Knowing the Important Types of Fat Can Save Your Health By Janet Martin At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

A lot of people shiver at the mere mention of fat, especially if they are trying to lose weight. It seems that this word has been associated with disease, unhappiness, and despair. Many feel that avoiding all types of fat for the rest of their lives will ensure them a happy and healthy future.

The idea that fat is absolutely bad is actually influenced, in part, by what we read on newspapers and magazines and even what we see on television. In fact, fat has suddenly gotten a bad reputation after the popularity of diet crazes and weight-loss fanaticism. Although having a lot of excess fat in your body is really bad, this often misunderstood substance is also important in making you and me healthy.

If you are one of the people who absolutely abhor fat, in whatever type and form, then you should read about the types of fat below.

Monounsaturated

The first thing you need to do before you buy food is to look at its label. If you see that the item contains monounsaturated fat, then it is ok to buy and consume it. You see this type of fat is safe if taken in moderation. The most popular source of this type of fat is olive oil.

Studies have shown that monounsaturated fat lowers the levels of your LDL or bad cholesterol. Thus, your risk for having stroke and heart diseases are greatly minimized. You need to make sure that the sources of fat you consume are mostly vegetables, such as olives. In fact, people, particularly women, who use vegetable-based fat, have 30% lower risk of getting heart ailments than those who consume the unhealthy type of fat.

According to nutrition experts, fat should represent 20% to 35% of one's daily diet. However, you have to make sure that you stick to the variety that is healthy such as monounsaturated fat.

Polyunsaturated

Another healthy type of fat is the polyunsaturated fat. Just like monounsaturated, this fat helps in lowering a person's bad cholesterol levels. Another benefit of polyunsaturated fat is that it has essential fatty acid components. This is a good source of Omega 3 and 6, which cannot be manufactured by your body, but are vital in the performance of your bodily functions.

The best sources of polyunsaturated fats include corn, safflower, soybean oils as well as nuts. Fatty fishes, such as trout, salmon, herring and mackerel are also good sources of polyunsaturated fat.

Saturated And Trans Fat

Trans and saturated fat are the types of fat that you should avoid as if they are a plague. Although it is impossible to totally eradicate them in your daily diet, especially if you love to eat meat and cheese, you can choose to minimize their consumption. Both saturated and trans fat are harmful to you because they promote the increase of LDL levels in your system. If you have high bad cholesterol levels, you can be sure that you will find yourself at high risk of developing chronic diseases and conditions, such as stroke and heart problems.

Trans fat can typically be found in processed and baked goods. Trans fat can also be found in red meat. According to the American Heart Association, a person should make sure that trans fat comprises only one percent of their total daily food intake. Saturated fat, on the other hand, could be found in cheese, ice cream, whole milk and beef.

If you have been eating foods that are rich in trans and saturated fat, you need to start to make some changes in your diet immediately to prevent you from developing heart-related diseases. One way of getting rid of the toxins from saturated and trans fat is by eating plenty of vegetables and food that lower your levels of bad cholesterol. You may also want to undergo detoxification to eliminate all the toxins inside your body.

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