Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
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Today we will talk about fats. Fat, Fat, Fat! Saturated fat, Trans-Fat, I’m fat, you're fat, Fat, Fat, FAT! Sounds like a Dr. Seuss book, “The Cat in the Fat!” I hope I didn’t offend any of you but if this hits too close to home, PUT THE COOKIES DOWN!
So what should you know about fat? We hear about it all the time but often know so little. My goal today is that you will know what you need to make healthy decision about which fats to eat and to stay away from.
Are all fats bad? No! Fats come in many forms--good and bad. We actually need some types of fats to live a healthy life and get in our bodies the molecules we need to keep them running well.
When I think about different types of fats/oils I visualize them as follows:
Saturated Fats: Solid at room temperature (e.g., Butter and Crisco).
Mono-Unsaturated Fats: Liquid at room temperature and sludge-like in the refrigerator (e.g., Olive oil).
Poly-Unsaturated Fats: Liquid at room temperature and in the refrigerator (e.g., Vegetable Oil).
Trans Fats: Solid at room temperature (e.g., Man-modified foods--these are not made in nature).
Now, what does it mean for a fat to be SATURATED or not? Fats are made of three different elements: Carbon, Oxygen and Hydrogen. Carbon atoms make up the backbone/framework of the fat molecule and then Oxygen and Hydrogen atoms are connected to each other and to the Carbon skeleton. The more hydrogen atoms that are hooked to the Carbon and Oxygens the more SATURATED a molecule is (this Wisconsin Fat Tutorial has more info).
As you get more double bonds/connections between adjacent Carbon atoms, the LESS SATURATED with hydrogen atoms a fat molecule is thus creating a Mono or Poly (many) Unsaturated molecules.
I like this statement from Harvard School of Public Health: “Choose foods with healthy fats, limit foods high in saturated fat, and avoid foods with trans-fat.” If there is a good rule to live by when it comes to fats, that is it! Don’t restrict foods with healthy fats, limit as aggressively as possible the saturated fats and, if able, never eat a trans-fat!
MORE USEFUL BITS OF INFORMATION
Fat Tutorial: (Click and take this Tutorial)
Trans-Fat: Though being Un-Saturated fats they have a structure that is very much like a straight straw. Because these are very straight molecules they stack very tightly together making them more prone to be a solid at room temperature. (Molecule structure). These fats are associated with increased insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. These both lead to heart disease. These are the worst fats and the most-unhealthy. When you read labels look for foods with “partially hydrogenated oils”. (AHA trans Fats)
Saturated Fat: Saturated Fats are also very straw like and stack well. Thus they as well are solid at room temperature. (AHA Saturated Fats)
Mono-Unsaturated Fat: Though these only have one double link between Carbons the type of connection makes these molecules crooked kind of like a hockey stick. This makes these more difficult to stack tightly which leads them to be more liquid than saturated and trans-fats but less liquid at cold temperatures. (Molecule structures). (AHA Mono Unsaturated Fats)
Poly-Unsaturated Fat: These molecules have multiple links which make them very crooked molecules. These are very hard to stack in an organized manner which makes them more liquid like at room and colder temperatures. (Molecule structures). (AHA Poly Unsaturated Fats)
Omega 3 Fatty Acids: These are healthy due to their liquid nature. They are not easily stacked and thus are more fluid. Eat more fish and it would not hurt if you supplemented with over the counter Omega 3 fish oil pills and flaxseed oil. It is best to buy oils in dark containers and keep in the refrigerator to prevent them from spoiling. (AHA Omega 3 Fatty Acid)
READY FOR SOME HOMEWORK?
Start reading ALL the labels for all of the above types of fats. If I was going to tell you what diet you could focus on that had good fats in it and keeps bad fats out, it would be the Mediterranean Diet. Also, make sure that when you shop, you buy only real food with the right fats and chemicals, because if you eat real food, you will not eat Trans-fats! Eat the stuff that God--not a factory--made!
For more information, visit archeshealth.orgDr. Douglas Roland Smith is a graduate of the Medical College of Wisconsin and Chief Medical Officer of Arches Health Plan.
