Understanding Nutrition Labels: Fats

by Ken Schweickert

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What happened to just �Total� and �Saturated� fat on your cereal boxes? Suddenly the FDA throws trans fats, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats at you! So basically, you�re stuck wondering �Which do I eat?� Here�s the lowdown on the fats you see on the labels. We will go in the order they usually appear.

Saturated fats come from meats, dairy products, and occasionally vegetables. These fats are known for raising your �bad� (LDL) cholesterol. However, it should not be assumed that all saturated fats are alike in their effects. Peanut butter contains saturated fat, but the fats in peanut butter have been shown to be good. Even though there is still controversy over it, the opposing arguments tend to have very little supporting evidence. Still, it is important to know that the majority of the time these fats will effect your cholesterol in a bad way. Look for the word �hydrogenated� some-kind-of-oil in the ingredients list. That is a sign that the fats in the product are bad for you.

Trans fats are undisputably bad for you. These fats lower your �good� (HDL) cholesterol and raise your LDL cholesterol. You should eat as few of these fats as possible. The problem is that if a product has less than 0.5 grams of trans fats in it, then they don�t have to tell you. Those fractions of a gram can easily add up. It is required that trans fats be listed if there are any. So if you see a label without �trans fats� on it, then you are probably safe. That is not to say that even if the label says 0 grams that it probably actually does have trans fats in it. These fats occur in fried foods (unless fried in better-for-you oils such as olive or canola oil), some baked goods, processed foods, and in some meats (but in very small amounts when in meat).

Now, for the unsaturated fats we�re about to get technical: Polyunsaturated fats are fatty acids with multiple double bonds of carbon available for hydrogen molecules. Polyunsaturated fats come from oils such as sunflower and soybean. While polyunsaturated fats are very good, eating too large a quantity may be harmful as it has been linked to cancer in some cases (don't cut them out of your diet because of that though). Monounsaturated fats have a single double bond without hydrogen atoms. These fats can be found in oils like olive and canola. The momounsaturated fats do not have any real known problems (aside from that all fats are high in calories by nature). For comparison, in a saturated fat every carbon atom has two hydrogens. Here is what it really means as far as health goes. Both of these are considered good for you. When you replace the saturated fats in your diet with these unsaturated fats, they will help you lower your cholesterol. However, both are high in calories.

Overall, while many fats can be good for you, they are most often bad for you. Watch your intake of all fats carefully, but always opt for the healthier fats when possible. As for foods, such as french fries, which are high in trans fatty acids: just stay away from them.