«The fat fight: good vs bad»

We’ve been looking into some common misunderstood food topics that we can help shed some light on all whilst getting healthier and enjoying your favorite margarine. Today, we’re going to look into one of our favorite topics (FATS). Don’t be scared, we’re not talking about bad fats, no. We are talking about the “good fats,” the mono- and polyunsaturated fats, the fats that you need more of in your life, the fats that are often found in your favorite margarines.

Never heard of a “good” fat before? Don’t worry, we’re going to explain the difference, just keep reading. Here’s an article from the world leading margarine makers over at (Unilever) who help demystify the fat facts.

“Your body needs fat. That’s a fact. But not all fats are healthy fats. Fats in foods can be divided into ‘good’ fats and ‘bad’ fats. Good fats are mono- and poly-unsaturated fats. Bad fats are the saturated fats and Trans fats. Amongst the good fats are the essential fats. These are poly-unsaturated fats that your body needs, but cannot make. So you have to eat them. There are two essential fats: alpha-linolenic acid of the Omega 3 family and linoleic acid from the Omega 6 family.

Why are good fats “good” or bad fats “bad?

“Good fats, and especially essential fats, can have a beneficial effect on your heart health when used to replace bad fats. They will improve the cholesterol profile in your blood, which will help you to reduce the risk of getting cardiovascular disease. Essential fats are essential for growing and renewing cells, like indicated above for healthy heart and arteries, and for normal brain and mental development. Eating foods that are rich in saturated (bad) fat instead of foods rich in good fats raises the level of harmful cholesterol in your blood. High levels of harmful cholesterol increase your risk of getting cardiovascular diseases.”

WOW. Who knew there were different types of fats that could be good and bad for you? What does this mean for your diet? Simply put, we should be minimizing the bad fats and including more good/essential fats in our diets by using margarine you are making a healthier choice. Most margarines contain less saturated fats and contain more good unsaturated fats.