Fats: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

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Should you use butter, margarine or oil? Having limited amounts of

any of these fats can be a healthy part of your diet. But you also

need to understand that all fats are not created equal. Fats fall

into four main categories: monounsaturated, polyunsaturated,

saturated and trans. They can be found in different types of foods

and have these effects:

 

Monounsaturated fats offer the greatest health benefits. They

decrease your total and bad cholesterol and increase your good

cholesterol. They can be found in walnuts, cashews and peanuts and in

nut oils like almond and olive.

 

Polyunsaturated fats are also beneficial as they decrease your total

and bad cholesterol. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are types of

polyunsaturated fats. Highly polyunsaturated omega-3s are found in

seafood, while omega-6s are found in vegetable oils like soybean,

corn and safflower.

 

Saturated fats, found in animal products like dairy products and

meat, are bad for you, as they increase your total and bad

cholesterol level.

 

And, finally, we have trans fats. They are mostly man-made and found

in pastries, margarines and spreads. They have the same effect as

saturated fats and also lower your good cholesterol.