dr_deyaa
10-09-2002, 12:06 AM
Saturated fats are the BAD fats. Saturated fats are found in foods like meats, whole milk dairy products, and some oils like coconut, palm kernel, and sadly enough the cocoa fat in chocolate. Saturated fat increases your risk of heart disease, so it is important that you keep your saturated fats to less than 10% of your daily diet. By cutting your fats in total, you will usually cut your saturated fats as well.
Unsaturated fats are better, and they make up the remainder of the fat content in your foods. Vegetable foods, like oils, contain a larger proportion of unsaturated fats. There are monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, depending on how many points of the fat molecule have hydrogen attached. The important thing to remember is that saturated fats are the worst of the fats. Do beware of hydrogenated fats, however, as they are unsaturated fats that have hydrogen atoms attached to make them more resistant to going rancid. Hydrogenated fats should be avoided.
Unsaturated fats are better, and they make up the remainder of the fat content in your foods. Vegetable foods, like oils, contain a larger proportion of unsaturated fats. There are monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, depending on how many points of the fat molecule have hydrogen attached. The important thing to remember is that saturated fats are the worst of the fats. Do beware of hydrogenated fats, however, as they are unsaturated fats that have hydrogen atoms attached to make them more resistant to going rancid. Hydrogenated fats should be avoided.