All About Fats - The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

Most of the hard data included in this post is in quotes. WebMD had some excellent information and I wanted to include it!

Quote:

Saturated Fats - the ‘bad’ fats which are known to raise blood cholesterol levels Monounsaturated Fats - the ‘good’ fat which can lower blood cholesterol level Polyunsaturated Fats - ‘in between fat’ which has some good and bad properties Trans Fatty Acid - a man-made fat which is worse for you than saturated fats. These are made when cetain oils are heated (see below) and are also present in foods which contain hydrogenated oils such as margarine. If you use margarine buy one that is non-hydrogenated. Read food labels and avoid all products which contain hydrogenated oils. The following points regarding the above graph should be noted: Notice that Olive oil has the largest proportion of monounsaturated fats. These are the "good" fats that are desirable in your diet. Also of note is the extremely large proportion of saturated fat (the "bad" fat) in coconut oil. This is common of other tropical oils such as palm oil. Palm oil is the oil that got a lot of attention when it was discovered that movie popcorn was being popped in this evil oil. While Canola oil appears to be the best oil of the bunch due to its low amount of saturated fat and relatively high levels of poly and monounsaturated fats, the benefit of the high levels of monounsaturated fat in Olive oil outweigh the benefits of lower levels of saturated fat in the Canola oil. Another important factor which should be considered is the fact that Olive oil (as well as Peanut oil) does not breakdown into trans-fatty acids at high heat and can therefore be used in cooking. You should avoid cooking with oils other than Olive or Peanut oil. Butter and margarine are also outlined above. Different types of margarine will have different proportions of the above fats. If you cook with margarine (ie-fry foods) the heat will create trans-fatty acids in the margarine (even in non-hydrogenated margarines) so in this instance you would be better to use butter which does not breakdown in the heat. Better still is to switch to Olive oil because then you don’t have to worry about trans-fatty acids or saturated fats. Margarines which are made with Olive oil make a good choice but your best bet is to avoid them all together because there is not a lot of benefit that comes from eating margarine or butter. M.Steckel

Healthy fats like First Pressed Virgin Olive Oil (Most Greek Brands) are excellent additions to the diet. Beware most Olive oils which claim to be First pressed, and Virgin Olive Oil are highly processed to the point they are clear, and the flavor has been removed.

Krinos makes the best Olive Oil in my opinion, or you can find a high quality oil from your local Health Food Store. "Cooking does kill the antioxidants in Olive Oil, but does not damage the fat quality or form Trans Fatty Acids". Beware when using oils - all oils would best be used after cooking has been completed and the food has cooled a little, For example to get the most bang from my oils I use 1 tbsp of Olive OIl in the meal after the meal is cooked and in each serving.

Additional fat of this kind/quality will be very helpful for anyone, including those who are trying to lose weight, and burn fat. They are crucial to health!

Olive Oil contains -

Quote:

Vitamin E (a natural antioxidant) per tablespoon - 1.6mg, or 2.3 IU (International Units) One tablespoon provides 8% of RDA for vitamin E. Vitamin K: The richest sources of vitamin K are green, leafy vegetables. One serving of spinach or collards, for instance, or two servings of broccoli provide four to five times the RDA. The greener the vegetable, the higher the content, say the researchers, because the vitamin is associated with the chlorophyll. Vegetable oils--soybean, canola and olive--and dressings containing them are the second best source - USDA - just use them in moderation. Fatty Acids: Olive Oil is a complex compound made of fatty acids, vitamins, volatile components, water soluble components and microscopic bits of olive. Primary fatty acids are Oleic and linoleic acid. Oleic acid is monosaturated and makes up 55-85% of olive oil. Linoleic is polyunsaturated and makes up about 9%. Linolenic, which is polyunsaturated, makes up 0-1.5% Antioxidants: The flavenoid polyphenols in olive oil are natural anti-oxidants which have been shown to have a host of beneficial effects from healing sunburn to lowering cholesterol, blood pressure, and risk of coronary disease. There are as many as 5 mg of antioxidant polyphenols in every 10 grams of olive oil. Many other nut and seed oils have no polyphenols. - Dr. John T. Deane graduated from U.C. Berkeley of Olive Oil Source.Com

Quote:

General Recommendations for Fat Intake. About two-thirds of cholesterol in the body does not come from cholesterol in food but is manufactured by the liver, its production stimulated by saturated fat. The dietary key to managing cholesterol, then, lies in understanding fats and oils. When it comes to studying the effects of fat on the body, however, the problem is compounded by its complex nature. All fats found in foods are made up of a mixture of three chemical building blocks: monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated fatty acids. Oils and fats are nearly always mixtures of all three fatty acids, but one type usually predominates. So, for example, although coconut oil is mostly saturated, it also contains small amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. In addition, there are three chemical subgroups of polyunsaturated fatty acids: omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 fatty acids. These subgroups are currently being heavily researched for their specific effects on health. In addition there are trans-fatty acids, which are products of food processing rather than naturally occurring fats. Although there is much controversy on the effects of fat on health, virtually all experts strongly advise limiting intake of saturated fats (found in animal products) and trans-fatty acids (found in commercial baked goods and fast foods). Other fatty acids, however, may offer benefits. How much one should eat of even beneficial fatty acid, however, is under intense debate. Some experts recommend maintaining a relatively high intake of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (about 32% of calorie intake), with saturated fats representing no more than 8%. Others believe that a very trim diet -- 20% fat with as little as 4% saturated fat -- is ideal. Still others recommend fat intake somewhere in between these extremes. In all cases, however, the health dangers of a diet high in saturated or trans-fatty fat should not be underestimated. All fats -- both good ones and bad -- add the same calories. In order to calculate daily fat intake, multiply the number of fat grams eaten by 9 (one fat gram is equal to 9 calories -- whether it's saturated or unsaturated) and divide by the number of total daily calories desired. One teaspoon of oil, butter, or other fats equals about five grams of fat. Harmful Fats. Reducing consumption of saturated fats and trans-fatty acids is the first essential step in managing cholesterol levels through diet. Saturated fats are found predominantly in animal products, including meat and dairy products. Saturated fats in the diet increase blood cholesterol levels. The so-called tropical oils -- palm, coconut, and cocoa butter -- are also high in saturated fats. Evidence is lacking, however, about their effects on the heart. The countries with the highest palm-oil intake, Costa Rica and Malaysia, also have much lower heart disease rates and cholesterol levels than Western nations. MB's Side Note - Holistic therapists and doctors mostly agree that Coconut Oil used in moderation is acceptable although it's a highly saturated fat - they claim the processing of the oil causes problems, so using all natural Coconut Oil/Butter is best - they also claim no trans fatty acids are formed when cooking with it. Studies suggest it has healing effects. Monolauric acid is said to be potent again many viral pathogens, bacterium, and other invaders. Many interested in alternative medicine and health may wish to study up further on this specific Oil/Fat Trans-fatty acids are also dangerous for the heart, and in addition, they may pose a risk for certain cancers. They are created during a process aimed at stabilizing polyunsaturated oils to prevent them from becoming rancid and to keep them solid at room temperature. To accomplish this, manufacturers add hydrogen molecules, a process known as hydrogenation, which chemically converts polyunsaturated fats into trans-fatty acids. Some experts believe that these partially hydrogenated fats are even worse than saturated fats because they both increase LDL and reduce HDL cholesterol levels. One study of 80,000 nurses reported that women whose total fat consumption was 46% of total caloric intake had no greater risk in general for a heart attack than did those for whom fat represented 30% of calories consumed. Women whose diets were high in trans-fatty acids, however, had a 53% increased risk for heart attack compared to those who consumed the least of those fats. Hydrogenated fats are used in stick margarine and in many fast foods and baked goods, including most commercially-produced white breads. Unfortunately labels on these products do not indicate whether they contain trans fatty acids. When purchasing these foods, avoid those that include "partially hydrogenated" oils and understand such products may contain trans-fatty acids even if they claim to be low- or no-cholesterol or are made from unsaturated oils. (Liquid margarine is not hydrogenated and is recommended, as is margarine labeled "trans-fatty acid free".) Beneficial Fats and Oils. It should be noted that some fat is essential for health and fat is essential for healthy development in children. Public attention has mainly focused on the possible benefits or hazards of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Polyunsaturated fats are found in safflower, sunflower, corn, cottonseed oils, and fish, while monounsaturated fats are mostly present in olive, canola, and peanut oils and in most nuts. Studies, however, do not all agree on their effects. For example, early studies indicate that monounsaturated fats help to maintain healthy HDL levels while polyunsaturated fats reduce them. Subsequent studies, however, have found little difference between the effects of either fat on cholesterol levels. It is also not entirely clear that the positive effects of monounsaturated fats on HDL levels actually protect against coronary artery disease although they may protect against stroke. A recent animal study even found that a high intake of monounsaturated fats increased levels of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL), a possibly more hazardous lipid than LDL. Researchers, then, are most interested in the smaller fatty-acid building blocks contained in these oils called essential fatty acids, which may have more specific effects on lipids. Three important fatty acids are omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9. Food oils often contain a combination of these building blocks, which may account for the mixed results observed in people consuming them. Omega-3 fatty acids: further categorized as alpha-linolenic acid (sources include canola oil, soybeans, flaxseed, olive oil, many nuts and seeds) and docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaneoic acids (sources are oily fish and breast milk). Studies have indicated that vegetable oils containing alpha-linolenic acids reduce triglycerides and are heart protective, although fish oils, which contain docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids, do not have much effect. Fish itself, however, has other substances that appears to have many benefits. Omega-6 fatty acids: further categorized as linoleic, or linolic, acid (sources are flaxseed, corn, soybean, and canola oil.) Many hydrogenated fats are made from oils rich in omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-9 fatty acids: (Source is olive oil). Studies indicate that, in a healthy balance, all of these fatty acids are essential to life. Studies have found greater protection against heart disease from omega-6-oils than omega-3, but omega-6 is also associated with increased production of compounds called eicosanoids, which enhance tumor growth in animals. Both omega-3 and omega-9 fatty acids contain chemicals that block these eicosanoids. Some researchers believe, however, that our current Western diet now contains an unhealthy ratio -- 10 to 1 -- of omega-6 to omega-3 of fatty acids. The bottom line, then, is to try to obtain a better balance of fatty acids without consuming too many calories. Plant substances known as sterols have long been known to reduce cholesterol. A sterol called sitostanol, also called stanol, has been added to canola to produce a margarine called Benecol. In one study it reduced LDL by an average of 24%. The sitostanol-containing product is available in Europe and should be marketed in the U.S. soon. - WebMD

Two side notes:

1: Sterols & Sterolins (also known as phytosterols) are phytonutrients & are partly responsible for the healing and protective effects of plants. They are present in all plants (fruits and vegetables). Autoimmune diseases like Rheumatoid arthritis, SLE (Lupus), Psoriasis, Allergies & Asthma. In these cases, the immune system incorrectly attacks the body’s cells. Sterols & Sterolins help prevent this occurring by sensitizing the immune system so that it correctly identifies the body’s own tissue, and does not attack it. T-cells (part of the immune system) are responsible for recognizing infected cells. Once the T-cells have identified the infected cells, they release chemicals called lymphokines, which attract cyctotoxic cells. Once these cytotoxic cells arrive on the scene, they destroy the infected human cells. Sterols & Sterolins work by increasing the number of identifier T-cells, lymphokines & cytotoxic cells. Thus Sterols & Sterolins mainly boost the part of the immune system that is responsible for identification. Sterols help inflammation by balancing DHEA: Cortisol ratio. Cortisol decreases your immune system's ability to function effectively.

Quote:

2: Omega 3 fats - both in Flaxseed and "Fish oils containing omega 3 fatty acids improve cell mediated immunity (CMI) and reduce IL-6, TNF, triglycerides and increase DTH while soybean oil and most vegetable oils used at high temperatures produce toxic trans-fatty acids that suppress immune function." - M. Konlee, A Guide To Immune Restoration, Positive Health News, Report No. 18 Spring Issue 1999.


Via Off Topic