For decades, fat was treated as something to avoid, and supermarkets filled with low-fat products. We now know that the type of fat you eat has much more effect on your health than the total amount. Some fats are essential and others are best kept to a minimum.
Why Your Body Needs Fat
Fat is a concentrated source of energy. It helps your body absorb vitamins A, D, E and K, which can only be absorbed alongside fat. It also forms part of every cell in your body and is needed to make hormones, including oestrogen. Your body cannot make some fats on its own, so they have to come from food.
Unsaturated Fats: Eat More of These
Unsaturated fats are usually liquid at room temperature. Eating them in place of saturated fats lowers LDL cholesterol, sometimes called bad cholesterol because high levels can build up in the walls of your arteries.
Good sources include:
Olive oil and rapeseed oil
Avocados
Nuts and seeds, including walnuts and flaxseed
Oily fish such as salmon or sardines
Omega-3 Fats
Omega-3 fats are a type of unsaturated fat that your body cannot make in large enough amounts. They support heart health and form part of the brain and eyes. The most useful types, called EPA and DHA, are found mainly in oily fish. Eating oily fish twice a week is enough for most people.
Plant foods such as walnuts and chia seeds contain a different type of omega-3, which your body converts into EPA and DHA only in small amounts. If you do not eat fish, an algae-based omega-3 supplement can fill the gap.
Saturated Fats: Keep These Lower
Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature. They are found in butter, cheese, fatty and processed meats, coconut oil and palm oil, as well as in pastries, cakes and biscuits. Eating a lot of saturated fat raises LDL cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease, the leading cause of death in women worldwide.
A large review of trials found that reducing saturated fat lowered the risk of heart attacks and strokes, especially when it was replaced with unsaturated fat. Replacing it with refined carbohydrates such as white bread or sugary foods did not bring the same benefit.
This does not mean cutting out cheese or butter completely. Simple swaps add up:
Cook with olive or rapeseed oil instead of butter
Swap processed meats for fish or beans some days
Snack on nuts rather than pastries or biscuits
Trans Fats
Trans fats are created when liquid oils are processed to make them solid, and they raise heart disease risk more than any other type of fat. Many countries have now restricted them, but they can still appear in some fried foods and baked goods. On ingredient lists, look out for partially hydrogenated oils.
Why Low-Fat Is Not Always Healthier
When fat is removed from a food, sugar or salt is often added to replace the taste and texture. A low-fat yoghurt can contain more sugar than the full-fat version. Fat also helps you feel full, so very low-fat meals can leave you hungry soon after.
Instead of choosing foods by how much fat they contain, focus on the type. A handful of nuts or a drizzle of olive oil is a healthy part of a balanced plate.