All you need to know about dietary fats

Confused about fat? Don't be. It's really quite simple. There are three naturally occurring types of fat: monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and saturated. A fourth type of fat – "trans fat" – is largely man-made. Here's what else you should know.

While some of them are known as "good" fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) because they are a necessary part of our diets, "bad" fats (saturated and trans fats) should be avoided. Here's what you need to know about each one, minus all the science.

• This should take the lead in your diet (at least, as far as fat is concerned).
• These fats star in the so-called Mediterranean diet, proven to lower cholesterol and reduce heart-disease risk.
• A primary source is olive oil. Other good sources include canola oil, seeds, nuts and avocados.

• This form of fat is prevalent in vegetable oils, nuts, fish and some leafy green vegetables.
• There are two main types: omega-6s, which we tend to get plenty of through vegetable oils, and omega-3s, found primarily in fish and certain seeds, which we rarely get enough of.
• Focus on increasing the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet while reducing the amount of omega-6s.

• This form of fat is found in the highest amounts in animal products, and in palm and coconut oil.
• Saturated fat raises levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol, and can increase your heart-disease risk.
• In fact, swapping just five percent of your overall calories from saturated to unsaturated fats could slash your risk of a fatal heart attack by 42 per cent.

• Trans fats are created when polyunsaturated fats are whipped with hydrogen to make them solid at room temperature.
• They not only increase LDL levels, but can decrease HDL levels, plus they've been implicated in heart disease and breast cancer.
• When it comes to trans fat, no level is safe, yet they're everywhere you find processed foods.
• But you can now find many trans fat-free options; look for key words on labels to know what to avoid.