Good and Healthy Fats

Health Articles - Fat is an essential part of a healthy diet. Without fat, people couldn't absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K which need dietary fat to propel them through the walls of the digestive tract and into the bloodstream. Fat is a beauty essential to keep nails, hair and skin from drying out. The type of fat is more important than the amount.

There are different types of unhealthy fat that can be found in your diet.

Saturated fats: This type of fat comes mainly from animal sources. Saturated fat has a negative effect on your cholesterol levels, and can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. These fats can be found in pizza, cheese, hot dogs, lard, and butter. It is essential to try to limit the intake to no more than 10 percent of your total calories which comes to about 22 grams of saturated fat a day.

Trans fat. These fats are mostly obtained from processed foods that undergo hydrogenation. Most hydrogenated fats come in a solid state at room temperature such as snacks, cookies, desserts, cakes butter and lard, and shortening. It is better to limit your intake to less than 2 grams a day.

The healthier fats in your diet.

The monounsaturated types. This type of fat is found in olive oil, canola oil, nuts and seeds. Eating foods rich in monounsaturated fats can improve blood cholesterol levels and help control insulin levels and blood sugar control.

The polyunsaturated kind. These can be found in vegetable oils such as safflower, corn, sunflower and soy oil. Another good source is nut oils such as peanut oil and in poultry, nuts and seeds. Eating food rich in polyunsaturated fats can help improve cholesterol levels and maintain blood sugar level. One type of polyunsaturated fats is the omega-3 fatty acids that are found in some fish and flaxseed oil and hempseed oil. These types of fats appear to help decrease the risk of coronary heart disease.

Cholesterol. Cholesterol is essential to your body and is the precursor of certain hormones. Your body manufactures enough cholesterol thus cholesterol from dietary sources should be limited. Excessive cholesterol in the diet can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Most food containing saturated fats contain cholesterol. It is a good choice to try to avoid or cut back on those foods. A healthy diet containing good fats, vegetables, fruits and lean meat or poultry is the best choice for your family.