by Broken Blade

Created on: July 30, 2009

Different types of fats are found in many types of foods. The types of fats include saturated, polyunsaturated, trans-fat and others. A lot of diet programs would have you reduce and in some cases try to eliminate fats from your diet. But not all fats are bad. There are some fats that are actually healthy and even essential to your overall health.

The healthiest types of fats are unsaturated fats. There are two types of unsaturated fats. They are monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. When these fats are used, they can lower your cholesterol levels in your blood. Omega-3 fatty acids, one of the polyunsaturated fats, are helpful for your heart in the way that they lower the risk of one suffering from coronary heart disease. They also can prevent one from having irregular heartbeats and can protect against high blood pressure.

These types of healthy fats are found mostly in oils. Monounsaturated fat is found in olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds. Polyunsaturated fat is found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in, salmon, mackerel, herring, flaxseeds, flax oil, and walnuts.

The right kinds of fat can actually protect you from heart problems if you eat just the right amount of the fats. In fact metabolic studies have concluded that it is the type of fat as opposed to the amount of fat that has an influence on cholesterol levels. Dietary guidelines have changed their approach from lowering fat of any kind to discerning the different types of fats.

The bad types of fats are saturated and trans-fats. These are the types of fats that increase your blood pressure levels and put you at the risk of heart problems. These fats are usually found in animal products, fried foods, processed foods, etc. The three types of harmful fats are saturated fat, trans-fat, and dietary cholesterol.

It is good to have a little bit of fat in your diet, but only a small amount. There are ways you can replace the unhealthy fats with the healthy fats. You can eat nuts instead of chips. You can replace some of your meat meals with salmon. When preparing food, use olive oil in place of butter.

Not every type of fat is bad. Some are very necessary for good health. The healthy fats lower cholesterol levels and will protect your heart. But the amount of fat must be regulated. Eating fats in excess will add calories and cause weight gain, healthy or unhealthy. Fatty foods can be a good supplement but not a replacement to fruits, vegetables, or whole grains.

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