Good fats, Bad fats

Sorting through trans fats, saturated and unsaturated fats - what to avoid and what's good for you...

The latest fad in food marketing centers around trans fats - or more accurately, the absence of them. "Zero trans fats" is used on food labels to assure consumers that a particular food item is a healthy choice.

It can be difficult to sort through all the noise and get down to the facts, particularly when some new finding about diet and nutrition appears in the news every time you turn around, refuting the conclusions of previous studies.

Yes, trans fats are something to be avoided. But their absence does not automatically make a certain food healthful. Just what exactly are trans fats anyway? How do these differ from other fats? What about saturated fats, the kind to be avoided just yesterday? Are there really good fats and bad fats? And what about cholesterol?

Different kinds of fats

Fats can be broken into two broad categories: saturated and unsaturated. We've all heard that saturated fat is bad. But not all unsaturated fat is good. What determines whether fat is good or bad is whether it increases the presence of triglycerides in the blood. Triglycerides play an important role in metabolism and transporting dietary fat. They are linked to arteriosclerosis - plaque buildup in the arteries - that can lead to heart disease and stroke. Increased triglycerides in the blood lower the level of "good cholesterol" (HDL) and promote higher levels of "bad cholesterol" (LDL), which causes arterial plaque.

Saturated fats, generally from animal sources, are considered "bad" because these increase triglycerides in the bloodstream. This same standard determines which unsaturated fats are better than others.

• Monounsaturated fat is found in olive oil, canola oil, certain nuts and fish. This type of fat promotes the development of good cholesterol (HDL) in the bloodstream and reduces triglycerides.

• Polyunsaturated fat is found in fish, olive oil, canola oil, flaxseed oil, certain nuts, beans and soybean products. These contain important Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids that are known to reduce triglyercides, increase good cholesterol, and prevent plaque formation.

• Trans fats are in vegetable oils and often solidified, or hydrogenated, for stability in commercially prepared foods. These increase levels of triglycerides and, in turn, bad cholesterol (LDL).

Three Important Principals

Based on these facts, the following three general dietary principals help prevent cardiovascular disease:

1. Replace saturated and trans fats with monounsaturated fats, and reduce polyunsaturated fats to less than 10 percent of the diet.

2. Increase consumption of Omega-3 fats, which are highly beneficial essential fatty acids, from either fish or plant sources, such as nuts.

3. Eat a diet high in a wide variety of fresh fruits, vegetable, nuts, and whole grains.

These basic concepts are the foundation of the "Monterey Mediterranean Diet." But this is not another new regimen that requires you to purchase a book or CD or buy certain products. Instead, these are general guidelines based upon the everyday food choices of people who live in the Mediterranean region, where heart disease, diabetes, and obesity is far less prevalent than in the United States.

The Mediterranean diet does not consist merely of switching to a different type of fat, however. It is equally important to find an optimal balance between fat, carbohydrates, and protein and to get all of these from high-quality food sources.

Benefits of Fish Oil

Overall, a Mediterranean-style diet is optimal for both weight loss and cardiovascular health. Omega-3 essential fatty acids from fish oil sources are the cornerstone of this diet.

The cardiovascular benefits of Omega-3 essential fatty acids are so significant that European physicians have routinely prescribed purified fish oil to patients recovering from heart attacks for years. Study after study has proven that fish oil improves survival rates for people who have had heart attacks and also reduces fatal heart rhythms that cause sudden death. Only recently did the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approve Omacor, a purified version of fish oil available as prescription medication, but only for treating high levels of triglycerides (a medical condition known as hypertriglyceridemia).

Of course, you don't need a prescription to add fish oil to your diet. You can simply eat fish at least twice a week to get the dietary and cardiovascular benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids. And if you can't eat fish this regularly, you can take fish oil supplements available in health food stores. How much fish oil each individual needs for optimal benefit depends on your overall health and any existing medical conditions. Go ahead and eat fish at least twice a week, but consult your family physician before beginning any fish oil regimen beyond this.

(Dr. Nikola Lozanov graduated from medical school in Sofia, Bulgaria, his native country, and completed his residency at the State University of New York (SUNY) in Buffalo. He is a primary care family physician with a private practice in Petaluma. He is a member of the medical staff at Petaluma Valley Hospital.)

The Monterey Mediterranean Diet

The Monterey Mediterranean Diet is based on the diets of people who live in that region of the world. Study after study has demonstrated dramatically lower rates of heart attacks, diabetes, and obesity among this population. Here are some guidelines of this diet:

• Dress leafy green salads with olive and balsamic vinegar.

• Use about three tablespoons of olive oil per day.

• Replace butter and shortening in cooking with EVOO.

• Eat a small handful of nuts each day.

• Minimize saturated fats (red meat, whole fat dairy products such as butter and cream).

• Limit polyunsaturated Omega-6 fats, such as vegetable and corn oils, to less than 10 percent of your diet.

• Avoid trans fats completely - specifically any fried foods and any packaged foods containing hydrogenated oils.

• Buy whole grain breads and pastas. Whole grain means not enriched or refined. The entire kernel of the grain is used: the bran, the germ, and the endosperm.

• Avoid highly processed, commercially fried or baked breads, cookies, crackers, cakes, pies and chips.

• Minimize "bad carbs" that raise your blood sugar too quickly: white bread, white pasta, potatoes, juice, desserts, soft drinks and alcohol.

• Maximize "good carbs" that raise your blood sugar more slowly: whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, brown rice, barley, polenta, fruits and vegetables (particularly dark leafy greens such as spinach and romaine lettuce).

• Eat lean meat such as skinless chicken breast occasionally.

• Eat moderate amounts of low-fat dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt.

• Eat plant proteins like beans, soy, and lentils.

• Eat at least two servings fish and shellfish per week or more (Pregnant or nursing women and small children should limit their fish consumption to minimize mercury exposure). Some fish are better sources of beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids than others, such as lake trout, mackerel, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon (wild, not farmed).

• If you can't eat fish twice a week, take a fish oil supplement, up to 3 grams per day, to increase your intake of Omega-3 essential fatty acids.

SOURCE: http://www1.arguscourier.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070314/COMMUNITY/70313049

Published: Wednesday, Mar 14, 2007 - By DR. NIKOLA LOZANOV