Myth Busting #5: Eating Fat Makes You Fat, Right?
For decades, fat was the villain. Low-fat everything flooded supermarket shelves. Americans cut fat from their diets, and somehow got heavier. Here's what actually happened.
MYTH
Dietary fat directly becomes body fat.
FACT
The body can convert any macronutrient, including carbs, protein, or fat, into body fat when consumed in excess. Dietary fat is not uniquely fattening. In fact, fat is essential for absorbing vitamins A, D, E, and K, producing hormones, and supporting brain function.
MYTH
Low-fat foods are healthier.
FACT
When manufacturers remove fat from food, they almost always replace it with sugar, refined starch, or artificial additives to restore flavor and texture. Low-fat yogurt, low-fat salad dressing, and reduced-fat peanut butter are almost always worse for you than their full-fat counterparts.
MYTH
All fats are bad for your heart.
FACT
Unsaturated fats, the ones found in olive oil, avocados, nuts, and fatty fish, are the best sources of fat for your heart according to research. The Mediterranean diet, which is high in fat from these sources, consistently reduces cardiovascular disease risk.
Fats Worth Limiting
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Trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils) are linked to heart disease, and now largely banned in the US but still present in some imported foods
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Excess saturated fat, which is found in red meat and full fat dairy. Moderation is wise, though evidence is more nuanced than previously
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Fats Worth Eating
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Olive oil, avocado oil
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Avocados, nuts, and seeds
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Fatty fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel), since they are rich in omega 3s