The good oils and the bad oils: the facts about fats

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The good oils and the bad oils; the facts about fats

Polyunsaturates, saturates, monunsaturates, essential fatty acids, fats - so what's good and what's not? What constitutes good fats, which can boost our health and beauty, and the bad guys, which raise our cholesterol, ruin our diet, block our arteries and create obesity?

When it comes to following a nutritious diet, nothing is as controversial as the subject of oils and fats.

Trans fats

It's a nutritional minefield out there of hidden processed fats and fads. If you are confused then firstly recognise that 'damaged fats' are oils which have been over-refined and hydrogenated (which means healthy oils are hardened).

This means that healthy unsaturated oils have been transformed into unhealthy saturated fats. These 'trans fats' are found in many commercially produced foods (biscuits, cakes, fast foods) and studies have linked them to a greater risk of developing heart disease, certain cancers and degenerative diseases.

But isn't it true that cholesterol and saturated fats (animal fats, lard, butter and cheese) are also dangerous to our health too? Well, yes and no.


Put simply, cholesterol is used in the body as a component of the membranes surrounding every living cell. It helps transport fats we need around the body, protects nerve fibres and is needed for the manufacture of hormones. In fact, the liver produces its own cholesterol, so not using butter does not exclude cholesterol in our lives.

Although food manufacturers have latched on to the idea that cholesterol is the main cause of heart disease, it is in fact oils and fats that have been damaged by food processing that could be causing the most harm to your health and diet. So who are the good guys?


The healthiest fats of all in your diet are the polyunsaturates. These can be found in oily fish (mackerel, sardines etc...) and vegetable oils such as olive, flaxseed, sesame and safflower seed oils.

They can help the body reduce 'bad' cholesterol, which can help in the prevention of heart disease. So should we all plump for polyunsaturated spreads for our diets? Sorry, again, it's yes and no.

Some evidence shows that some types of polyunsaturates (omega-6) have the negative effect of reducing the 'good' cholesterol in the body too. It's a question of balance.

However, it does call into question the health-giving claims of makers of highly refined, low-fat polyunsaturated spreads vs saturates (butter) producers and unfortunately for consumers, few can agree on which is best for a healthy diet.

Oils for beauty

Apart from their health-giving properties, some oils can have the added bonus of boosting our beauty regimes too. Grapeseed, sesame and olive oils are high in anti-oxidants, which can help prevent the skin from ageing, and avocado, almond and evening primrose oils are fantastic to help a glowing complexion and can help relieve mild cases of eczema.

Oils are not a dieter's enemy but are an essential part of a healthy and balanced life. Choose the right oils and see your health, vitality and beauty blossom.

A quick guide to buying oils:

  • Choose oils that have a naturally darker colour and nutty smell. This means they have not been bleached or deodorised.
  • Stick to single oils not blends.
  • Check the best-before dates and choose smaller bottles to ensure the oils are always fresh.
  • Choose dark glass bottles or tins which mean the oils are better preserved.
  • Buy organic varieties of oils if you can afford them; most supermarkets stock these now.
  • Store away from bright lights, e.g. in your pantry cupboard.

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