Find out the similarities and differences between saturated and unsaturated fats.

First, an important disclaimer. ALL fats we eat are both saturated and unsaturated at the same time, as all fats consist of both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. We use these names only to point out which kinds of fat contain more acids from one of these two groups.

Leaving aside the chemical issues, let's get down to the point. The main difference between them is the fact that saturated fats increase the bad cholesterol level, while unsaturated lower it. What does it mean in practice? It's simple: you should limit the amount of unsaturated fats if you already have a very high cholesterol level. You can and should substitute them with unsaturated fats if you want to keep your cholesterol level in check.

You can increase the amount of unsaturated fats intake by favoring such foods as:

• nuts
• soy
• avocado
• canola
• olive oil.
• You should also limit the intake of such food products as:
• butter
• most meats
• coconut oil
• dairy products (especially cheese)

Problems with creating a working unsaturated fat diet

It is good to remember that we allow some saturated fats into our diet even in case of very high cholesterol levels. The FDA used to ask for the saturated fats being at least 30 per cent of a daily fat intake.

Another common problem is the fact that dieters tend to assume that, since the unsaturated fats lower the cholesterol level, they are generally "beneficial". As the result they greatly increase their intake by thinking they are healthy food.

The point is that unsaturated fats are just as caloric as the saturated ones and if we increase their intake, our cholesterol level will drop, but we will still get on weight. That may finally results in either serious problems with keeping our weight in check or even serious health problems connected with the obesity. All of that because we've been eating what we wrongly thought to be perfectly healthy food.

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