What Are Healthy Fats? Health Benefits and Best Food Sources

So, what are healthy fats? They are crucial for keeping everything in your body running smoothly. From a high-octane energy course, efficient fuel for your brain and the core component of hormones. Healthy fats are a must and you need to get them from your food. We'll explore the different types of healthy fats, their incredible health benefits and the best food sources you should seek. Plus, read on for some easy recipes using healthy fats and start enjoying these essential nutrients every day.

Natural and Dietary Fat

Fat is one of the three classic macronutrient groups, providing energy, supporting cell function and aiding in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. It also plays a crucial role in hormone production and protecting the skin and vital organs from oxidative damage.

There are many dietary sources of fat and each fat type has a different function in the body. Dietary fats can be categorised into the following:

• Unsaturated fats

• Monounsaturated fats

• Polyunsaturated fats (essential fatty acids)

• Omega-3 fats: ALA, EPA, DHA

• Omega-6 fats

• Saturated fats

• Trans fats

All these fat types are healthy in varying amounts, except trans fats! (More on that below). Striking the right balance and choosing healthier fat sources is key to overall health.

Why Natural Fats Deserve The Spotlight

Let's start this section with a bold yet truthful statement: fat doesn't make you fat and it doesn't cause heart disease. In fact, for decades in Western culture, fat was the unfair target of food industry campaigns, where it was deemed the main culprit behind heart disease. This misconception evolved from early mid-century research that oversimplified the relationship between fat consumption and cardiovascular health. Subsequently, the messaging around the avoidance of dietary fat led to a wave of low-fat diets throughout the 1960's up until the 2000's that often overlooked the crucial role fats play in nutrition.

Recently, however, fat has undergone a renaissance, celebrated by proponents of certain dietary movements like paleo and keto diets, highlighting healthy fats as essential and nourishing and contributing to a pendulum swing in the opposite direction. Now, hopefully, this dialogue has settled to reach a more balanced and nuanced understanding, positioning fats as a fundamental element of a wholesome, natural diet. When the human diet focuses on unprocessed fat sources like avocados, nuts, seeds, quality meat, eggs, dairy, and oily fish, we can fully appreciate fat’s vital place in a diverse and health-conscious lifestyle.

What Are Healthy Fats?

To answer the question: What are healthy fats? We need to define the term and then break it down into bite-sized bits. Healthy fats are sourced from many foods and different foods typically have a mix of the different types.

Healthy Fats: Types and Best Food Sources

Monounsaturated Fats

Monounsaturated fats are regarded as one of the best types of fat. They are non-essential, which means your body can synthesise them from other fats. They contain a single double bond in their molecular structure, hence their name. Monounsaturated fats have unique properties such as maintaining an appropriate cholesterol balance, reducing systemic inflammation and improving skin health.

Food sources:

• Oils: Olive oil, avocado oil, almond oil, peanut oil.

• Nuts: Almonds, cashews, peanuts, hazelnuts, pistachios

• Seeds: Sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds.

• Fruits and Vegetables: Avocados, olives.

Polyunsaturated Fats

Polyunsaturated fats contain multiple double bonds and cannot be produced endogenously. Because the body can't make these fats, they must be obtained through the diet, which is why they are known as essential fats or essential fatty acids. Polyunsaturated fats can be further broken down into two categories:

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3s are known for their anti-inflammatory properties and their ability to support heart and brain health. They are most commonly found in fatty fish but are also available in some plant-based sources.

Food sources:

• Fatty Fish and seafood: Salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, trout, herring, crab, tuna, oysters, mussels.

• Seeds: Flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, mustard seeds

• Nuts and Oils: Walnuts, walnut oil, flaxseed oil, hemp oil.

Omega-6 Fatty Acids

While omega-6s are similarly beneficial, their overconsumption relative to omega-3s can lead to an imbalance, contributing to inflammation. Moderation is key here.

Food sources:

• Oils: Sunflower oil, corn oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, grapeseed oil.

• Nuts and Seeds: Walnuts, sunflower seeds, pine nuts.

Saturated Fats

While saturated fats have been historically demonised, recent research indicates that they can be a part of a healthy diet in moderation. Consuming whole-food sources of saturated fats, rather than processed forms, minimises the health risks and can have protective effects developmentally and physiologically.

Food sources:

• Coconut oil

• Full-fat dairy (like cheese, butter and yoghurt)

• Brazil nuts, Macadamia nuts, pecans

• Grass-fed meat

• Eggs

Unhealthy Fats: Processed Fats and Trans Fats

The processing of fats during industrial food processing has a range of negative health effects due to the creation of trans fats. This processing commonly occurs with plant and seed oils, which usually contain unsaturated fats, as mentioned above. Unsaturated fats are highly prone to oxidation by heat, light and oxygen and don't usually have a long shelf-life, which is part of the reason olive oil is stored in dark glass bottles.

In commercial food processing, these food products undergo a chemical process called hydrogenation to combat the issue of rancidity. Hydrogenation is where hydrogen is added to liquid vegetable oils (e.g. canola oil) to make them solid at room temperature. Essentially, the unsaturated fat has a new hydrogen bond added to the chemical structure, which converts it to a saturated state. However, it doesn't become a saturated fat in the true sense; it becomes a trans fat. While this manufacturing technique is cost-effective and improves food texture and longevity, it has serious repercussions for human health.

Most people will be familiar with margarine. Products like these have a vegetable oil base, such as canola, palm or corn oil that's been transformed into a solid state via the process of hydrogenation. Highly refined seed oils are also a source of trans fats commonly used in commercial food production. These oils undergo intense processing, including deodorising and chemical refining, which can strip them of nutrients and introduce harmful oxidative compounds.

Trans fats have been connected to the increased risk of heart disease and cause inflammation in the body. Unchecked inflammation can contribute to chronic health conditions, including diabetes, obesity and certain types of cancer. To promote better health, avoiding or limiting foods that contain hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated or highly refined oils is wise. Opt for natural fat sources such as extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil or grass-fed butter, which are minimally processed and offer beneficial nutrients. Making these changes can reduce your risk of exposure to harmful trans fats and support a more balanced, healthy diet.

Health Benefits of Healthy Fats

Including healthy fats in your diet offers a range of science-backed benefits:

1. Supports Brain Function

Our brains are primarily comprised of fat, so it makes sense that healthy fats play a role in cognitive function, energy, focus, learning and memory. Compounds like omega-3 fatty acids and the precursor acids EPA and DHA are particularly vital for brain development, neurodevelopment and reducing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.

2. Promotes Heart Health

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can help protect against heart disease by improving cholesterol levels, lowering inflammation, and even reducing harmful plaque build-up in arteries.

3. Sustains Energy Levels

Fats are dense sources of energy. Unlike carbohydrates, which burn quickly, fats, including MCT oil, provide a longer-lasting fuel source to keep you energised throughout the day.

4. Improves Absorption of Vitamins

Certain vitamins, like A, D, E, and K, are fat-soluble, meaning they require the presence of fats to be absorbed by your body.

5. Supports Healthy Skin

Healthy fats help your skin lock in moisture and maintain its natural protective barrier. Omega-3s, in particular, reduce inflammation, support cell integrity and prevent dry and damaged skin.

Healthy Fats are Part of a Balanced Diet

Healthy fats are essential, offering many benefits that help your brain and body. A wholesome, natural diet is the best way to get a balanced mix of healthy fats. Consulting a nutritionist will help you understand what fats to eat, what to avoid and how to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle overall. Whole foods such as meat, dairy, nuts and seeds are all great starting points. Have fun exploring new recipes, flavours and ways to include healthy sources of fat into your diet.

Healthy Fat Recipes