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Do
fats always increase blood-cholesterol?
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No.
There are basically two types of fats: The
saturated fats and the unsaturated fats. Broadly speaking,
the saturated fats are solid (or semisolid) at room temperature,
while the unsaturated fats are more in a liquid form. Oils
contain more of unsaturated fats than saturated ones.
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Saturated fats have a tendency towards increasing
LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein - "the bad cholesterol").
It is the unsaturated fats that don't increase LDL.
Clearly, a diet rich in unsaturated fats is healthier
as compared to a diet rich in saturated fats. Furthermore, fats
which are polyunsaturated have an even better effect on blood
cholesterol profile. These polyunsaturated fats not only keep LDL
("the bad cholesterol") in check, but they also increase
HDL ("the good cholesterol"), giving a two-pronged advantage.
Natural fats which are high in Polyunsaturated
content are:
| Fat |
Polyunsaturated content |
| Safflower oil |
75% |
| Sunflower seed oil |
65% |
| Corn oil |
65% |
| Soya bean oil |
62% |
| Cotton seed oil |
50% |
| Margarine |
50% |
On the other side, these are the fats that have
a high Saturated content, thereby proving themselves not-so-good
for health:
| Fat |
Saturated content |
| Coconut oil |
92% |
| Butter |
60% |
| Palm oil |
46% |
Now you know why is safflower oil better than coconut
oil or butter! And now you do know for sure why is butter a heart
patient's enemy!
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