7 common lies about fat
Sure, no one wants to gain weight but in the nutrition world, fat always gets a negative wrap. So, is there any truth in the common wisdom about fat? It turns out, we’ve got it all wrong.
Myth 1: Eating fat will make you fat
To anyone without a nutrition background this makes perfect sense. You eat fatty foods and you gain wait, right? Wrong. The truth is that the fat found in food is different from the fat your body stores. Just like protein, fat is just another type of nutrient. In fact, good fats like those found in fish and avocado, will help you feel fuller for longer, so you won’t overeat, which, for the record, does lead to weight gain.
Myth 2: Fat free foods are better for you
A simple scan of the supermarket aisle reveals a torrent of fat free/low fat/no fat options, but that doesn’t mean the product is healthy. Products with low fat or no fat claims tend to find other ways to add flavour, such as more sugar or sodium. Rather than reach for the tempting ‘no fat’ product, turn it around to read the label and check that the other ingredients are in check.
Myth 3: Saturated fat is the enemy
Saturated fat has received a lot of negative press, mainly thanks to studies that suggest it’s bad for heart health. However, Dr Robert Lustig of the University of California San Francisco’s School of Medicine says that’s not the whole story.
“For years we’ve been vilifying saturated fat, but saturated fats are cardiovascular neutral- they don’t cause heart disease or help heart disease,” he told Cosmopolitan magazine. But, like everything, the key is moderation. Research does show a diet rich in saturated fat can lead to a number of health issues.
Myth 4: Salad dressings are unhealthy because they contain fat
A study published in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research has found that fat free salad dressing isn’t actually better for you. Indeed, adding a dressing that contains fat to your vegetables may allow your body to better absorb the goodness.
The clinical study found that people who added a dressing to their salad that contained monounsaturated fat, absorbed a higher about of carotenoids- linked to a reduced cancer risk and eyesight protection- than those with no dressing.
The crux? Opt for olive oil or salad dressing made of avocado to reap all the nutritional benefits of a salad.
Myth 5: Only cardio burns fat
This is a half-truth, because vigorous exercise does help stay in shape, but it doesn’t burn fat straight away like we’re often led to believe. Your liver keeps roughly 1000 calories of easy-to-burn sugars in the body at all times, so you need to burn through that store before you can start to break down fat for fuel. Most cardio exercises burn less than that, so it’s not necessarily cardio that’s the answer. Any kind of regular, vigorous exercise will benefit your waistline in the long run.
Myth 6: Olive oil is the healthiest oil
Yes, olive oil has been associated with a ton of health benefits, but make sure don’t heat it. Olive oil’s monounsaturated fats can change when exposed to heat and turn into saturated or trans fats.
Myth 7: There are only good and bad types of fat
Like most things, when it comes to understanding fat it’s not as simple as ‘good’ and ‘bad.’ There are seven types of fat, ranging from omega-3 fats, which has been shown to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, to Omega-6 fatty acids, found in sunflower oil. It’s all about knowing what kind of fats are in your food and how to balance them for a well-rounded diet.
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