Fats are one of the macronutrients which are an essential part of our diet. These nutrients are very important for achieving optimal health. They give energy and help the body absorb vitamin, insulate us, protect our vital organs and keep our skin soft. However, there are Fats which are healthier than the others.

Choosing the healthy ones rather than the unhealthy ones can help you lower your risk for many health problems such as heart attack, obesity, stroke and many more. Surprisingly, the good ones help to fight the bad ones in the body. Here are the good and bad fats, and how they impact our health generally.

Let’s start with the good ones.

Good fats and their sources

These are the healthy ones. They are plant-based foods and oil. These unsaturated dietary fats are the potentially helpful ones. They include Fatty Acids such as; the monosaturated and poly-saturated fatty acids. The foods that contain these healthy ones tend to be liquid at Room Temperature.

Food sources of healthy fats include nuts such as almonds, peanuts, cashew nuts and pecans, vegetable oils such as olive oil, canola oil and peanut oil, avocado, salmon, sardines, and trout. Good fats help to promote brain health, relieve autoimmune diseases, fight age-related diseases, improve bone joint, alleviate menstrual disorders, prevent insomnia, promote skin health, and eliminate liver fat and asthma symptoms.

Bad fats and their sources

These unhealthy fats are primarily animal-based fats. Excessive consumption of these fats could cause a wide array of diseases and should be eaten sparingly.

They include the saturated and trans fats and are usually solid at room temperature. Food sources of bad fats include butter, meat, poultry skin, coconut products, palm oil, kernel oil, dairy foods excluding skimmed ones, and partially hydrogenated oil.

Bad fats are linked to heart diseases, cancer, osteoporosis, age-related memory loss, macular degeneration, cognitive decline, multiple sclerosis, endometriosis, and infertility.

Read Labels and make better choices

In order to make good fat choices and preventing the unintentional consumption of these unhealthy ones, it is very important that you become a label reader.

Always look for foods that are low in fat especially in saturated and trans fats on the nutrition facts panel. Also choose a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Eat less of processed and fried foods; limit your consumption of high-fat foods. When cooking, ensure that you substitute the lower fat alternatives whenever possible.