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Mixing Fats
A Marriage of High- and Low-fat Foods Is a Good Thing
By Teri Brown
Dr. Fred Pescatore, author of Thin for Good, and Feed Your Kids Well, is currently working on another book project concerning fats. "The balance between good and bad fats is crucial," Dr. Pescatore says. "Now that we know all fat isn't bad for us, we need to be educated as to which ones are the best ones."
Dr. Pescatore believes there is no question that the right oils and fats help us live longer and better and he agrees with Cindy Moore that diets rich in monounsaturated fats help lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol as well as help normalize triglycerides. "Monounsaturates also reduce the risk of metabolic disorders, such as insulin-resistance and diabetes," he says. "Studies, performed with diabetics, have shown that subjects' blood sugar was better controlled on a diet higher in monounsaturated fats."
"Trans-fats are the worst fats we can eat," Dr. Pescatore says. "They are mangled, unnatural fats that may increase the risk for breast cancer, increase the bad cholesterol and Lipoprotein-a (a cardiac risk factor), decrease the good cholesterol, increase triglycerides, increase insulin and free radicals and interfere with proper function of the cell membrane."
According to Dr. Pescatore, trans-fats are unfortunately probably the most common, being found in over 42,000 foods. They are produced during the hydrogenation of vegetable oil. Whenever you see "partially hydrogenated" on a label such as on margarine, shortening and most packaged foods, the product contains trans-fats. "While canola oil may be moderately high in monounsaturated fats at 56 percent, I think it is one of the most unhealthful oils on the market, because of its high level of trans-fats and the deterioration of its chemical makeup due to over-processing," Dr. Pescatore says.
Dr. Pescatore explains that while saturated fats are typically classified as unhealthy fats, that is not completely true and these are certainly healthier than most of the polyunsaturated fats that people use. Saturated fats are most commonly dairy products. "There are many different types and sub-categories of saturated fat," he says. "Medium chain triglycerides are saturated but have been found to be cardio-protective. Stearic acid is a saturated fat found to be protective against heart lesions."
