Are Fats Good?
Understanding Fats: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Essential fatty acids are the 'good fats' in the diet. Essential fatty acids or EFA's cannot be made by the body and must be consumed in the diet. They are termed as the omega 3's and omega 6's, vital for healthy, vibrant life.
Is Saturated Fat Good or Bad?
Saturated fats are usually from animals (some plants), are solid at room temperature, and increase the bad levels of cholesterol (LDL) in the body.
Unsaturated fats are usually from plants (olive oil, peanut oil, etc.,) are liquid at room temperature, lower LDL or bad cholesterol levels leaving good cholesterol levels (HDL) unchanged.
Trans fatty acids are unsaturated fatty acids produced from the partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils. Trans fatty acids increase LDL levels in the body.
With these basic working definitions of fats in mind, let's explore the diet, fats, weight gain, and health impacts.
Harmful Trans Fatty Acids
Most people are generally aware of the difference between saturated fats and unsaturated fats. They want less saturated fat in their diets and more unsaturated fats. With this demand the food industry began to use more unsaturated fats. One of the problems is that these fats are not stable and became rancid quickly.
To give these fats a longer shelf life, the process of hydrogenation evolved. Through the process of hydrogenation, these vegetable oils acquired a solid form and lasted longer. These are referred to as ‘partially hydrogenated oils’ or transfatty acids. These unhealthy fats have been added to our foods more and more.
When we understand the basic definition of trans fatty acids it's clear this addition of these to our diets is not good for health. This increase in LDL or 'bad cholesterol' and decrease in HDL or 'good cholesterol' increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. An easy way to remember is LDL you want to be a low number (since it’s bad) and HDL you want to be a high number (since it’s good).
Trans fatty acids increase the potential threat for the development of certain cancers. The mother product of trans fatty acids is hydrogenated fats. They are used in the manufacturing of a wide array of popular fast foods, stick margarines, commercial baked goods, fried foods, and numerous processed food products.
If you are serious about getting healthy, you must limit or eliminate your consumption of these dangerous fats. These include trans fatty acids. Foods on the shelves of grocery stores are loaded with trans fatty acids.
Laboratory tests reveal trans fatty acids obstruct the body from utilizing essential fatty acids. In spite of consuming healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fats, if you happen to combine them with even a small amount of trans fatty acids you weight loss and health improvement attempts will be undermined. A single element of trans fatty acid will sabotage your entire weight-loss regimen.
How Trans Fats Impact Your Heart
Dr. Walter Willet from Harvard University succeeded in establishing a connection between the consumption of the trans fatty acids and heart disease. This connection was found more in females than males.
When it comes to heart health, studies show the detrimental impact. Samples of adipose tissue were collected from people who are victims of coronary heart disease, the concentration of the trans fatty acids were much higher than expected.
The body’s ability to regulate cholesterol is useless when we incorporate trans fats into our diet. Saturated fats are hazardous to health but trans fatty acid's harm surpasses even saturated fats. As they increase the levels of LDL, the probability of coronary heart disease and stroke increases dramatically.
That same study also noted when a 5% increase in consumption of saturated fat occurred the risk of developing a heart ailment shot up by 17%. Even more alarming was that with a 2% increase in trans fatty acid intake, the probability of developing heart disease was heightened by a whopping 93%.¹
The impact of trans fatty acids on the body is not good by any means. They raise undesirable cholesterol levels along with triglycerides and lipoprotein simultaneously pulling down HDL levels (the good cholesterol). As the balance of the blood fat composition is disturbed, the probability of cardio-vascular diseases increases.
Trans Fatty Acids Negatively Impact More than Just the Heart
Trans fatty acids also play a role in the development of breast cancer. A study was conducted by the European Community Multicentre Study on Antioxidants, Myocardial Infarction and Breast Cancer. The intake of the trans fatty acids and the occurrence of post-menopausal breast cancer were the focus. The study involved the analysis of the adipose tissue collected from the participants. The amount of trans fatty acid stored in them was treated as a bio-marker for exposure.
The concentration of trans fatty acids in gluteal fat biopsies was measured. The results were a clear indication of the connection between the concentration of trans fatty acids and breast cancer. Factors like age, socio-economic status, BMI, and exogenous hormone use had nothing to do with the outcome.
These studies further illustrate how vital it is to remove trans fatty acids from your diet completely, not only to reach your weight loss goals but to live a healthy and vital life.
If you want to make simple changes to improve your health, eliminating trans fatty acids found in so many highly processed foods is a great place to start.
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References
[1] https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/trans-fat
