Telling the Difference Between Good, Bad Fats
(HealthDayNews, 4/27/04)

The Mayo Health Letter offers advice on which fats to eat and which to avoid. It advises avoiding saturated fats and trans fat (also called hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil), both of which raise “bad” cholesterol (LDL) levels. Saturated fat is found in red meat, poultry skin, dairy products, coconut oil and palm oil. Trans fat is found in margarine, shortening and commercially baked foods, like cookies and crackers, made with these ingredients. The Mayo Health Letter suggests using the following instead:

• Monounsaturated fat, which is found in olive, peanut and canola oils, avocados and most nuts.
• Polyunsaturated fat, which is found in vegetable oils—like safflower, sunflower, corn, soy and cottonseed oil. But they warn that this fat is more susceptible to chemical changes that may affect the risk of some diseases.
• Omega-3 fat, which is found in fatty cold water fish, canola oil, flaxseed, soybeans, tofu and walnuts. The advantage of this fat is that it increases HDL cholesterol and may lower triglycerides