Fats in the diet – which ones are healthy and which ones are dangerous?

Healthy eating is important, but which fats can you eat now and which should you avoid?

For laypeople, it's like a book with seven seals: saturated fatty acids, unsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids. Keeping track of this is anything but easy. Nutrition expert Doc Felix explains why animal fats are better than their reputation and why each of us should steer clear of dangerous trans fats.

Controversy over fats

Butter or margarine? There has been debate about fat for decades. Fat bombs like Hollandaise sauce with lots of butter and animal fat were considered deadly sins. Scientists have now given the all-clear: animal fats are not as bad as thought and butter does not increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Saturated fatty acids for our nervous system

Saturated fatty acids are not only found in butter, but also in other animal foods such as lard, cream, milk, cheese, sausage and meat. Coconut oil for deep-frying or Nutella, which contains a lot of palm fat, also contain saturated fatty acids. Our nervous system needs this messenger substance and that is why they are okay for healthy people in moderation. However, people who suffer from cardiovascular or inflammatory diseases such as rheumatism have to limit themselves. Anyone affected by these restrictions should eat so-called unsaturated fats. These can be found in large quantities, for example in vegetable oils, nuts and fish.

Monounsaturated fatty acids are healthy

Not all vegetable oils are equally healthy. The particularly good fats include olive oil and rapeseed oil because they contain a lot of monounsaturated fatty acids. They also have an anti-inflammatory effect, protect against cardiovascular diseases and help to utilize fat-soluble vitamins. 2-3 tablespoons per day are recommended. These monounsaturated fatty acids are also found in avocados and nuts.

The magic word is: Omega

Sunflower oil and wheat germ oil contain a lot of omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are also healthy. These have an anti-inflammatory effect, can lower blood pressure and are good for the flow properties of the blood. Omega-3 can be found in linseed and walnut oil, but also in sea fish such as herring, mackerel, tuna or salmon. Omega-6 is found, among other things, in sunflower and wheat germ oil. Since both omega-6 and omega-3 are utilized by the body by the same enzyme, these two fatty acids compete with each other. So if we consume too much Omega-6, then the body will not utilize enough of the particularly valuable Omega-3. The German Society for Nutrition recommends a ratio of approximately 5:1. In order to achieve this ratio, Doc Felix recommends eating fish several times a week. If this is not possible, it can also help to eat a salad with a spoonful of linseed oil every day, for example.

Trans fatty acids are dangerous

It has been scientifically proven that trans fatty acids are very unhealthy. For a long time, trans fats were mainly contained in margarine. This is because margarine consists of a liquid fat that is made spreadable. This always resulted in trans fatty acids. However, the processes are now a little different, so that margarine hardly contains any trans fatty acids. Trans fatty acids can also be produced when deep-frying or are found in fast food, pastries and snacks. And whenever the package says “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated fats,” it contains trans fats. Doc Felix advises you to definitely stay away from trans fatty acids.