Fats

Types of Fats

Saturated

• Dairy foods, butter, coconut and palm oil, red meat, poultry, lard
• The body can manufacture its own saturated fat; it's not necessary to eat any saturated fat.
• Saturated fats are typically solid at room temperature.

• Does not tend to become rancid
• Raises cholesterol level
• Increases risk of heart disease
• Relatively unhealthy

Trans

• Found in margarines, commercial baked goods, and deep-fried foods prepared using hardened vegetable oils.
• Present in hydrogenated vegetable oil, partially-hydrogenated vegetable oil, and vegetable oil shortening.
• Partially hydrogenated oils are more toxic than fully hydrogenated oils.
• Found in 99% of commercial fries and 90% of chips, shortenings and margarines.
• About 40% of the fat in U.S. & Canadian donuts, fries, store-bought cookies, crackers and margarines is trans.
• Butter is better than almost any margarine for a number of nutritional reasons.

• Raises the level of bad cholesterol and lowers the level of good cholestoral.
• Made from and interferes with the "vitamin F" omega-3 (and omega-6) oils.
• Damages the immune system.
• Trans fats are toxic.
• Very unhealthy

Polyunsaturated

• Flax, soy, sesame, walnut, corn, safflower, & sunflower oils
• Is liquid at room temperature and when refrigerated or frozen
• Turns into saturated oil when heated.

• Contains essential fatty acids: omega 3 (alpha-linolenic) and omega 6 (linolenic)fatty acids.
• Omega 6 and Omega 3 essential fatty acids are best consumed in a ratio of about 3:1 - three omega 6 for one omega 3.
• For most Western diets, people need to reduce their consumption of omega-6 fatty acids and increase their consumption of omega-3 fatty acids.
• Best food sources of essential fatty acids include flax seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, soybeans, and wild-caught fatty fish such as salmon

• Easily becomes rancid (except sesame oil)
• Lowers both the good and bad cholesterol levels by an equal level
• Relatively healthy

Monounsaturated

• Olive, canola, peanut, sesame, avocado, & almond oils
• Safe to cook with
• Is typically liquid at room temperature, but solidifies when refrigerated if unrefined
• Turns into saturated oil when heated (but to a lesser extent than polyunsaturated oils)

• Does not become rancid as quickly as polyunsaturated oils
• Raises the good cholesterol levels and lowers the bad cholesterol levels
• Very healthy

Olive oil

• Cold-pressed extra-virgin
• Extra-virgin olive oil is produced only by pressing, whereas seed oils are extracted using artificial solvents.

Comparison of Oils

Oil	Mono- unsaturated	Poly- unsaturated	Saturated
Olive	82%	8%	10%
Avocado	74%	8%	18%
Almond	70%	21%	9%
Peanut	60%	22%	18%
Canola	60%	34%	6%
Sesame	46%	41%	13%
Corn	29%	54%	17%
Soy	28%	58%	14%
Sunflower	26%	66%	8%
Walnut	23%	63%	14%
Palm	16%	1%	83%
Safflower	13%	79%	8%
Coconut	6%	2%	92%

Storage of Oils

Oils turns rancid when exposed to heat, light, or air.  To minimize the rancidity:

• Refrigerate
• Store in a dark or opaque, closed glass container
• Do not store in a plastic container unless the plastic is non-reactive
• Use within 3 months 

Misc

• Oil is fat in liquid form.
• When possible, avoid any type of oil that's solid at room temperature; both the arteries and the kitchen sink will be less clogged.
• Olive oil and sesame oil have very good historical records of healthy usage.
• Olive oil, in reasonable amounts, is believed to help prevent heart disease.
• Flax seed oil is an excellent source of the essential fatty acids.

• The best oil is unrefined, mechanically pressed plant oil which is pesticide free and stored in opaque glass containers.
• Good oily foods include: salmon, mackerel, sardines, avocado, unsalted nuts and seeds.
• Fats are appetite suppressants; conversely, carbohydrates are appetite stimulants.

Sources

• Healing with Whole Foods; Paul Pitchford; 1993; North Atlantic Books

• http://www.annecollins.com/dietary-fat/healthy-fats-oils.htm
• http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=diet&dbid=11 (The World's Healthiest Foods)
• http://www.italiancookingandliving.com/olive_oil/oil_essentials/health.html