It seems to have changed from all fat is bad, to good fats v bad fats. When you see this (usually in sensationalised headlines) it’s referring to saturated fat or monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
However it’s not, as so often in nutrition, quite so black and white. A lot of historical research lumps trans fat in with saturated fat, which then muddies the water as to any health risks from including them in your diet, (as in the case of Trans fat it is consistently linked with an increased CVD risk). This doesn’t mean you should go out and eat loads of saturated fat! But its ok to include in moderation as part of a balanced diet. Most of the fat in dairy is saturated, and there are lots of health benefits from having dairy in your diet.
The unsaturated “good” fats include Omega 3, Omega 6, EPA and DHA. Oily fish is a great source of these, and for vegans or vegetarians you can supplement with Algae. These fatty acids help with brain health, amongst other benefits.
Ultimately, and this is going to keep coming back to this same point, which remains about balance. Not too much of anything, not too little of certain things, and lots of variation. Live in the grey and ignore people pushing ANY extreme rhetorics (high or low!) It may seem boring in the era of fad diets to stay in the middle – but for optimal health this is where it all keeps coming back to.
(Reposted from Instagram)
