Potentially Healthy Fats (+ Brief Cholesterol Explanation)

Tags: heart diet health

January.22.2010

Many people believe that if you want a healthy heart (and body) that you should avoid fatty food. This is not completely true. There are certain types of fats that you should avoid, but there are others that aid not only your heart, but your body as well.

Before I get into the discussion of fats, I realized I refer to cholesterol in the discussion below. I want to provide a brief introduction as to the difference between good and want to briefly talk about cholesterol and what the difference is between the good and bad versions. So above the divider line in the center of the page will be the cholesterol material, and below the line will be where the fat discussion begins.

Cholesterol

As already stated there are two types of cholesterol. LDL, which stands for Low-density lipoprotein, and HDL, which stands for High-density lipoprotein. A lipoprotein is essentially a biochemical assembly that contains proteins and lipids (i'll get into proteins and lipids at another time - but for now just think "hybrid"). The job of lipoproteins are to transport the cholesterol to cells.

The Good

High-density lipoprotein - This is the "good" cholesterol. This is called good since it essentially aids in preventing cholesterol from building up in the arteries. It is mostly proteins and a small amount of fat.

The Bad

Low-density lipoprotein - This is the "bad" cholesterol. This is bad because it is mostly fat with small amounts of protein. It can clog arteries and contribute to plaque buildup which can lead to heart attack and stroke, among other things.

Healthy Fats

Unsaturated fats play a major role in reducing the bad LDL cholesterol. Unsaturated fats can be broken down into two types - Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. These are mostly found in oils such as olive, peanut, and canola to name a few. Nuts and seeds also contain high amounts of unsaturated fats. Nuts such as almonds and sunflower seeds are some examples.

A special type of polyunsaturated fat is know as Omega-3 Fatty Acids. A vegetarian or vegan can find these healthy fats in food such as flaxseeds (flax oil as well, including capsules) and walnuts. Those who eat fish have the option to get their omega-3 from cold water fish such as salmon. The issue that arises with eating fish is if you do it too often, not only are you taking in the fat, albeit a healthy type, you are also taking in more mercury than you should if you eat fish regularly.

Beyond heart benefits, these unsaturated fats can also assist external part such as hair, skin, and nails. For example, dry and matted hair could be a sign that you are not getting as much omega-3 as needed.

Unhealthy Fats

Trans fats are highly processed fats. Hydrogen is added to liquid vegetable oils making them take on a more solid form. These fats do terrible damage to your heart. Not only do they increase your LDL (bad) cholesterol, they also decrease your HDL (good) cholesterol. Often times you will see these types of fats in different types of snack foods and fried foods because of the oils used in frying.

Saturated fats are most commonly found in meat and dairy products. If you have ever heard of someone having a plaque buildup in their arteries, these fats are the main culprit. Plaque buildup can be extremely dangerous and very deadly. Another high source of saturated fat is found in tropical oils such as coconut (used heavily in Thai cooking).

Stream/Sewer Fat Analogy

A good analogy for unsaturated fats vs. saturated and trans fats would probably be a fresh stream water vs. clogged sewer water. Unsaturated fats play the role of stream water while saturated and trans fats play the role of sewer water.

Water in a fresh stream generally flows freely and cleanly without interruption. In a healthy heart and body, blood and oxygen should be clean and flowing freely without restriction or backup in order to function at an optimal level.

A sewer is the direct opposite. Sometimes it flows freely but the water is mostly dirt and grime. Because of all this dirt and garbage, there is great potential for backups and flooding when a little stress is added to sewer (ie rain). While a sewage backup may cause a flooded basement or street, a backup in your arteries may cause a heart attack and/or stroke.

Natural vs. Processed

As is the case with all foods, it turns out that the healthiest types of fat are the natural kind. Natural in the sense that it comes from a plant, seed, nut, or natural oil. If it is processed oil or animal fat (meat or dairy), there are more negative effects on your heart and body.

Summary (Tips)

If you intake the right types of fats, you will experience many health benefits that you may not have even realized. Some specific examples of heart healthy foods that contain good fat are:

Almonds
Walnuts
Sunflower Seeds
Pumpkin Seeds
Avocado
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (use this for cooking - extra virgin is the healthiest and least processed)

Further

The American Heart Association lists the following as a guideline for fat intake. The direct link to recommendation page can be found here: American Heart Association

Limit total fat intake to less than 25–35 percent of your total calories each day
Limit saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of total daily calories
Limit trans fat intake to less than 1 percent of total daily calories
The remaining fat should come from sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as nuts, seeds, fish and vegetable oils
Limit cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg per day, for most people. If you have coronary heart disease or your LDL cholesterol level is 100 mg/dL or greater, limit your cholesterol intake to less than 200 milligrams a day

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