Four Most Common Types Of Fats
Monday, September 6th, 2010The general idea over many years has been that all fat must be avoided at all cost. No matter which type of fat is the case, it is always percieved as a bad thing. However, there are certain types of diet, like the ketogenic diet, in which fats are actually the good guys. Here we will try to tell you a bit more about various types of fats.
As a general rule, you should be aware of the fact that liquid fats are mostly healthier than solid fats like butter for example. Here we will also mention some of the most common sources of particular types of fats.
Our bodies always need a certain amount of fat to function optimally. However, some fats are better than the other. There are basically four basic types of fat – saturated fat, trans fat, mono-unsaturated fat and poly-unsaturated fat. The good “guys” are the mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fats, while saturated fats can generally be consumed in moderate amounts. However, the last of the mentioned fats – the trans fats, should be avoided because they can lead to higher levels of cholesterol. Also, specific kinds of cholesterol like the low density lipoprotein can also greatly amplify the possibility of a serious conditions like aheart stroke, or similar heart diseases and conditions.
Mono-unsaturated fats can be found in olive oils, canola, most nuts, and even in avocado. Poly-unsaturated fats (basically omega-6 and omega-3), can be found in various types of fish (especially salmon and tuna), walnuts, in vegetable oil, in flaxseed, and many other foods. Saturated fats come in form of red meat, many different diary products such as cream and butter, fatty food based on meat, like salami. Coconuts, and kernel oil are also good sources of saturated fats. And finally, we come to the fats known as trans fats – these can generally be found in many different kinds of industrially processed foods, also in many bakery type of items. Crackers and cookies are good examples of such food.
Most of these fats are acceptable on a diet known as the ketogenic diet. If you have interest in finding out more about the ketogenic diet, there are many places on the net, like dietketogenic.com, where you can find much more info, together with many recipes which are appropriate for this kind of diet.