by Morgana Ross

Created on: January 18, 2007   Last Updated: December 31, 2011

Everyone loves to eat. We are a food-conscious planet. Whether we worry about food, shop for food, or celebrate with food - eating is one of those topics that come in everyone's thoughts daily. The planet's love affair with food has led to a revolution in the dietary arts and nutritional fields: healthful eating.

With the coverage the media gives health conditions such as obesity and cholesterol-related medical conditions, it often tries to make something as basic as fats take the rap as the villain of the kitchen.

Fats aren't the evil they are made out to be. The human body could not function without fat in the diet. Fats regulate bodily functions and help the body to fully absorb certain types of vitamins and essential minerals. So why then, is using fat in our cooking exploits becoming a world-wide faux pas?

The crux of the matter is simple. The world relies on fat in the form of oil to cook with. In certain areas, regional cuisines are dedicated to using oil as the cooking medium such as the Southern United State's fixation with fried foods. Even the smallest child can list fried foods among their dinnertime favorites. To get around the guilt caused by enjoying fatty foods, people everywhere are asking, "What kind of oil should I be using to be healthy?"

The truth of the matter is the answer to the question is extremely complex. It doesn't matter which type of oil is chosen - it is still a fat and can't escape it's chemical destiny. However, not all fats are created equally.

Saturated fats are typically found in animal products such as butter, cheese, milk, cream, and meats. However, they also be found in some vegetable products, such as coconut, palm and palm kernel oil. Saturated fats raise blood cholesterol more than any other type of fat. Saturated fats are easy to identify because they become solid at room temperature.

Unsaturated fats can come from both animal and plant products.
There are 4 types:

-Mono-unsaturated fats: typically come from seeds or nuts like olives, avocadoes, and rapeseed (also called canola). Mono-unsaturated fat have been proven to reduce total cholesterol and LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol, the bad cholesterol. Mono-unsaturated fats contain oleic acid, an essential fatty acid your body requires.

-Polyunsaturated fats: normally come from vegetables, seeds or nuts such as corn, sunflower, and sesame seed oils. When substituted for saturated fats, polyunsaturated fats can help reduce blood cholesterol. Polyunsaturated

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