The Great Fat Debate

We all know reducing dietary fat is a necessary part of healthy nutrition, especially when trying to lose weight. But is that really true? It depends, as it turns out.

First, a little history. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, nutrition experts began to recommend diets low in fats for patients carrying excess body weight. Low-fat diets were also recommended as part of a heart-healthy lifestyle. Dietary fat was thought to convert easily into body fat and to clog arteries, thereby raising the risk of heart attack. This resulted in an explosion of new low-fat food options, as food companies scrambled to remove the fat from their products to meet an ever increasing demand for "healthy" low-fat convenience foods. "Fat-free" became the rallying cry of the day.

Something else happened about this time as well; rather than the population getting healthier, obesity, heart disease, Type II diabetes, and other inflammation-related diseases became problems of epidemic proportions in the American population. True, some people did get healthier on low-fat diets, but the population as a whole experienced an incredible upsurge in health problems. Only in recent years have we truly become aware of the extent of this situation.

This outcome was no coincidence. Fat is a primary source of flavor in foods. When manufacturers began cutting fat, they needed a way to replace the lost flavor, because consumers did not want to eat healthy food that tasted like cardboard. The solution? Add carbs, which are the other main source of flavor in foods. Usually, the added carbs were in the form of sugars.

It is also notable that it was in the 1970s and 1980s that soft drinks became the American beverage of choice. They had been popular since the early 1900s, but it was in the Generation X years that soft drinks became truly ubiquitous. Bottles and cans of soda that were once around 6 or 7 ounces doubled in size. By the 1980s, soda could be purchased in "personal size" containers of as much as 64 ounces or more! What had once been an infrequent treat began to be consumed in massive quantities, especially by children and teens. These were also the golden years of breakfast cereals, brimming over with added sugar and often served with orange juice. Sugar, sugar, sugar. Sugar everywhere.

Moving forward a few decades, recent studies now suggest that dietary fat has less to do with these health problems than once thought (although certain fats are still known contributors). If anything, sugar has replaced fat as enemy number one in the push for better health. Sugary foods have been clearly shown to accelerate tooth decay, promote insulin resistance that leads to diabetes, and cause inflammation. It is inflammation in the arteries that ultimately gives so-called "bad" cholesterol (LDL) a place to clump, thus contributing to arterial blockage and heart disease risk. Plus, sugar in the body that goes unused gets converted to fat and stored for later use, thus causing weight gain. If you are struggling to lose weight on a low-fat diet, check your carb intake, especially sugar carbs.

When it comes to dietary fats, there are three basic types: Unsaturated fats, saturated fats, and trans fats. Not all of these fats are bad. In fact, some are quite necessary and healthy.

Unsaturated fats are the oils and fats your body needs most for proper functioning. They generally are liquids at room temperature, and can be obtained from nuts, seeds, fish, and olive oil. Depending on the source, they can raise HDL cholesterol, reduce LDL cholesterol, lower triglycerides, and reduce inflammation. As long as you don't exceed your overall daily recommended caloric intake, you may freely enjoy unsaturated fats guilt-free.

Saturated fats are also needed by the body in low amounts for the proper utilization of vitamins. They are often in solid form at room temperature, such as butter, lard, and tallow. If you have ever seen the solidified grease left after making bacon, you were looking at saturated fat. Coconut oil is a saturated fat that is especially nutritious and may have limited antiseptic properties. Although saturated fats are not quite as evil as once thought, too much saturated fat can elevate LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, so enjoy these fats only in moderation.

Trans fats are made by bubbling hydrogen through fats in the presence of a catalyst to chemically saturate the fat. This is often done to make fats more solid at room temperature, such as with some vegetable shortenings and margarines. Your body does not want trans fats. It does not need trans fats. Check your labels and don't buy foods that contain these fats. In the ingredients, these fats are often describes as "partially hydrogenated oils". Trans fats have been implicated more than any other fats as contributors to inflammation and heart disease. If you eat lots of saturated fats, trans fats, and lots of sugar, you are practically begging to have a heart attack. Fortunately, many manufacturers are eliminating trans fats from their foods now, and many communities are starting to ban trans fats in restaurant food.

In summary, not all fats are good and not all fats are bad. A healthy diet should include plenty of unsaturated fats, a small to moderate amount of saturated fats, and should eliminate trans fats entirely. It is also a good idea to greatly reduce sugar, and get your fiber and other carbs from unprocessed or minimally processed whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grain multi-grain breads. Monitor your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and triglycerides. Exercise. And always remember to consult with your doctor when modifying your nutrition plan.