Fats ARE Good For You!

Good Fat and Bad Fat

Fats ARE good for you. This is contrary to what many of us have steered clear of in the past as we have consistently been told: “fat is bad for you."

However, there is such a thing as "good fat" and "bad fat." Some fats are essential to our body's normal metabolism, growth, development, and maintenance. If it were possible for a human to have absolutely no fats in their diet ever, that person would absolutely die (reference the movie Lorenzo's Oil). Fats are important components of the cells of our body as they form the outer cell wall that protects our DNA on the inside. They also give us energy when they are burned as fuel for our body. Furthermore, they are collected and set aside as important fuel depot reserves in case we should go hungry or starve, which fortunately is uncommon in American society today. Throughout many years of evolution, however, our bodies learned to put aside fats for tough times such as winter, famine, or disability.

The human body is very evolved in managing fats and has developed complex systems for fat management, storage, production, absoprtion from the foods we eat, and transporation to and from all parts of the body. This concept is perhaps best understood when we talk about two components of total cholesterol, HDL and LDL. HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) is often referred to as "good fat." LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) is often referred to as "bad fat."

But why is HDL considered good while LDL is considered bad? The answer is simply about what these two are doing in the body...that is, what their job is...what they are there to do. HDL takes fat from throughout the body and transports it to the liver. The liver is "fat central." That is to say, the liver is the organ in the body that processes fat. The more fat that HDL brings to the liver, the more fat the liver processes. LDL on the other hand, takes fat from the liver to the body. The problem is that along the way LDL can and does get stuck in the arteries and blood vessels, much like chicken fat sticks to your fingers when you're preparing chicken for dinner. You literally have to wash your hands with soap and water to get it off and sometimes your hands still don't feel clean. You can just imagine how the smooth inner walls of your blood vessels would feel after 20, 30, 40 years etc. of the same kind of thing happening every single day of your life.

Recommendations from the American Medical Association (AMA) state that every American should have a cholesterol test at 25 years of age to learn a baseline cholesterol level. Sometimes, diet and exercise programs may be all that is needed to lower high cholesterol levels. Standard cholesterol tests include the HDL (good), LDL(bad), triglycerides (main components of fat stored in the body), and VLDL, which aides in transportation of triglycerides.

Inherited genes and diet are the two main components that determine our cholesterol levels. Early detection of potential high cholesterol can lower your risks for Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and stroke.

Healthy fats include mono and polyunsaturated fats (such as olive oils, fish oils, nuts and seeds). Monounsaturated fats increase the HDL (healthy fats). Unhealthy fats include saturated and trans-fatty acids (fatty meats and hard vegetable oils).

A simple and inexpensive blood test called a lipid panel can determine your cholesterol levels, which includes HDL and LDL levels as well as total cholesterol.

LabSafe provides an inexpensive and convenient way to monitor your levels without the inconvenience of waiting for a doctor’s appointment, taking time off of work, etc.

To purchase a cholesterol test simply order online at LabSafe at http://www.labsafe.com/lab-tests/test/472/ or visit our website at www.labsafe.com

For more information, or to speak with a member of our professional Medical Staff, call LabSafe toll free at 1-888-333-LABS.