Eating Too Much Healthy Fat Not is Healthy

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Healthy fats have been gaining a good reputation lately, so much so that people might not actually be aware that there is such a thing as eating too much good fat.

Maria Bella, a registered dietitian, told Huffington Post that people should still be conscious of their healthy fat intake, since it can still cause weight gain and other health-related issues in the body.

Bella explained that while good fat is considered healthy, it is still essentially fat filled with calories. "If you eat too much, you will gain weight," she said.

Michael Roizen, MD, Internal Medicine, clarifies on ShareCare that too much of any form of fat can lead to added inflammation, which can cause the development of chronic disease.

Even if healthy fats cause weight gain, Bella does not recommend avoiding them altogether, since there are also health benefits from consuming good fat.

According to Help Guide, good fats such as Omega-3s are helpful in managing moods and achieving optimal mental health. This form of fatty acids predominantly resides in the brain and is important in cognitive functions and emotional health.

Moreover, Omega-3s can energize the body, improve memory and stabilize moods. Help Guide further states that these fatty acids can help treat mental disorders, like depression and bipolar disorder.

Some other forms of good fat are monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats.

Monounsaturated fats, in particular, can decrease the total amount of bad (LDL) cholesterol in the body, while adding to the amount of good cholesterol (HDL). Olives are a good source of monounsaturated fats.

Polyunsaturated fats can also reduce the amount of LDL cholesterol in the body. They also contain Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.

Medline Plus states that Omega-3 is good for the heart overall, since it reduces triglyceride levels and slows the build-up of plaque in the arteries.

Meanwhile, Omega-6 regulates blood sugar and can decrease blood pressure, which can effectively reduce the risk of diabetes.

While Bella advised people to incorporate healthy fats into their diet, she said they should closely monitor the amount of good fats they consume. As a general rule, it is usually good to have at least one serving of fat during every meal.

"Make sure you use measuring spoons with your fats and level those spoons. Unless level, the calories can almost double—and so can the fat," Bella said.

She also recommended including different foods into their diet, like eating a different meat product everyday or including different colored foods.

According to Bella, purple produce is rich in antioxidants, while orange produce contains plenty of vitamin A. Green produce, in particular, is a good source of calcium.