Fatty Acid Foods

Learn which Foods have the most Fatty Acids and which ones are the healthiest for you

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Fatty acids are acids produced when fats from food are broken down in the body. They can range from good fats, such as monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats, to harmful fats, such as saturated and trans fats.

Our body can not live without fat. Nerve cells, brain cells and even heart cells need fat to survive. Fat also bolsters our immune system, keeping us safe from illnesses and absorbing crucial vitamins such as A, D, E, K and Beta-Carotene.

But that doesn't mean to head towards your nearest hamburger pit stop and chow down on French fries and other junk foods.

To ensure your body is getting an adequate amount of good fat, let's differentiate between healthy fats, Essential Fatty Acids, and cholesterol increasing fats, as well as the food sources that contain them.

Essential Fatty Acids
These fats are termed 'essential' since they are required by every body cell to function at its peak. People who do not intake enough healthy fats may commonly suffer from ailments such as allergies, depression, high blood pressure and learning difficulties. Prolonged deficiency in essential fatty acids may even lead to a host of diseases, including diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, intestinal disorders and cancer.

As fatty acids can not be naturally produced by the body, it is up to you to obtain these specialized fats through food.

Monounsaturated fatty acids
Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) while increasing HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). Scientists believe the consumption of MUFAs may also lower the risk of coronary heart disease, especially if they are used to replace saturated fats and refined sugars.

Food sources high in MUFAs include nuts, such as peanuts, walnuts, almonds and pistachios, avocados, and olive and canola oil.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids
Polyunsaturated fatty acids also lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Common food sources include seafood, such as salmon and fish oil, as well as corn, soy, safflower and sunflower oils.

Omega-3 fatty acids (found in seafood and fish oil), along with Omega-6 fatty acids (found in safflower and sunflower oils), are a type of polyunsaturated fat. Together, they have been shown to lower the risk of heart attacks, cardiovascular disease and breast cancer.

The key to maintaining weight and avoiding the development of certain diseases and cancers is to replace bad fats with good fats in our diet.

Bad Fats

Saturated Fatty Acids
Saturated fats raise our LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) as well as the total blood cholesterol. Excess intake of saturated fat can also increase the risk of developing coronary artery disease.

Food high in saturated fat are mainly animal products, such as red meat, butter, lard, whole milk, cream, eggs, and chocolate. Some plant foods, such as coconut oil and palm kernel oil, are also high in saturated fats.

Trans Fatty Acids
Perhaps the worst thing your body can consume are trans fats which were invented when scientists began to hydrogenate liquid oils to prolong the shelf life of processed food. Intake of trans fat increases LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) while decreasing HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol), and raises the risk of coronary heart disease.

Foods that contain trans fat are found in commercial pastries, fried foods, crackers, cookies, snack foods, vegetable shortenings and margarines. Your best is to avoid all food from fast food chains, especially the French Fries.