The Skinny on Fats

Written by: Brodie Haddock

Next time you sauté something in a pan, consider what fat you use to make it sizzle. According to a study conducted by Tufts University and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the type of fat you choose can significantly affect your health.

Researchers tested what effects margarine spreads, oils and butter had on participants' cholesterol levels, finding that the more solid a fat was, the more it raised LDL, or "bad," cholesterol. The results thus put stick margarine and butter in the least healthy category.

Researchers also found that stick margarine lowered participants' HDL, or "good," cholesterol, possibly making that form of fat even worse than butter, which contains saturated fat. The culprit: trans fatty acids, created when manufacturers solidify, or hydrogenate, a liquid oil.

The bottom line? Tub margarine and squeeze margarine are better choices because of their lower levels of trans fatty acids, and liquid oil is the best.

But margarine is not the only food with trans fatty acids. Vegetable shortenings, fried fast foods and processed foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are full of trans fatty acids. Americans get about two percent of their total calories from these fats. While this may not seem like much, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health believe that this intake leads to 30,000 premature deaths from heart disease each year.

Here are some tips to help you make healthy choices:

1.  Choose less solid fats such as tub margarine, squeeze margarine or spray margarine, with liquid oils being optimal.
2.  Avoid solid fats such as butter, stick margarine and vegetable shortening.
3.  Use vegetable oils, such as canola, olive or peanut, in recipes.
4.  Buy trans-fatty-acid-free margarines.
5.  Use Benecol or Take Control if you have high cholesterol levels.
6.  Avoid fried fast foods.
7.  Read food labels and avoid products that contain "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil."
8.  Choose low-fat, all-natural peanut butter with liquid oil on top to avoid hydrogenated oils.
Limit consumption of bakery items and fried snacks, such as cookies, cakes, doughnuts, crackers and chips.
9.  Avoid pre-prepared and processed foods, and choose whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables instead.

Brodie Haddock is a registered dietitian, nutrition consultant and lecturer in Atlanta, Ga.