The Ultimate Guide to Good and Bad Fats

Posted Wed, May 28, 2008, 12:09 pm PDT

Remember when any fat was bad fat? When the only difference between a croissant and Krispy Kreme was snob appeal? Now that science has happpily found that some fats are good fats, it's all about avoiding the bad guys. But if sorting out omega-3s from sat fats makes you want to drown your frustration in a quarter-pounder and fries (a whopping 56 grams of the ickiest stuff), here's a simple list that rates fats from the top dog to don't-even-think-about-it.

TOP FATS: THE OMEGA-3s
Among the best fats on the planet, omega-3s add years to your life by dramatically reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. They may also stave off arthritis, depression, some cancers, and even tame menstrual cramps and post-workout soreness. Looking for clear, soft skin, and great hair? Omega-3s do that too.

Eat these frequently:
-Fatty fish, such as wild salmon, sardines, herring, and tuna
-Flax seeds and flax seed oil
-Walnuts
-Canola oil and leafy greens (modest amounts)

GOOD FATS: THE MONOS
All monounsaturated fats are kind to your heart, because they up good HDL cholesterol and lower bad LDL cholesterol (the kind that clogs arteries). But virgin olive oil, the MVP of monounsaturates, does more. For starters, it contains micronutrients that are needed for hormone and enzyme production. But olive oil also boasts compounds that may fight breast and colon cancer, as well as boost the cancer-fighting power of other foods.

Delicious sources are:
-Olives
-Virgin olive oil—be sure it's virgin; processing destroys nutrients
-Canola oil
-Peanut and other nut oils
-Nuts
-Avocados

PRETTY GOOD FATS: THE POLYS
Most polyunsaturated fats are heart-friendly, but with the exception of omega-3s, they don't have the star power of other healthy fats. Also, they contain omega-6s, which are healthy unless you get too many of them—and most Americans get up to 25 times more omega 6s than they need—because they can overwhelm the superstar omega-3s. Overall, try to get most of your polyunsaturated fats from omega-3 sources.

Find them in:
-Corn, soybean, safflower, canola, sunflower and cottonseed oils
-Fatty fish (canned light tuna counts)

LOUSY FATS: THE SATS
Saturated fats are mainly trouble because they raise blood cholesterol to artery-clogging levels. In one study, eating a single slice of carrot cake and drinking a milkshake hindered the body's heart-protective functions. Loading up on sat fats may also harm brain molecules that help form memories, raising the risk of dementia.

Skimp or skip:
-Meats, particularly with visible fat
-Poultry skin, fat, and dark meat
-Whole-milk dairy foods including butter, full-fat cheeses, ice cream, sour cream
-Coconut and palm oils
-Lard and shortening

DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT 'EM: TRANS FATS
These fats are so scary that they're being banned in some cities, and food manufacturers and restaurants are working fast to find substitutes. Trans fats are formed when liquid oils are zapped with hydrogen, turning them solid (like stick margarine). Processed foods that contain trans fats have nearly eternal shelf life -- ironically, that's why trans fats were invented: to keep food from going bad. But trans fats turned out to boost bad cholesterol, decrease good cholesterol, gum up arteries, and set off inflammation throughout the body, which can trigger a host of problems, from stroke to diabetes.

Bypass completely.
Though things are changing quickly, be suspicious of any fast or processed food that's not labeled trans-fat free (packaged-food labels now must list trans fats), including...
-All deep-fried foods-chips, French fries, onion rings, donuts, etc.
-Many fast foods
-Candy
-Commercial baked goods-cookies, pies, cakes, rolls, muffins, etc.

Bottom line Stay away from trans fats the way you'd avoid highways the day before a holiday weekend. Clog city.

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119 Comments

1. Posted by la.isla3 on Wed, May 28, 2008, 1:05 pm PDT

I like how this article summarizes and lists examples of the fats we should eat!!
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2. Posted by LENI C on Wed, May 28, 2008, 8:15 pm PDT

how well you know about coconuts? you need a lot research.....if you knew about the situation 10 or 15 years ago you will be awake....need more research
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3. Posted by kDC on Sat, May 31, 2008, 4:12 pm PDT

Before you dis saturated fats check out the Weston A. Price Foundation
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4. Posted by brittanyporche2 on Mon, Jun 02, 2008, 2:07 pm PDT

Great article! I'm glad to know this.
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5. Posted by maryhc67 on Thu, Jun 05, 2008, 6:42 am PDT

Why is "canola" listed in two different places?
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6. Posted by K S on Thu, Jun 05, 2008, 1:42 pm PDT

Well presented, easy to understand article!!! Thanks!
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7. Posted by Mark R on Thu, Jun 05, 2008, 7:30 pm PDT

This article is full of poor information - the only reason OMEGA -3 is suddnely the fat du jour is because people are having more prolbems related to defficienies of that and other things and science is just catching up. Also the writer states "In one study, eating a single slice of carrot cake and drinking a milkshake hindered the body's heart-protective functions." These foods don't contain as much saturated fats as they do SUGAR!!!! Plus they were probably made with saturated fats from plant sources which are higly processed for longer shelf life!! If you want real nutrition information and TRUTH about these subjects visit: http://www.westonaprice.org/traditional_diets/index.html
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8. Posted by Mark R on Thu, Jun 05, 2008, 7:36 pm PDT

maryhc67 asked 'Why is "canola" listed in two different places?' This is because Canola oil is from an engineered version of rapeseed and the scientists had to keep reformulating to finally produce a version with higer OMEGA 3 - it is actually listed in all three "good" fat categories in this article. Read about how the industry keeps selling you cheap oil for high profit at: www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/conola.html
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9. Posted by bobby v on Fri, Jun 06, 2008, 10:10 am PDT

coconut oil is good. but hydrogenated coconut oil is bad.
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10. Posted by Tyler W on Fri, Jun 06, 2008, 10:11 am PDT

well these are all just lies cuz in another 10 years or so they will be going back and forth so y listen to this and eat wut makes u loose weight urself
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11. Posted by Beth R on Fri, Jun 06, 2008, 10:11 am PDT

I am a baker and just want to say that where I work we have cut all of the trans fats from our baked goods. So have many large companies. Pies and cakes are not full of trans fats anymore so stop calling them out.
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12. Posted by babybirdaids on Fri, Jun 06, 2008, 10:12 am PDT

you can't build healthy cells without saturated fats, so thanks to the author for trying to make thousands of people more susceptible to disease - if you want the REAL information on fats look up Udo Erasumus or even Weston A. Price as was mentioned already. All this misinformation is going to really start hurting people, so please stop - people are sick enough as it is, and it's interesting that as a society we are consuming less fats and yet we are fatter and more unhealthy than ever? this article is a joke and is a danger to health.
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13. Posted by Dan on Fri, Jun 06, 2008, 10:12 am PDT

Sucks for all those WWII and Boomber babies that glorified a good steak for dinner every night. Now you are dead of a heart attack at 55. Glad we know better today!
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14. Posted by Rog on Fri, Jun 06, 2008, 10:12 am PDT

Most extra-virgin olive oil is processed. Unprocessed is far better and has a cloudy color. For some reason, it is more expensive.
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15. Posted by andreame6 on Fri, Jun 06, 2008, 10:12 am PDT

If I were to cut out all the foods that this author warns against, I might as well stop living. Please. Life is about enjoyment. Have a slice of cake.
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16. Posted by katieecrenshaw on Fri, Jun 06, 2008, 10:13 am PDT

Thanks for the info.. but to be honest.. i would rather pick a fish other then tuna.. i hear it is more prone to holding in mercury.
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17. Posted by Lan N on Fri, Jun 06, 2008, 10:13 am PDT

Will can food count as good source of fat like can tuna , sardines?
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18. Posted by coombs1964 on Fri, Jun 06, 2008, 10:13 am PDT

As I sat here at my desk reading this article and eating my Burger King Combo #10 (Fried Fish sandwich and French Fries), I tried to...oh wait...I don't feel so good...
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19. Posted by kristamcarlson on Fri, Jun 06, 2008, 10:14 am PDT

As several others pointed out, Weston A. Price foundation (www.westonaprice.org) has the best information on fats. Coconut oil and palm oil are incredibly healthy for us, as are animal fats, as long as the animals are pasture raised. Canola oil is satan spawn, stay away from it at all costs. Articles like this explain why America is so confused and overweight. Even when Americans try to obtain good information, they end up being sent in the wrong direction. Someday we will all realize that the best foods are the ones that start and end with nature.
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20. Posted by mjcelso on Fri, Jun 06, 2008, 10:14 am PDT

cocanut oil is the good fat . It doesn't clog the arteries like some fats.
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21. Posted by Nate Dawg on Fri, Jun 06, 2008, 10:14 am PDT

DON'T BELIEVE THIS CRAP. People, put two and two together: corn oil and soybean oil are NOT better for you than animal fat - milk and meat fat. Show me a society that has lived this advice and enjoyed health - they don't exist! But there are plenty of societies (including the french) who regularly make use of these fats and are MUCH healthier than us! Real, natural food is ALWAYS better than processed crap, which is how you get corn oil. Use your common sense, don't listen to the bull-sh*t coming out of another useless, short term, narrow focused "study." Eat natural.
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22. Posted by h.salonandspa on Fri, Jun 06, 2008, 10:15 am PDT

I thought that coconut oil was supposed to be good for cooking at hight temperatures - because it didn't denature and become carcinogenic like other oils such as olive and sesame? Really confused on this one.
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23. Posted by lisa_tonucci on Fri, Jun 06, 2008, 10:15 am PDT

Wow - your information is so wrong. It's really scary that people are reading your info and following your advice. Please do your research on the health benefits of coconut and palm oil and the dangers of canole (rapeseed) oil before you post an article with the word "Ultimate" in the title - you are far from an authority on this topic.
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24. Posted by bearsnsmiles on Fri, Jun 06, 2008, 10:15 am PDT

if we really kicked out the last 2 categories of fats you mentioned, whats left in life to live for? Then you get those pyschos who only eat healthy food that all taste like sawdust. bleurgh. I think skimp is enough. Everything in moderation. Of coz, less macdonalds is a good start.
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25. Posted by dollyrokker on Fri, Jun 06, 2008, 10:16 am PDT

Be weary of "trans-fat free foods" as well because trans fats and hydrogenated fats are actually two different monsters, so the loophole is that they can claim that there is not Trans-Fats in their food, however it can still contain hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats. Always look at the label for either "TRANS FAT" (which would be on the nutrition label) or "HYDROGENATED or PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED fats/oils" (which would be located in the ingredients list. It's pretty much widely accepted that saturated fats weren't the culprit of heart disease/ attacks all of these years, it was the damage of hydrogenated oil/ trans fats on the coronary arteries that is responsible.
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26. Posted by andrew_labounty on Fri, Jun 06, 2008, 10:17 am PDT

Mark R, you are completely correct! This is a joke of a article and one most consumers should highly question. Saturated fats are not the enemy, sugar and trans fats are. True, organic sources of saturated fats are some of the most beneficial fats you can consume. Coconut oil has the only source of natural lauric acid, which is converted by the body into monlaurin, in the world besides breast milk. Everyone should stop consuming highly processed vegetable fats (i.e. canola, peanut, and others) as they have a propensity to become rancid at high temperatures and form trans fats, not to mention they are made by unnatural processes. Humans were meant to lower grain intake and raise fat intake to protect us from microbes and speed metabolic rate. Coconut oils, for instance, are mainly a source of MTC's, or medium chain triglycerides. They are usually metabolized by the liver immediately for instant energy. If you would like more info on the truth about saturated fats and BIG business's war against our health, please read the following article: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2002/08/17/saturated-fat1.aspx
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27. Posted by mabd1964 on Fri, Jun 06, 2008, 10:18 am PDT

No animal fats--not even fish's--will support fine cellular activities, such as proper oxidative rate, mitochondria re-organization, or proper ATP conversion. Omega 3's are excellent, but they need to come in right proportion to Omega 6's and 9's. Otherwise it will accomplish little. Fish's Omega 3's are prone to rapid peroxidation rate, and decompose at a higher speed than most oils. It would be better to use other sources of it, such as Flax Seed Oil, Almond Oil, or just nuts such as pistachios, sesame seed, etc. Recent studies have established the fact that many seeds and nuts contain relative amount of this w-3's, in right proportion to the other w's. And most fats, once exposed to temperature higher than 65 degrees F, will just turn into a real molecular havoc that would jeopardized the cells' integrity, causing inflammatory responses, cancer , diabetes, and so on.
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28. Posted by YASHIVA on Fri, Jun 06, 2008, 10:20 am PDT

MOST OF ALL, EAT DECENT FATS WITHOUT BECOMING A FANATIC. ENJOY LIFE, BUT WITHIN MODERATION. BE SURE TO CONTROL CALORIES, FIRST AND FORMOST. CALORIES DO COUNT. EAT LESS AND AVOID OVERWEIGHT AND A HIGH FAT CONTENT IN BODY MASS.
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29. Posted by Ron R on Fri, Jun 06, 2008, 10:20 am PDT

this column is not so reliable! have you guys ever researched on what health benifits could you get by using coconut oil?....one of the best oil in the world! honestly.
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30. Posted by cnjwood03 on Fri, Jun 06, 2008, 10:21 am PDT

This is a good article on the types of fats to eat or not to eat. Keep on keeping the public informed. If this helps, I went to a nutritionist lately because of high cholesterol. She taught me how to eat right, and realized what I was eating as of late was not very healthy, such as cappachino's which have a ton of cream in them, which are trans. and saturated fats. Beware, stay away from them. She also said to not go above 10 mg. of sat. fat a day, as a rule of thumb. Since meeting with the nutritionist, I have lost a total of 50 lbs, and with an increase of fiber, such as crushed flax seed. Hope this helps anyone who reads this.
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