List of Healthy Fats: Benefits, 4 Types, and is It Good or Bad?

Confused about whether saturated fat is good or bad for you? Find out what types of fats you should really be eating, and why bacon isn’t on that list.

It is mid January, which means that a lot of people are struggling with New Years resolutions to eat less fatty food. I find this ironic since my goal this year is actually to eat more fat. As a vegan, my diet is very low in fat, which can actually be unhealthy since fat is needed for normal function and even to help weight loss. Of course I dont plan on increasing my fat intake by gorging myself on cookies and chips. I plan on incorporating more healthy fat foods into meals, like avocado spreads and nut cheeses.

Why Does Fat Have a Bad Reputation?

In the 1980s, reports came out that identified fat as the biggest culprit in obesity and health problems. The reports specifically blamed saturated fats, but health officials assumed that it would be too complicated to explain the different types of fat so they just recommended that people cut all fats. Hence, the era of low fat was born.

Ironically, Americans got the fatter during the low-fat boom. Apparently, food doesnt taste very good without fat. So, in attempt to make their products palatable, manufacturers just substituted sugars and other empty carbs in place of the fats. They could market their products as low fatimplying that the products were healthyeven though the products contained the same amount of calories as before. Even people who werent eating processed food didnt always make the best nutritional choices. They just replaced fatty cheese, milk, and meats with carbs like potatoes and rice. Research now shows that carbs are just as bad, if not worse, than fat when it comes to obesity and heart disease.

Luckily, most people today know that not all fat is bad. In fact, we need fat in our diets and healthy fats can actually help weight loss.

(Sources: PBS, NPR, LiveScience)

What Are Healthy Fats?

If we want to simplify it, we can break fat into bad fats (trans fats and saturated fats) and good fats (monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats). Of course, it isnt as simple as good vs. bad fats. For example, there are more than a dozen different types of saturated fats and some have health benefits, like how coconut oil is loaded with saturated fat but is good for you whereas the fat from bacon is bad for you.

Trans Fats:

This type of fat is a real devil. Trans fats are found naturally in meats and animal products. However, most trans fats in our diets come from processed foods and are made with a creepy process called hydrogenation. Basically, hydrogen molecules are put through the fat molecules so a chemical reaction occurs and the fat goes from liquid to solid. Why do this? Because foods containing hydrogenated oils last longer and have a better texture. Trans fats raise your bad cholesterol levels (LDL) and lower your good cholesterol levels (HDL). The National Academy of Sciences saysthat there isnosafe level for consumption of trans fats. Avoid eating trans fats!

Saturated Fats:

There is a lot of controversy lately about whether saturated fats are good or bad for you. Like with the fat scare in the 1980s, the information on saturated fats has been way too generalized. There are dozens of types of saturated fat and not all are bad for you. Yet, all types of saturated fats have been lumped together and demonized. New studies are showing that saturated fat might not be as bad as previously thought or even good for you, but the American Heart Association still recommends lowering saturated fat intake to reduce risk of heart disease. More on this later in the article.

Meat is high in saturated fat. No wonder vegetarians have a 32% lower rate of heart disease!

Polyunsaturated Fats:

Polyunsaturated fat is a class of fats which includes Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. Polyunsaturated fats are generally referred to as healthy fats, and they are shown to reduce bad cholesterol levels and increase good cholesterol levels. They are crucial for forming cell walls and blood clotting. Unlike saturated fats which are produced by our livers, our bodies cannot make polyunsaturated fats so we need to consume them through food. However, simply calling all polyunsaturated fats good isnt necessarily accurate. While studies do show that consuming Omega 6 can lower risk of heart disease, studies also show that consuming high amounts of Omega 6 leads to inflammation (which in turn leads to numerous other problems). The goal should be to increase Omega 3 while lowering Omega 6.

Monounsaturated Fats:

Monounsaturated fat is considered the healthiest fat to eat, specifically a type of monounsaturated fat called oleic acid. It lowers bad cholesterol while increasing good cholesterol levels, protecting the heart. Oleic acid also promotes the production of antioxidants in the body, which in turn can help protect the body against disease.

(Sources: Mercola, College of Agricultural Sciences, Chicago Tribune, WiseGeek, Harvard Health, Chemistry Explained)

Why You Need Fat

Our bodies need fat to survive. There is fat in the membrane of every cell in our bodies. Fat also helps regulate virtually every bodily process including heart rate, blood pressure, blood clotting, and nervous system activity. In our cells, fat eliminates waste while allowing nutrients to enter.

Many of the vitamins that our bodies need are fat soluble. This means that they are transported to where they need to go in our bodies through dietary fat. Without enough dietary fat, you can suffer deficiencies in the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. If you care about having great-looking skin, healthy bones, and preventing disease, you will want healthy fats in your diet to get these vitamins!

Fats are also important for hormone production and regulation. Ever wonder why skinny girls (Olympic gymnasts being an extreme example) have their periods later than other girls? It is because their lower bodily fat.

Notice all the lipids (fat) which make up cell membranes!

(Sources: Bodybuilding, Ask Dr. Sears, Chemistry Explained)

How Healthy Fats Helps Weight Loss

Fat contains about 9 calories per gram. Compare this to carbs and proteins which both provide about 4 calories per gram. This makes fat a great source of energy. It might seem counterintuitive to consume more calories if you want to lose weight. However, eating healthy fats actually helps weight loss.

Eating Fat Helps Burn Fat

Think that you will start burning stored fat if you cut fat from your diet? This might seem logical, but our bodies dont work that way. We actually need a supply of fat to help our livers burn fat. Specifically, fat helps break down existing fat by activating PPAR-alpha and fat-burning pathways through the liver. Without new fat coming in, our bodies become very inefficient at burning fat. Low-fat diets also affect our adipokine hormones that are important for fat burning. Low fat = lower metabolism of fats!

Eating Fat Makes You Feel Full Longer

Fat is a lot harder to break down than carbohydrates (especially simple carbs like refined white flour and sugar). So, eating fat can help you feel satiated longer and keep hunger cravings at bay. Healthy monounsaturated fats also are shown to stabilize blood sugar levels. That means you dont have the energy highs and lows that lead to sugar cravings, binge eating, and fat storage.

Fat Aids Muscle Formation

A pound of muscle burns more calories than a pound of fat in the body. So, to keep your metabolism high, you need to increase your muscle mass. Think muscle is all about protein? You also need to eat fat to increase muscle. Various studies have found that polyunsaturated fats, particularly Omega 3, increases protein synthesis to increase muscle mass and prevent muscle deterioration.

(Sources: Livestrong 1, Livestrong 2, Bodybuilding, National Institute of Health)

Is Saturated Fat Good or Bad for You?

For the past several decades, we’ve been told that saturated fat is bad for us and leads to clogged arteries. Just about every health organization from the American Heart Association to WHO has advised against eating saturated fats. But recently there has been a shift. Now, there is a surge of people claiming that saturated fat is actually good for you!

So what is it?

These magazine covers from Time Magazine show how our views toward saturated fat have changed.

The Case For and Against Saturated Fat

You don’t have to look very hard to find scientific studies which support the idea that saturated fat is bad for you. There are dozens of studies which show how saturated fat increases levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol in the body, which in turn clogs arteries and causes heart disease.

Of course, you also don’t have to look very hard to find experts who refute these studies, with claims that the studies are flawed. There are also dozens of studies which indicate that saturated fat is healthy for you because it raises “good” HDL cholesterol levels, thus reducing the risk of heart disease.

When criticizing the notion that saturated fat is bad for you, most of the naysayers point to the “Seven Country Study” which was originally used as the grounds for stigmatizing saturated fats. This study looked at people from 7 countries and found that men eating diets high in saturated fats did indeed have higher levels of heart disease.

The critics say that the Seven Country Study was flawed because it ignored data from 15 other countries in which a link between saturated fat and heart disease was not found. For example, they said the Inuit tribes in the Arctic who eat a diet which is almost purely fat such as from whale blubber and didn’t have heart disease (nevermind that other studies did find that Inuits have high rates of heart disease — you can always find one study which will prove what you already want to believe).

So, based on the idea that some tribal or primative people eat lots of saturated fat and are healthy, many groups started advocating diets high in saturated fat such as lots of red meat and whole milk.

It Isn’t As Simple as “Good” or “Bad”

If you try to analyze all the latest data and determine whether saturated fat is good or bad for you, you’ll likely just end up confused and frustrated. Here is why it is so confusing: saturated fat isn’t inherently “good” or “bad” for you. It is, however, much more convenient for health experts and government agencies with their agendas to choose one stance and label it as simply “good” or “bad.” There is no shortage of scientific studies to support either side of the argument. The health gurus will simply select the studies which prove the point they want to make and focus on these findings.

There are 24 Types of Saturated Fat

Yes, there are 24 different types of saturated fat, and each can have a very different effect on your body. For example, the saturated fats in dairy products and red meat are shown to increase LDL cholesterol levels the most. By contrast, the saturated fats in chocolate are found to act like unsaturated fat and lower LDL cholesterol levels. There is also ample evidence showing that saturated fats change composition due to food processing. So, the saturated fat in the beef the Masai tribes were eating would be very different than the saturated fat in a McDonald’s hamburger.

It is unrealistic to expect anyone to memorize all 24 types of saturated fat and their effects on the body, and then to research each food before eating it to determine whether it contains the good or bad types of saturated fat. As a general rule, saturated fats from plants are healthier than those from animal products. Does this mean you must swear off meat, milk, and butter completely to be healthy? No. But if your diet mainly consists of these products, you are probably going to have some problems (one reason why vegetarians and vegans have much lower rates of heart disease).

Should You Eat Saturated Fats or Not?

If you want to eat healthier, you can’t just look at one nutrient and label it good or bad. You’ve got to look at the bigger picture.

Take cheese pizza as an example. A slice contains about 4.8 grams of saturated fat. But it also contains 285 calories, a huge amount of sodium – plus lots of preservatives and chemical ingredients. There is very little in terms of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Now look at avocado. It also contains a significant amount of saturated fat, but it also is rich in fiber, has fewer calories per gram, and more monounsaturated fat.

There is one thing that all of the experts agree on: that we should all work on eating more fresh fruit and vegetables, and avoid processed foods. Saturated fat does have a lot of important health functions, like building cell membranes, helping in hormone production, and transporting vitamins throughout the body. So go ahead and make a stir fry in some fatty coconut milk, or top your sandwich with some avocado slices. As long as you are eating a balanced diet, you should be fine.

Want to learn more? Read this article about healthy fats and why you need them.

Need help planning balanced meals? Click here to get a vegan shopping list which is broken down into categories by nutrient type. Just include each category of food in your meals and you will be set!

3 Main Types of Saturated Fats

Forget any generalized claim that saturated fats are good or bad for you. There are about 24 types of saturated fats and some are better or worse than others. Many of these fat foods also contain other properties like antioxidants which improve heart health, so you cannot sum everything up as good or bad. You’ve got to look at the bigger picture with saturated fats.

There are three main types of saturated fat that we eat: stearic acid, palmitic acid and lauric acid.

Stearic acid saturated fats: These saturated fats get converted into monounsaturated fat in the body, so wont harm your cholesterol levels.
Palmitic acid and lauric acid saturated fats: These do raise bad LDL cholesterol levels. However, they can also raise good HDL cholesterol levels too so there is debate as to whether this cancels out the increase of LDL cholesterol.

Based on what the fats do to our cholesterol levels, we could make the generalization that stearic acid saturated fats are healthy and palmitic acid and lauric acid are maybe harmful. However, even these two fats can be considered healthy in some situations.

Lauric acid — which is abundant in coconut oil — is a natural antiviral and can fight flu and also fungal infections like candida. Lauric acid is also shown to help burn fat by supporting liver function. Sources of lauric acid are also usually high in antioxidants and vitamins the body needs. By contrast, palmitic acid isnt associated with many health benefits. However, palmitic acid is usually found along with lauric acid, so foods with palmitic acid can still be good for you.

Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid saturated fat and is associated with numerous health benefits

(Sources: Natural News, Doctor Oz, Eufic.org, Harvard Health)

List of Healthy Fats

Before listing healthy fats, I want to emphasize that nutrition is never as simple as healthy and unhealthy. Some foods may have high levels of healthy fats, but also contain high levels of unhealthy trans or saturated fats. And lets not forget that there is more to heart disease than fat and its impact on cholesterol!

When choosing foods, look at the total nutritional value and not just the fat content. So, skip the mayo which is loaded in saturated fats, cholesterol, and additives and instead slather your sandwich with some avocado which is a healthy fat and also loaded with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

As a general rule, fats from plants are healthier than fats from animal products, hence why vegetarians have a 32% lower rate of heart disease than meat eaters. Vegans have even lower rates of heart disease as cholesterol is only found in animal products.

(Sources: Science Daily, PCRM)

List of Healthy Monounsaturated Fats

Oils: olive, canola, sunflower, peanut, sesame, mustard oil, and many specialty oils (nut oils, avocado oilthese are probably too expensive to use every day but makes for a nice salad dressing base!)
Nuts: macadamia, hazelnut, pecans, almonds, cashews, pistachio, acorn (try using almond flour instead of carb-laden wheat flour when baking sweets! Buy cheap raw almond flour here)
Seeds: sesame, sunflower, pepitas
Avocado
Olives

Use avocado oil in salads to get more healthy fat.

List of Healthy Polyunsaturated Fats

Oils: safflower, grapeseed, sunflower, walnut, soy, sesame, peanut
Seeds: Sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, flax, watermelon, chia (buy cheap organic chia seeds here)
Nuts: walnuts, pine nuts
Soy products

Use chia seeds in smoothies and to make a tasty pudding rich in healthy fat

Healthy Saturated Fats List

Coconut oil
Chocolate
Cacoa (buy cheap organic cacao here)
Nuts (especially macadamia and cashew nuts)
Seeds
Peanut butter
Sunflower oil
Soybean oil

Real cacao is a great source of healthy saturated fats and antioxidants

How to Tell If a Fat is Healthy

Not sure whether to eat a food? Follow these guidelines:

If it is a processed food, don’t eat it!
If you’ve just got to eat some processed food, check to see if it has hydrogenated oil. Avoid hydrogenated oil (trans fat) at all costs!
Bad saturated and trans fats tend to be solid at room temperature — think margarine or the fat on meat
Good monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats tend to be liquid at room temperature — think olive oil or sesame oil
Is the fatty food come from a plant, like nuts, seeds, olives, cocoa, or coconut? Then eat it!