The Bad Fats: The Good-Unsaturated Fats

The Good – Unsaturated Fats

Good fats come from vegetables, nuts, seeds and fish. The two broad categories of beneficial fats include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. The good healthy fats are liquid at room temperature, and do not solidify. They are different from saturated fats as that have fewer hydrogen atoms bonded to their carbon chains.

1. Monounsaturated fats have a single carbon-to-carbon double bond resulting in two fewer hydrogen atoms than a saturated fat and are responsible in keepings monounsaturated fats liquid at room temperature. Some sources of monounsaturated fats are olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, avocado oil and most nut oils, as well as high-oleic safflower and sunflower oils. A study carried out in the

Polyunsaturated fats examples include liquid cooking oils like corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, soy oil, nuts such as walnuts, seeds, fish, seafood, polyunsaturated margarine. Polyunsaturated fats are essential fats required for normal body functions. Since human body cannot make them, we must get them from food. Polyunsaturated fats are important for blood clotting, to build cell membranes, the nerve coverings, muscle movements, controlling inflammation, etc. Consuming products with polyunsaturated fats in place of saturated fats or highly refined carbohydrates reduces harmful LDL cholesterol improving cholesterol profile. A polyunsaturated fat contains two or more double bonds in its carbon chain. The two main types of polyunsaturated fats are omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. The numbers refer to the distance between the beginning of the carbon chain and the first double bond. Both types offer health benefits and lowers

All types of fats are necessary for good health. Cooking oil is a significant ingredient in almost all our dishes and selecting the right one for use is vital for our health. The following are some simple oil basics that can help us select the right oil. All oils have fatty acids like saturated (SFA), poly-unsaturated (PUFA) and mono-unsaturated (MUFA). According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, ideal oil is one, which has SFA : MUFA : PUFA ratio of 27-33% : 33-40% : 27-33%. While purchasing oil we should ensure that the oil has low saturated fats (less than 2 g for every 10 g), zero or no trans fats and higher amounts of MUFA and PUFA. This combination is the best suitable for a healthy human heart. Alternately, we can also use two oils separately or rotate our oil every two