Fat not only provides energy but also help build healthy cells, brain, absorb vitamins, production of hormones and the list continues But are you eating the right type of fat?
This is a type of fat found in a variety of foods and oils. Studies show that eating foods rich in monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) improves blood cholesterol levels, which can decrease your risk of heart disease. Research also shows that MUFAs may benefit insulin levels and blood sugar control, which can be especially helpful if you have type 2 diabetes. Also, MUFAs can lessen your risk for breast cancer and help you shed down weight. It also provides energy and help to keep your hair as well as skin healthy.
Polyunsaturated fat is found in plant as well as animal foods, for example, salmon, vegetable oils, and a number of nuts and seeds. PUFAs can help lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol. Having low LDL cholesterol lessens your risk for heart disease.
Saturated fat is a fat which is normally solid at room temperature and is fairly stable. Food items which are high in saturated fat are normally animal-based. However, there are plant foods which are high in saturated fat, too. Saturated fat raises total blood cholesterol levels and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, which can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. Saturated fat may also increase your risk of type 2 diabetes.
Foods high in saturated fat include butter, lard, tallow, suet, high fat dairy products (whole milk, cream, cheese, etc), high fat meats, palm kernel, coconut oil, and cottonseed oil.
This is a type of fat that occurs naturally in some foods in small amounts. But most trans fats are made from oils through a food processing method called partial hydrogenation. By partially hydrogenating oils, they become easier to cook with and less likely to spoil than do naturally occurring oils. Research studies show that these partially hydrogenated trans fats can increase unhealthy LDL cholesterol and lower healthy high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. This can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.
