The Fat Dictionary

All Fats are equally fattening – containing nine calories per gram, compared with four calories per gram for carbohydrates and protein.

SATURATED FAT: Some naturally occurring fats are called saturated because all the carbon are singe bonds. These fats are solid at room temperature and are generally recognized as a significant cause of both heart disease and cancer. Saturated fats are found mainly in meat, fowl, eggs, and dairy. Coconut and palm oil are largely saturated and are also not desirable. The foods with the most saturated fat are butter, cream and cheese.

UNSATURATED FAT: These fats are a mix of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat. Eating unsaturated fats lowers cholesterol when substituted for saturated fats, but excessive amounts may promote cancer.

POLYUNSATURATED FAT: These fatty acids have more than one double bond in there chain. These fats include corn oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, and sunflower oil. They are soft at room temperature. These fats promote the growth of cancer in lab animals more than olive oil (a monounsaturated fat) does.

MONOUNSATURATED FAT: These fats have only one double bond in there carbon chain. They are liquid at room temperature and thought to have health benefits. The supposed health benefits of these fats appear when these fats are used in place of dangerous saturated fats. Even polyunsaturated oils will lower cholesterol if used in place of saturated fats. Monounsaturated fat is found in avocados, almonds, peanuts, and most other nuts and seeds. Keep in mind that no isolated or refined fat, even these monounsaturated fats, should be considered health food. Oils with the highest percentage of monounsaturated fats include olive, canola, and peanut oils.

HYDROGENATED FAT: Hydrogenation is a process of adding hydrogen molecules to unsaturated fats, thereby turning these oils, which are liquid at room temperature, into harder, more saturated fats such as margarine. Hardening the fat extends its shelf life so the oil can be used over and over again to fry potatoes in a fast-food restaurant or be added to such processed food as crackers and cookies. While hydrogenation does not make the fat completely saturated, it creates trans fatty acids, which act like saturated fats. Evidence is accumulating to implicate the harmful nature of these man-made fats in both cancer and heart disease. Avoid all foods whose ingredients cantain partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oils.

CHOLESTEROL: This is a waxy fat produced by the body and found in animal foods such as meat, fowl, dairy and eggs. Eating cholesterol raises blood cholesterol, but not as much as eating saturated fats and trans fats. The amount of cholesterol in plants is so negligible that you should consider them cholesterol free.

DHA FAT: This is a long-chain omega-3 fat that is made by the body, but it can also be found in fish, such as salmon and sardines. DHA is used in the production of anti-inflammatory mediators that inhibit abnormal immune function and prevents excessive blood clotting. DHA is not considered an essential fat, because the body can manufacture sufficient amounts if adequate short-chain omega-3 fats are consumed (flax, walnuts, soybeans, leafy green vegetables). However, because of genetic differences in the enzyme activity and because of excess omega-6 fats, many people who do not consume fish regularly are deficient in this important fat.

ARACHIDONIC ACID: This is a long-chain omega-6 fat produced by the body, but it is also found in meat, fowl, dairy, and eggs. Products formed from excessive amounts of this fatty acid have the potential to increase inflammation and are disease-causing. They may increase high blood pressure, thrombosis, vasospasm, and allergic reaction. They are linked to arthritis, depression, and other common illnesses.