Which fats are bad fats?

Most of us are eating bad fats, namely refined oils and trans fats. Most American calories from fat come from refined vegetable oils, like soy bean oil, which is produced in huge quantities. Refined vegetable oil is in everything. It’s often turned into trans fats, although less so now, but it’s still in foods like salad dressings and any kind of baked and prepared foods. Refined vegetable oil  causes a lot of inflammation when you eat in those quantities.

Another bad fat is trans fats, which are also called shortening or hydrogenated fats. Again, they used to be in everything, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ruled them as not safe to eat or a non-grass substance. So, they are no longer going to be in our foods, but it’s going to take a while for them to get phased out.

Fats like corn oil and butter are actually a mix of various fatty acids. Fatty acids are building blocks of larger fat molecules, and whether they are “good” or “bad” depends on how they affect your health. The main categories of fatty acids are monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and saturated. Saturated and trans fatty acids are considered “bad” fats, while monounsaturated and polyunsaturated are considered good fats. Butter, bacon and other foods that made the bad fats lists below are predominately composed of saturated or trans fatty acids. Saturated and trans fatty acids have a such a bad rap because in excess, they raise your risk for heart disease, erectile dysfunction, dementia, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. One way they do so is by promoting inflammation, a trigger to all these illnesses. Plus, they raise levels of low density lipoprotein (“bad” cholesterol) contributing to clogged arteries. Trans fat also suppresses HDL, the “good” particles that whisk cholesterol out of the body. Saturated fat is the predominant fat in: Fatty cuts of beef, lamb and other red meat; fatty cuts of pork; hotdogs; sausages; bacon; pepperoni; cream; whole and 2% milk; butter; cheese; poultry skin; coconut and palm oils; and sweets made from some of these foods. Hydrogenated oil -- not partially hydrogenated -- is usually very high in saturated fat.

Say no to bad fats, including:

- Cholesterol is found in meat, dairy, and egg yolks. Food cholesterol increases the blood cholesterol, adding to your risk of heart disease.
- Saturated fat comes from animal sources, whole milk dairy products, and some oils. Saturated fat is found in red meat, butter, cheeses, luncheon meats, cocoa butter, coconut oil, palm oil, and cream.
- Hydrogenated fat is made during a chemical process called hydrogenation, in which naturally unsaturated liquid oil changes into a solid and more saturated form. The greater the amount of hydrogenation, the more saturated the fat has become, which can raise your blood cholesterol levels.
- Trans fats are formed when unsaturated vegetable oils are hydrogenated to make them solid at room temperature (stick margarine). In the ongoing Nurses Health Study, researchers found that among 80,000 women aged 34 to 59, trans fats greatly increased the risk for coronary heart disease. In these findings, researchers reported each 2 percent increase in trans fat calories raised the woman’s coronary risk by 93 percent. Other high trans fat foods include fried foods, snack and fast food products, commercial breads, crackers, pastries, and many processed foods.

Bad fats include:

• Saturated Fats. Found in meats and dairy products, these fats will make you gain weight and clog your arteries. Bottom line: Limit saturated fat to lean sources like lean cuts of beef and low-fat dairy products. Aim for less than 5 g of saturated fat per serving. Less than 20 grams, or less than 30 percent of your daily allotment, should be from saturated and/or trans fats combined.
• Trans Fats. These are fats that contain hydrogenated vegetable oil. They're the worst kinds of fat, and will stunt weight-loss effort. They're in all kinds of food— especially when long shelf life is important- from buttered popcorn and cookies to chips and margarine. Bottom line: Say no. Stay away from them the way you'd avoid highways on the day before Thanksgiving. Clog city.