat is important for utilization of the fat-soluble antioxidant, muscle-repairing and bone-building vitamins A, D, E and K, when more fat is available, recovery after intensive exercise may occur more quickly.
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