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low fat diet
  • Health

Is Low Fat Healthy?

Katie WellsJan 13, 2023
Reading Time: 8 min

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Wellness Mama » Blog » Health » Is Low Fat Healthy?
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • Low Fat Diets+−
    • List of Low-Fat Foods
    • My Take on the Above
  • Fear of Fat+−
    • What You’re Made of
  • Why We Need Fat
  • Saturated Fats: Friend or Foe?+−
    • Foods With Saturated Fat
  • Monounsaturated Fats 
  • Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs)+−
    • Omega-3: The Good Side of PUFAs
  • Trans Fats
  • What I Do
  • The Bottom Line on Low Fat Diets

Like most things in the nutrition world, fats are back in style. At least certain kinds, and in certain amounts. Some healthcare providers still recommend a low-fat diet, but is it really healthy? Here’s the scoop on fats, what they are, which ones are good (or bad), and what to do about them.

Low Fat Diets

It’s no secret that fats have had a bad reputation in recent decades. They’ve generally been discouraged by most in the medical community and nutritional fields. Ever since Ancel Keys presented his lipid heart hypothesis, doctors have sung the health benefits of reduced fat and fat-free diets.

In more recent years though we’ve seen a turnaround when it comes to dietary guidelines for fat. Scientists recognize some fat is necessary for health. While the medical community isn’t as quick to embrace things like butter and coconut oil, high-fat diets are currently more popular with the public.

If someone is experiencing gallbladder problems or certain health issues, it may be medically necessary to opt for lower-fat foods for a season. This is something to discuss with your healthcare practitioner or a functional nutritionist. Here’s a list of nonfat and low-fat options:

List of Low-Fat Foods

These foods are commonly recommended by mainstream dietitians and doctors. However, not all of them are healthy options. The more processed our food is, the less nutrition it has.

  • Lean meats like skinless poultry. Lean cuts like chicken breast are popular.
  • White fish, like cod, flounder, or pollock. Opt for wild-caught.
  • Whole grains, like brown rice, whole wheat, cereals, and whole-grain bread (see below)
  • Legumes, beans, and lentils (here’s my take on beans)
  • Dark leafy greens
  • Fresh or frozen fruit
  • Vegetables
  • Low-fat dairy (don’t recommend)
  • Egg whites

My Take on the Above

I typically avoid grains for several health reasons. And on the occasion I do have rice, it’s white rice instead of brown. You also won’t find me with whole wheat sandwich bread. These grains are harder to digest and have anti-nutrients, like phytic acid and arsenic. Ancient grains, like einkorn and fermented grains (sourdough), are better options.

Artificially reduced fat content, like low-fat cream, also doesn’t make my healthy eating list. Low-fat cottage cheese, fat-free cream cheese, skim milk, and low-fat yogurt are other commonly recommended options. Pasteurized, low-fat dairy products lack nutrition and can spike blood sugar. They’ve also been linked with higher rates of obesity.

If someone needs to reduce fat intake for a while, some options are healthier to focus on.

Fear of Fat

Many foods that are considered “healthy” by the majority of Americans carry a low-fat label. I once had a friend tell me she was going on the slim-fast and Special-K diet (cringe) because it was “low-fat.”

I could understand the fat phobia if perhaps fat had been linked to weight gain or disease incidence. Or maybe if America’s obesity epidemic had lessened since the low-fat craze. Or maybe if eating a low-fat diet actually caused long-term weight loss (anyone tried it?).

The sad fact is many people accept the idea fat is bad without understanding how we need it. Within the past decade fat intake from certain “good fats” has gone up, but what makes a good fat? And why do we need them?

What You’re Made of

Chemically, all fats are made up of varying numbers of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon molecules. Each carbon atom is bonded to two other carbon atoms, and the more carbon atoms there are in a given fatty acid, the longer it will be. Fatty acids with longer chains typically have a higher melting point and yield more energy per molecule when metabolized.

Let’s break down the different types of fat and what they mean.

  • Saturated fats are saturated with hydrogen. They’re also solid or firm at room temperature. Examples include butter, coconut oil, and red meat.
  • Monounsaturated fats have fewer hydrogen atoms so they’re liquid at room temperature. Avocados and nuts are good examples.
  • Polyunsaturated fats tend to be liquid and they’re considered essential. Meaning our body can’t make them, we have to get them from food. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are the two main kinds. The issue is where we get them from and in what ratio.
  • Trans Fats naturally occur in small amounts in some animal foods. But the bad kind is artificially manipulated unsaturated fat. This one type of fat has been linked to disease.

Why We Need Fat

Now that we got biology out of the way, what does this mean in the dietary world?

We need essential fatty acids to help our bodies absorb fat-soluble vitamins. They’re also necessary for healthy skin, hair, and cell function. According to Harvard, they’re essential for blood clotting, muscles, building our cells, and fighting inflammation. Those are just a few of the reasons.

Fats provide 9 calories per gram and are broken down into fatty acids and glycerol (a source of energy) once in the body. When toxins enter the body and reach unsafe levels, the body attempts to equalize them by storing them in fat tissue. If we’re eating high levels of toxins (not fats) our body can store them, leading to disease.

So does fat make you fat?

While dietary fat is often blamed for weight gain, nothing happens in a vacuum. The body can break down fat into glucose and use it for energy. Although this process takes more energy than using the sugar already in our blood. Grains, processed carbs, and even sweet fruit become easy sources of energy.

Over time these easy energy sources can lead to insulin and leptin resistance. Insulin resistance can then lead to type 2 diabetes and metabolic disorders. Any extra carbohydrates we don’t use right away for energy end up stored as fat. Constantly feeding our body quick carbs means we don’t tap into our energy reserves (body fat). This is why too many carbs, sugar, and processed foods can make us gain unhealthy weight.

So if fats aren’t entirely to blame, what fats are we supposed to eat and what to avoid?

Saturated Fats: Friend or Foe?

The American Heart Association recommends getting a max of 6% of our calories from saturated fat. The idea is too much of this fat can raise cholesterol levels and lead to cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. Dietitians and doctors once thought heart health relied on cutting out saturated fats.

But even the mainstream medical community is starting to admit the risk of heart disease is more nuanced than that. A 2010 meta-analysis of nearly 350,000 people showed there’s little to no evidence saturated fat increases the risk of heart disease. Harvard reports replacing saturated fats with carbs is more likely to have a negative effect on heart health.

They still hold that too much saturated fat can increase “bad” LDL cholesterol. Yet studies show this increase doesn’t lead to a higher death rate. 

Foods With Saturated Fat

Saturated fats are important for proper body functions. They also get most of the heat from the low-fat crowd. We need saturated fats in order to:

  • absorb certain vitamins
  • for calcium uptake
  • immune function
  • cell membrane structure

Contrary to what most experts say, a healthy, whole foods, traditional diet with saturated fat can actually help with weight loss. Many also notice better skin health, more energy, fewer cravings, and better sleep.

Here are foods that are good sources of saturated fat:

  • Red meat (Beef, pork, lamb)
  • Chicken (especially with skin)
  • Tallow and lard
  • Grass-fed dairy products (butter, cheese, ice cream)
  • Eggs
  • Coconut oil and coconut products
  • Palm oil (many people avoid it due to sustainability issues)
  • Olive oil (has a small amount of saturated fat)

Monounsaturated Fats 

Of all the fats, these are the most widely accepted. I like monounsaturated fats in moderation and include them in my meal plan. You can find them in varying amounts in certain oils, including:

  • olive oil
  • sunflower oil (high oleic is healthier)
  • sesame oil
  • flax oil
  • peanut oil and peanut butter (has both mono and polyunsaturated fats)
  • avocados
  • nuts and seeds

Some monounsaturated fats may not be the best option for cooking with though. There’s some concern high temps can create unhealthy free radicals. Research shows olive oil is safe to cook and bake with, but it’s not my first choice. I prefer to save my (pricier) olive oil for homemade salad dressings or drizzled over soups. When I was in a weight loss phase, I ate lots of olive oil!

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs)

PUFAs are vegetable oils that are liquid even at cold temperatures. They can easily go rancid and break down into free radicals when heated. They’re also the most likely to be used for frying foods. You’ll also find them in butter substitutes, like margarine.

To add insult to injury, most of these oils are hydrogenated. This makes them last longer on the shelf. However, they’re unusable to the body since we can’t metabolize them. They can also create free-radical damage.

You’ll see polyunsaturated fats under names like corn, cottonseed, canola, vegetable, soybean, peanut, etc and most of them often carry the title “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated.” My general advice to everyone is to completely avoid these types of fats, especially if they have been heated.

While I don’t ever recommend highly processed polyunsaturated fats, there are some positives.

Omega-3: The Good Side of PUFAs

PUFAs naturally occur in certain plant and animal foods. And these types of food also have anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. The issue is when they’re highly refined and out of balance. Most people eat way more omega-6 fats, but ideally, we’d have omega-3 and omega-6 in a 1:1 ratio. To combat this, many people now take omega-3 supplements.

I prefer to get my omega-3 fats from food as much as possible, and animal foods are the best source. Grass-fed and pasture-raised products are much higher in omega-3. While conventionally grain-fed raised animals have more omega-6 fats.

Here are some examples of healthy polyunsaturated fat (aka the omega-3 version)

  • Fatty fish (anchovies, sardines, salmon. etc.)
  • Grass-fed beef
  • Free range eggs

Flax and chia seeds have ALA omega-3 which is poorly converted by the body. I still use flax and chia for their health benefits, but they’re not the best source of omega-3s.

Omega-3s help with brain function, fight inflammation and boost energy levels. They also have the much-touted ALA, DHA, and EPA fats that are now added to many foods. I get my omega-3s from dietary sources, like anchovies and sardines.

Trans Fats

This fat completely deserves the heat it’s been getting. Hydrogenated trans fats aren’t healthy in any amount. This process turns unsaturated fats into much more dangerous trans fats. Our cells can’t absorb it which messes up their function.

Studies connect these guys to heart disease, obesity, abdominal fat, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Trans fats are one of my arguments against the “everything in moderation” idea, as they aren’t safe in any amount.

As of 2020 the FDA no longer allows any amount of fat from added trans fats. Many countries around the world have also phased it out. In response, scientists turned to creating fully hydrogenated fats by replacing part of the fat molecule with stearic acid.

These “interesterified fats” are what allow snack makers to place that lovely “no-trans fat” label on their packaging. Don’t be fooled! Interesterified fats are just as dangerous. Some studies show they can slow down metabolism and negatively affect heart health.

They haven’t been thoroughly studied for safety and there are still unanswered questions. We don’t fully know yet how they affect fat and glucose metabolism, inflammation, or blood health. Most studies have been done in young, healthy males, which leaves out most of the population.

What I Do

When I first started eating real food, I was the biggest cheerleader for saturated fats. I’d typically drink 1/4 cup of coconut oil a day in coffee and tea. I also relied heavily on foods like free-range eggs and red meat. While saturated fat from healthy sources is still a good option for most people, not so much for me.

After getting my genetics tested I found out my body doesn’t process saturated fats (or eggs) very well. Personally, I’ve felt a lot better focusing more on fish, poultry, and olive oil for my fat sources. Everyone is different though and what works for me won’t necessarily work for the next person.

The important thing is to get healthy fats from whole foods and as minimally processed as possible.

The Bottom Line on Low Fat Diets

I think we’ve established how important healthy fats are for body and brain function. We need fats, just the right ones.

As a recap:

  • Saturated fats from healthy meats, coconut, avocado, and nuts are good.
  • Monounsaturated fats are good as long as they’re not heated.
  • Omega-3s are vital to our body, especially because we eat them in improper ratios.

  • Processed vegetable oils, hydrogenated fats, trans fats, and interesterified fats are actually dangerous and should be avoided.

What kinds of fats do you eat? Do you avoid certain ones? Leave a comment and let me know!

Sources:
  1. American Heart Association. (2021, November 1). Saturated Fat.
  2. Harvard Health Publishing: Harvard Medical School. (2022, April 12). The truth about fats: the good, the bad, and the in-between.
  3. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2018, May 18). Trans Fat.
  4. van Rooijen, M. A., & Mensink, R. P. (2020). Palmitic Acid Versus Stearic Acid: Effects of Interesterification and Intakes on Cardiometabolic Risk Markers – A Systematic Review. Nutrients, 12(3), 615.
  5. Mensink, R. P., et al. (2016). The Increasing Use of Interesterified Lipids in the Food Supply and Their Effects on Health Parameters. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 7(4), 719–729.
  6. Siri-Tarino, P. W., et al. (2010). Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 91(3), 535–546.
  7. Enig, M., & Fallon, S. (2000, January 1). The Skinny on Fats. Weston A. Price Foundation.
Category: Health

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About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a wife and mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

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Reader Interactions

Discussion (73 Comments)

  1. Courtney

    August 29, 2013 at 9:06 PM

    Good explanation of what fats are chemically composed of, but I’m afraid you’re somewhat oversimplifying the issue of fats vs carbs vs sugar. You’re correct in the fact that excess energy from carbs is stored as fat, but extra fat from the diet is also obviously stored as fat. The problem is not with consuming fat (as many people, as you have stated, believe) but simply eating either too much fat, too many carbs, or too much sugar. As it turns out, anabolically speaking, any of those three groups can be synthesized into the other. So, all in all, eating some fat (especially essential fats) is GOOD, as you’ve said. Not eating enough fat is very bad for your heart in particular. Eating too much fat, however, does result in fat storage and overall weight gain. When fat levels are too high in the blood, this also does cardiovascular damage. Eating too many carbs results in fat synthesis in the body, creating the same problem. So overall, overeating in general is the problem we should be attacking. The reason low-fat diets are touted by physicians is because most people eat waaay too much fat in general (America as a country is one of the few that has a mostly meat diet), and so telling people to eat low-fat should result in normal amounts of dietary fats. There are very few patients that get sick from actually not eating enough fat, contrary to your impression.

    -Med student

    Reply
  2. Dainty Lia

    July 9, 2013 at 6:15 AM

    Would you recommend taking FCLO and krill oil?

    Reply
  3. Amy

    May 31, 2013 at 11:55 AM

    So avg 150 lb 26 year old should be 100 g protein, 50-100 g carbs and how many (g) of fat in a day?

    Reply
  4. Robea Patrowicz

    May 13, 2013 at 8:33 PM

    How much krill oil would you recommend per day? I take a fish oil supplement, should I continue to take that in addition to adding krill oil? Finally, what brands would you recommend as there are so many out there. Thank you!

    Reply
  5. Naveen

    February 19, 2013 at 5:16 PM

    Hi ! your blog is helping me a lot loose weight ! .. I am following all the instructions you give. I am using Butter for cooking. I was all happy until i went and saw my DR last week.. I went to get my routines done for this year, and saw that my Cholestrol has gone up (136 to 187).. and also my LDL has gone up (81 to 135) ! My HDL did too but not by too much (40-44) and my Triglyceride went down(76-64). I just want to make sure this is normal? or am i doing something wrong. I have been eating lots if FAT and Protein and very less Carbs.. I am not going to GYM, but i have changed my habits like taking the stairs etc..
    PLEASE HELP ME !

    Thanks in advance !!

    Naveen.

    Reply
    • Telicia

      May 11, 2014 at 12:38 AM

      Hey, I can’t really answer your question, but I know something like this issue is addressed in one of the Wheat Belly books.

      Reply
    • Nicci

      February 15, 2016 at 12:37 PM

      Hi Naveen
      I had similar troubles and my blood pressure was out of control.
      We really don’t need much fat in our diets. The body is engineered to fuel on carbohydrates. So if one removes the preferred fuel (carbs) to force the body to burn it’s least choice (fats) our bodies naturally reject this idea.
      Although, it seems rational in theory we may lose weight or may not, but our true health actually suffers.
      May I suggest the answer I was given?
      Stop eating dairy, meats, eggs, butter- all animal products. Lessen all oils to a low level,
      Enjoy all the starches you can. Go vegan. It saved my health and waistline. The Starch Solution. Search it on your computer or phone. You will not regret it. Plus it’s free information to change your health. I thank God for answering my prayer. So many opinions out there, but this one is real.
      Happy Eating from this day forward Naveen!

      Reply
  6. elenska

    January 31, 2013 at 6:33 PM

    Hi WEllness mama,
    so I dont understand, what aoubt sunflower oil? is it really bad for you? or ok if cold? you should not fry or cook with it? I am gettin gconfused here…

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      January 31, 2013 at 7:48 PM

      We avoid it, but if you use it- look for cold pressed, organic and don’t heat it!

      Reply
  7. Mary

    August 2, 2012 at 4:44 AM

    First of all thank you so much for taking the time to write and post all this life changing information! Much appreciated 🙂 I was wondering how many grams of fat you recommend consuming per day?

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      August 2, 2012 at 10:56 AM

      It varies a lot based on the individual, but the basic goal is to get the bulk of your calories from healthy forms of fat (though the volume of your food still won’t contain as much proportionate fat since it is much more nutrient and calorie dense). I take fermented cod liver oil daily and drink about 1/4 cup coconut oil in coffee or tea. You’ll know when you are getting enough for your body when you aren’t hungry or craving foods before meals…

      Reply
  8. Andy

    May 23, 2012 at 12:52 PM

    Excellent article. I also loved your post that gave seven reasons why saturated fat is good for you. One thing I’d like to point out with this one, though, is that when it comes to Omega 6 and Omega 3 essential fatty acids, there are only two — LA and ALA. The DPH and EPA you get from fish/krill oil are just derivatives of ALA, and we don’t really need that much of it (studies show that we derive less than 5% of our ALA intake down into DPH and EPA). For further info, I would recommend reading Brian Peskin’s article on the subject.

    Reply
  9. Elisa Peterson

    January 3, 2012 at 2:24 AM

    Do you know what, if any, krill oil levels are safe during breastfeeding and/or pregnancy?

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      January 3, 2012 at 10:09 AM

      I took a regular dose throughout all of my pregnancies, along with fermented cod liver oil.

      Reply
  10. Minnie

    December 29, 2011 at 11:31 PM

    Hey Wellness Mama,
    What are your thoughts on grapeseed oil?

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      December 30, 2011 at 10:05 PM

      It’s ok in moderation but not good for heating

      Reply
      • Terri

        January 27, 2013 at 2:26 PM

        Hi, I read that it is an oil that does not change its chemical properties until it hits a higher temperature and is therefore safer to use specifically for heating. Is there another process other than hydrogenating at work that makes you recommend no heat?

        It would be interesting to see a listing of all the different oils on a graph showing the temperatures where they begin and end hydrogenating. That way people can choose the oil to use based on the intended use.

        Do you think one of the processed food giants would share their research or would that expose them to liability by admission of knowledge?

        Reply
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