- There are different kinds of fats in our foods. Some can hurt our health,
while others aren't so bad – some are even good for you! Here's what you
need to know:
o Monounsaturated fats (canola, olive and peanut oils, and avocados) and
polyunsaturated fats (safflower, sesame, sunflower seeds, and many other
nuts and seeds) don't raise your LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels but can
raise your HDL ("good") cholesterol levels. To keep healthy, it is best to
choose foods with these fats.
o Saturated fat, trans fatty acids, and dietary cholesterol raise your LDL
("bad") blood cholesterol levels, which can lead to heart disease. Saturated
fat is found mostly in food from animals, like beef, veal, lamb, pork, lard,
poultry fat, butter, cream, whole milk dairy products, cheeses, and from
some plants, such as tropical oils. Tropical oils include coconut, palm
kernel, and palm oils that are found in commercial cakes, cookies, and salty
snack foods. Unlike other plant oils, these oils have a lot of saturated
fatty acids. Some processed foods (such as frozen dinners and canned foods)
can be quite high in saturated fat — it' s best to check package labels
before purchasing these types of foods.
o Trans fatty acids (TFAs) are formed during the process of making cooking
oils, margarine, and shortening and are in commercially fried foods, baked
goods, cookies, and crackers. Some are naturally found in small amounts in
some animal products, such as beef, pork, lamb, and the butterfat in butter
and milk. In studies, TFAs tend to raise our total blood cholesterol. TFAs
also tend to raise LDL ("bad") cholesterol and lower HDL ("good")
cholesterol. One study found that the four main sources of trans fatty acids
in women's diets come from margarine, meat (beef, pork, or lamb), cookies,
and white bread. At this time, TFAs are not listed on nutrition labels, but
that will soon change.
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