Reducing Fat
By Sandy Markiewicz, RD, MBA
By now you know that too much fat--especially saturated
fat--is not good for you. Your body can easily store excess
calories from fat as body fat. Plus, saturated fats from
animal products, such as meats and dairy foods, can clog
your arteries and contribute to heart disease.
But be careful. Although reducing dietary fat is important,
eliminating all fat from your diet is not at all healthy.
Fat is an essential nutrient that produces energy for daily
activities and supplies the body with vitamins A, D and
E, which are needed for healthy skin and optimal growth.
The body cannot produce fat on its own; it must be provided
through dietary intake. For these reasons you should enjoy
some fats in your diet, especially monounsaturated fats
like olive oil. The key is moderation--not elimination.
Fat Facts
Dietary fat is found in both animal and plant foods. There
are three basic classifications of fat: (1) monounsaturated,
(2) polyunsaturated and (3) saturated. Unsaturated fats--especially
monounsaturated fats--are considered the "healthier"
ones. Sources of unsaturated fats include nuts, seeds, vegetable
oils and soft margarine products.
Research indicates that an excessive intake of saturated
fats tends to raise blood cholesterol levels, thereby increasing
risk for heart disease. Animal products--such as beef, butter,
dairy products and lard--typically contain more saturated
fat than do vegetable products. But some vegetable oils,
such as coconut and palm oil (also known as tropical oils),
contain large amounts of saturated fat.
There's also an unclassified newcomer in the fat realm--trans
fatty acid. Trans fatty acids are the end products of a
process called hydrogenation, in which vegetable oils are
hardened. The implications that trans fatty acids may play
a negative role on health is currently being reviewed, but
many nutrition professionals are already advising a limited
intake. |
