One minute, you're drenching everything you eat in olive oil, the next, you're filling your pantry with nothing but "fat-free" goodies. Figuring out fat is beyond confusing... and annoying. The great news: These nine new fat facts are all you need to know about choosing healthy fats and navigating around the sketchy ones.
Saturated Fat Isn't the Worst Thing for You
We're looking at you, refined carbs and sugar . While you may want to limit certain saturated fats, it's no better to replace them with refined starch or sugar—for example, dropping butter in favor of jelly on your toast. It is helpful to cut saturated fat if you replace it with unsaturated fat—like swapping butter with almond or peanut butter.
You Should Never Eat Trans Fats
While saturated fat in moderation is part of many healthy foods—such as olive oil and fish—trans fats should be avoided completely, says Walter Willett, M.D., chair of the department of nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health. These artificial fats have no nutritional value and have been shown to raise "bad" LDL cholesterol and lower "good" HDL cholesterol, as well as increase risks of heart disease and diabetes.
While saturated fat in moderation is part of many healthy foods—such as olive oil and fish—trans fats should be avoided completely, says Walter Willett, M.D., chair of the department of nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health. These artificial fats have no nutritional value and have been shown to raise "bad" LDL cholesterol and lower "good" HDL cholesterol, as well as increase risks of heart disease and diabetes.
Fat Cell Size Affects Your Health
White fat produces a hormone called adiponectin, which helps regulate insulin production. Thin people have small fat cells, which release more insulin-regulating adiponectin than the large fat cells that heavier people have. This is one of the reasons why being overweight can be bad for your health. "When you gain weight and fat cells increase in size, they produce less adiponectin," says Louis Aronne, M.D., director of the Obesity Clinic at Cornell, "which in turn raises risk of conditions like diabetes and heart disease."
White fat produces a hormone called adiponectin, which helps regulate insulin production. Thin people have small fat cells, which release more insulin-regulating adiponectin than the large fat cells that heavier people have. This is one of the reasons why being overweight can be bad for your health. "When you gain weight and fat cells increase in size, they produce less adiponectin," says Louis Aronne, M.D., director of the Obesity Clinic at Cornell, "which in turn raises risk of conditions like diabetes and heart disease."
White Fat Actually Burns Calories
While this is certainly true, white fat only burns two calories a day per pound of fat. On ther other hand, muscle burns six calories a day per pound.
Your Body Needs Certain Fats
Most people need more brown fat, finds recent research. Like muscle, this stuff burns calories even when you're at rest. And you can create additional stores of brown fat by exercising: Long bouts of aerobic exercise release the hormone irisin, which helps convert white fat into brown, according to one recent study
Most people need more brown fat, finds recent research. Like muscle, this stuff burns calories even when you're at rest. And you can create additional stores of brown fat by exercising: Long bouts of aerobic exercise release the hormone irisin, which helps convert white fat into brown, according to one recent study
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