The Fat Facts: Good Fat and Bad Fat

• Monounsaturated fat is good fat. It comes from oils that are liquid at room temperature, or better still, plant foods (avocados, nuts, peanut oil, canola oil, tahini, olives, fish). Research suggests that these fats may actually reduce your LDL ("bad") cholesterol level without lowering the HDL ("good") cholesterol, helping to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Omega-3 fats are found in fatty fish (anchovy, mackerel, salmon, sardines, shad, and tuna), flaxseed, and nuts. Studies show that omega-3 fats reduce the risk of blood clots and abnormal heart rhythms and improve blood cholesterol and triglycerides. Another type of omega-3 fatty acid is alpha-linolenic acid, which is found in flaxseeds, canola oil, soybean oil, walnuts, and dark green leafy vegetables.
• Polyunsaturated fat comes from oils that are liquid or soft at room temperature, including corn, safflower, sesame, soybean, and sunflower oils. While polyunsaturated fat lowers LDL or "bad" cholesterol, it also lowers your HDL or "good" cholesterol, which you want to move up.

• Cholesterol is found in meat, dairy, and egg yolks. Food cholesterol increases the blood cholesterol, adding to your risk of heart disease.
• Saturated fat comes from animal sources, whole milk dairy products, and some oils. Saturated fat is found in red meat, butter, cheeses, luncheon meats, cocoa butter, coconut oil, palm oil, and cream.
• Hydrogenated fat is made during a chemical process called hydrogenation, in which naturally unsaturated liquid oil changes into a solid and more saturated form. The greater the amount of hydrogenation, the more saturated the fat has become, which can raise your blood cholesterol levels.
• Trans fats are formed when unsaturated vegetable oils are hydrogenated to make them solid at room temperature (stick margarine). In the ongoing Nurses' Health Study, researchers found that among 80,000 women aged 34 to 59, trans fats greatly increased the risk for coronary heart disease. In these findings, researchers reported each 2 percent increase in trans fat calories raised the women's coronary risk by 93 percent. Other high trans fat foods include fried foods, snack and fast food products, commercial breads, crackers, pastries, and many processed foods.