Which dietary fats should I avoid?

Dr. Doris Day, MD

Dermatology

Here is a list of oils and fats you want to minimize or avoid in your diet. The more saturated the fatty acid, the greater the detrimental effect on the total cholesterol and on the bad component called LDL.

saturated fats:

palmitic acid
stearic acid
myristic acid
lauric acid
partially hydrogenated oils

Eric Olsen

Fitness

The principle holds that the saturated fats found in meats (particularly red meats) and dairy products such as butter can lead to heart disease, and should be reduced, whereas the liquid, unsaturated fats in vegetable oils, although just as densely caloric, aren't as harmful to health (although too much of any fat will make you fat).

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Lifefit: An Effective Exercise Program for Optimal Health and a Longer Life

An easy-to-follow programme for lengthening and improving lives. More than an exercise guide, this text is an effective tool for making meaningful lifestyle decisions to benefit long-term fitness. In...

Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD

Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease)

Bad fats generally include saturated fats (found in animal products), trans fats (found in hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils) and cholesterol (found in egg yolks, meats and dairy products). Even this general grouping, however, can be misleading: new research is finding that some saturated fats (like those found in coconut oil) may actually be good for you and that dietary cholesterol may not affect blood cholesterol as much as was once thought. The only fat that is universally accepted as bad is trans fat, and that’s now been stripped out of most foods.

Manuel Villacorta on behalf of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Nutrition & Dietetics

"Bad" fats include trans fat (which comes from partially hydrogenated oils). They are dubbed bad fats because they are known to contribute to cardiovascular disease. This is why it is very important to reduce your consumption of these fats. If there is one fat I recommend avoiding as much as possible, it's hydrogenated fats. They have no value and do demonstrable harm.

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Eating Free: The Carb-Friendly Way to Lose Inches, Embrace Your Hunger, and Keep Weight Off for Good

Eating Free reveals why the prevailing wisdom on weight loss--low-calorie, no carbs, high-intensity exercise--sharply clashes with the facts of human biology and human nature, setting dieters up for...

Continue Learning about Fats and Weight Loss

Former San Diego Charger’s lineman Nick Hardwick retired from the National Football League and from his daily 5,000-plus calorie diet that included sa...

Ozgen Dogan

Stay away from saturated fats (found mostly in foods from animals and some plants), like butter,...

Dr. Michael Roizen, MD

The slower you digest food, the slower your stomach empties and the fuller you'll feel. Although eat...

How Does the Vanquish Fat Reduction Device Work to Melt Body Fat?

Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.

Fats and Weight Loss

Fats are often a buzzword when it comes to weight loss, and not for a good reason. Many diets caution that you steer clear of fats to lose the weight. But this isn't always the case. A complete and effective diet plan will include healthy, unsaturated fats that feed your brain and quell your appetite. Steer clear of saturated fats, which tend to be full of the empty calories that cause weight gain. For more tips on the relationship between weight loss and fats, read the expert answers below.

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