FATS? GOOD OR BAD? Pitfalls in the American diet By Stephanie Hembree, Official Writer This week continues the series on problems in the American diet. One of the main problems is fat. Americans have been led to believe that the only focus away from healthy eating and focus on the number of fat grams on the label. The truth is that the latest research shows the type of fat you eat is more important than how much fat you eat! Fat does some pretty important things in your diet. It provides energy, controls the rate of carbohydrates that gets into your bloodstream to help keep blood sugar levels normal, allows for proper metabolism of fat soluble vitamins and causes the release of a hormone that signals you to stop health. Most experts recommend limiting saturated fats (found in animal products) and trans-fatty acids (found in commercial baked goods and fast foods). Other fatty acids are beneficial. Three important fatty acids are:- omega-3 (found in canola oil, soybeans, flaxseed, walnuts and fish), omega-6 (found in flaxseed, corn oil, soybean oil), and omega-9 (found in olive oil). Studies show that it is a balance of these three fatty acids that is essential to health. Two of these fatty acids: The omega-3 and omega-6 are essential (that means your body cannot make them, you get them in your diet). Some researchers believe that the American diet contains an unhealthy ratio of omega-6 to omega-3. This means we get too much omega-6 and not nearly enough omega-3. Back to the trans-fatty acids in our diet. They can be recognized by the words "partially hydrogenated oils" on the label. It is believed that they are dangerous for the heart and may pose a risk for certain cancers. They are created during a process that stabilizes polyunsaturated oils to prevent them from becoming rancid and to keep them solid at room temperature. They seem to lower good cholesterol and raise bad cholesterol in the body. A study of 80,000 nurses showed that women whose total fat consumption was 46% of their calories had no greater risk of heart attack, than did those whose diets were lower than 30% fat. But women whose diets were high in trans-fatty acids had a 53% increased risk for heart attack compared to women whose diets where low in trans-fatty acids. While the research is confusing regarding fat in the American diet, the best advice is to limit the trans-fatty acids in your diet while increasing the fats that seem good for you. Try decreasing your intake of processed foods and allowing canola and olive oil into your diet. Increasing your fish and nut intake will also help. By focusing on lowering fat, many people have lost sight of what a good diet is.