Good Fats and Bad Fats

High levels of fats, particularly saturated fats and trans fats, limit our arteries’ ability relax and dilate. The effects are striking: just a few hours after a high fat meal, medical researchers can measure a significant drop in an arteries’ ability to widen under stress. A few hours later, the arteries can regain their ability to function. But if you are eating only higher fat meals, your arteries may not return to normal functioning. They may remain narrower and restricted.

The worst of the ‘bad fats,’ trans fats, are heart enemy number one. They have been shown to promote inflammation within the arteries and reduce the arteries’ ability to relax and open , Our bodies respond to trans fats by increasing LDL cholesterol levels (bad cholesterol) and lowering HDL cholesterol levels (good cholesterol).

Most of the trans fats found in the modern diet are formed through the partial hydrogenation of polyunsaturated vegetable oils. Partial hydrogenation is a process that allows fats which are normally liquid at room temperature to solidify, enabling, for example, the creation of stick margarines. Partially hydrogenated oils offer other benefits for food manufacturers. They are relatively cheap, have longer shelf lives, and can improve the texture -- the mouth feel -- of many foods.

High levels of trans fats are also found in red meats and whole milk dairy products; these fats are heart harmful and increase both LDL cholesterol levels and HDL cholesterol levels. Saturated fats also have been associated with higher levels of inflammation. , Diets high in saturated fats limit the ability of arteries to open, contributing to elevated blood pressure and other heart risks. How saturated fat raises cholesterol levels is unclear. However, up to a 10 percent reduction in LDL cholesterol can be achieved simply by keeping saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of total calories.

“Good” fats consist of the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and the less processed polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). These fats have been found to be substantially less harmful to the heart and arteries than trans fats and saturated fats. Some also have shown to have healthful effects. Diets high in MUFAs have anti-inflammatory qualities when combined with certain eating patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet. Olive, tea seed and canola oils are good sources of monounsaturated fats.

As with good versus bad fats, some of the good fats may be better than others. Polyunsaturated Omega-3s are widely touted for their heart healthful, anti-inflammatory benefits.

In Kardea Kitchen, here are the rules for using healthier fats and oils.

• Enjoy the fats and oils when part of whole, plant-based foods like nuts, seeds, olives and avocados or from fish and shellfish.
• When the fats are separated from the whole foods, use with care. Remember, the healthier oils alone will not make you healthier; but they will make you fatter.
• Add healthier oils to make healthy foods more delicious.
• Use heart healthy cooking techniques to minimize added oil use.
• Avoid heating oils beyond their smoke point; burning oils can make healthy oils harmful (for a great high termperature, organic oil, try tea seed oil available through Kardea online).
• Keep your energy intake in balance.  If you are looking to lose weight, you need to burn more than you consume.  Adding oils to foods makes this more difficult.