GOOD FATS OR BAD?
In today’s increasingly diet-conscious society, we are told that we should exclude fat from our diet in order to stay healthy and protect our hearts and arteries. However, research has shown that it isn’t so much the amount of fat in the diet that causes disease, it is the type that can make the difference – “bad” fats increase the risks of contracting certain diseases, and “good” fats reduce them. Before going onto the types of fats, cholesterol should first be mentioned. Cholesterol is a substance which is mainly made by the liver, and it plays an essential role in the production of cell membranes, some hormones and vitamin D. Your body (the liver especially) produces sufficient cholesterol for its needs, and can adjust if any saturated fat is taken in through food. However, if there is too much saturated fat in the diet, this is then surplus to requirements and can be laid down in the arteries, thereby narrowing them (called atherosclerosis) and causing heart disease. There are two
