Saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats are the three most common forms of fat that you encounter in the plant world. Fats are classified by their density and the number of carbons in a chain. Without getting too complicated, the more carbons a fat has, the more saturated it is. Here’s a little breakdown, starting with the most saturated of fats:
Saturated fats:
Don’t normally go rancid, even when heated for cooking
Are made in your body from carbohydrates
Constitute at least 50 percent of your cell membranes, giving cells stiffness and integrity
Are needed for calcium to be effectively incorporated into the skeletal system
Protect the liver from alcohol and other toxins
Enhance immune function
Are needed for the proper use of essential fatty acids (EFAs)
Plant-based sources: coconut oil and palm oil
Monounsaturated fats:
Tend to be liquid at room temperature
Don’t go rancid easily and can be used in cooking at moderate temperatures
Plant-based sources: olive oil, almonds, pecans, cashews, peanuts, and avocados
Polyunsaturated fats:
Contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids
Are liquid even when refrigerated
Should never be heated
Plant-based sources: walnuts, chia, hemp, and flax
Most “politically correct” nutrition (meaning what the government wants you to eat) is based on the assumption that you should reduce and ideally eliminate your intake of fats — particularly saturated fats — from animal sources because they’re to blame for things like heart disease.
But don’t let your plant-based diet lull you into a false sense of security. It’s not so much the saturated fats that are to blame but rather the processed food of today’s modern industry and all of those trans fats hidden in most products.
That means even though you’re eating plant-based, you still are at risk for heart disease and other health complications if you consume too much margarine, shortening, refined oils and sugars, and processed foods in general.
