Dietary fats are an important part of our daily food intake and essential to maintaining good health.

Fats store energy. They help our bodies absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K, help regulate hormone levels and body temperature, and are part of our brain and nervous system.

Dietary fats provide essential linoleic acid and linolenic acid, which our bodies need but cannot produce. These fatty acids are the basic building blocks of complex fats in the body.

Bottom line: in order to survive, we need fats.

The healthy dietary fats include monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and omega-3 fats.

Monounsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature or higher and solidify in lower temperatures. These fats are necessary for good heart health, and studies show that they may help maintain a balance in our cholesterol levels by increasing the healthy high-density lipoproteins (HDL) in the body, and decreasing unhealthy low-density lipoproteins (LDL).

Monounsaturated fats are found in nuts, sunflower oil, olive oil, safflower oil, avocados, cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, peanut oil, and peanut butter.

Polyunsaturated fats are liquid at both room temperature and lower temperatures. These fats are also good for the heart because they contain linolenic and linoleic acids, which help control blood pressure and clotting of blood and maintain the body’s natural defense against disease.

Polyunsaturated fats can be found in vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds. Canola, corn, cottonseed, soybean, and sunflower oils are all rich resources of polyunsaturated fat – as are sardines, salmon, tuna, trout, mackerel, and walnuts and pumpkin seeds.

Omega-3 is the “superstar” of healthy polyunsaturated fats. It encourages the production of linolenic and linoleic fatty acids, which, in addition to health benefits already listed, help reduce inflammation, and have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, as well as reduce the symptoms of hypertension (high blood pressure), depression, joint pain, and other rheumatoid problems. Omega-3 also helps reduce the negative effects of omega-6, an essential fatty acid found in eggs, poultry, cereals, baked goods, and margarines. Omega-6 helps make blood “sticky” enough to clot, but too much of it can lead to dangerous clots, which can cause heart attack or stroke.

Salmon, sardines, tuna, and mackerel are good sources of Omega-3. So are tofu and other soy-based foods like soybeans and soy nuts. Green leafy vegetables, flaxseeds, walnuts, and legumes are also rich in omega-3 fats.

Saturated fats, trans fats, and LDL cholesterol are all unhealthy fats.

Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and liquid when heated. Also referred to as “animal fats,” saturated fats are derived mainly from animal sources and are not healthy for the heart and the health in general.

Saturated fats are abundant in animal products like beef, bacon, and in dairy products like eggs, whole-fat milk and cream, butter, and high-fat cheese and meats. Whole-fat ice creams are also rich sources of saturated fat. Some plant products such as palm oil, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil also contain saturated fats.

Trans fats, also known as trans fatty acids, are “Frankenstein” fats. They do not occur naturally but are created during food processing by industrial food manufacturers. If a nutrition label lists “partially hydrogenated” fats or oils among the ingredients, the food contains trans fats. “Partially hydrogenated” means that hydrogen was added to liquid fat to make it semi-solid. Originally, trans fats were thought to be healthier than saturated fats, such as when margarine was introduced as a healthy replacement for butter. It turned out that while trans fats may make for flakier piecrusts and foods with a longer shelf life, they also turn into sludge when they travel through the arteries. And, trans fats not only raise the unhealthy LDL cholesterol, they actually decrease healthy HDL cholesterol.

Trans fats can be found in many processed food items including muffins, cookies, crackers, cake mixes, french fries, doughnuts, and most fast foods. Fried foods and oily snacks are rich sources of trans fats.

Cholesterol is a lipoprotein, a waxy, fat-like substance that attaches itself to proteins to travel through the bloodstream. Cholesterol is necessary to produce hormones, vitamin D, and bile, a liver secretion that helps digest fats.

Cholesterol can be found in foods like eggs, meat, butter, lard, and dairy products. Cake, cookies, muffins, and other foods that are high in fat are usually also rich in cholesterol. But the human body makes its own cholesterol, so we do not need it from our diet.

Cholesterol is not able to travel through the body on its own. It is transported to the cells by special proteins. The combination of proteins and cholesterol are called lipoproteins. There are two types of lipoproteins in your body: LDL and HDL.

Low Density Lipoproteins (LDLs): LDLs are also referred to as “bad” cholesterol; this is the type of cholesterol that is harmful, as too much of it can eventually clog your arteries. LDLs carry and deliver cholesterol from the liver to other cells in the body.

High-Density Lipoproteins (HDLs): HDLs are thought of as “good” cholesterol; these lipoproteins remove excess cholesterol from the blood, carrying it away from the arteries and delivering it back to the liver. Once the cholesterol has been returned to the liver, it is excreted from the body. High levels of HDL are believed to protect against heart attack.

Triglycerides: While not a type of cholesterol, this is another lipid, or fat, found in the blood. Like cholesterol, triglycerides circulate in the blood, and store unused calories for extra energy later. People who are overweight, smoke, or are heavy drinkers tend to have high triglyceride levels. Those with both a high triglyceride level and a high LDL level or low HDL level seem to be at a higher risk of heart attack.

The right balance of fats in the diet can help maintain good health. Good or bad, fats are high in calories.

For most people, daily fat intake should not exceed 25 to 35 percent of the daily total calorie intake.

Saturated fats should make up less than seven percent of that daily total and trans fats less than one percent – preferably zero.

Daily cholesterol intake should be less than 300mg. People with heart disease might consider lowering that number even further.

Always consult a physician before making significant dietary changes.

It is important to exercise some smarts where dietary fats are concerned. Your health might just depend on it.

Most of our daily fat intake should be in the form of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as nuts, seeds, fish, and vegetable oils. Use non-hydrogenated oils like canola oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, and olive oil for cooking. Avoid fried foods and processed food items like cakes, muffins, pies, and pastries, which are usually high in trans fats. Most fast food is also high in trans fats and saturated fat (as well as being low in nutritional value) and should also be avoided.

Introducing the right fats to your daily diet might just make you healthier and make meals more enjoyable.