Not all fats are created equal

Saturated fats are fine in moderation but should be kept to less than 10% of total caloric intake. Saturated fats in plants (cocoa, coconut, palm) is much healthier than saturated fat in animals because of the difference in length of the saturated fat molecules. Unsaturated fats are the healthiest, but many of the unsaturated fats in the American diet are partially hyhdrogenated, making what started out to be extremely healthy very unhealthy. The more unsaturated a fat the healthier it is, in general, and the faster the fat becomes rancid. Thus, excess polyunsaturated fats in the diet increases the racid-fat content in the body, which contributes to atherosclerosis. This is why polyunsaturated fats, which in small amounts dramatically reduce atherosclerosis, in large amounts increase it. The ideal balance between the types of polyunsaturated fats in the diet is roughly 3:1 for omega-6 to omega-3 for ideal absorption based on studies with infants. And the total amount of polyunsaturated fat intake would be roughly equal to the monounsaturated fat intake. Poly and monounsaturated fat combined (unsaturated fat intake) should be roughly two times higher (or more) than sautrated fat intake. The TOTAL amount of dietary fat should be between one quarter and one third of total calories in the diet (corresponding to about 10% the volume of your food, since fats are more calorically dense than other foods). Summary: One third of your total calories should be fats, with no more than one third of the fats being saturated, and the remaining two thirds being an even split between mono and polyunsaturated fats, and within the polyunsaturated fats have a ratio of 3:1 omega-6 to -3. Avoid trans fats altogether (see my poste entitled "trans fats).