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The Mediterranean diet includes a lot of good fat. Whether it’s the olive oil, the omega-3 essential fatty acids or the healthy fats from nuts, good fats have a prominent place in this diet.

So… why all the fat? Fats help our bodies absorb certain vitamins as they provide nourishment for our nervous system. Choosing healthy monounsaturated fats can actually lower our risk of heart disease. 25 to 30 percent of our daily calories should come from the healthier fats as we limit the unhealthier choices.

Below is an overview of good fats and bad fats along with their benefits and dangers.

Friendly and productive fats fall under the title of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Monounsaturated fats raise good cholesterol levels and lower bad cholesterol levels. They help to protect us against arterial plaque build-up in our arteries. They also help to prevent excessive belly fat.

Monounsaturated fats are found in foods like olive oils, almonds, cashews, sesame seeds and avocados.

Polyunsaturated fats lower the LDL or Low Density Lipoprotein (bad cholesterol levels). Polyunsaturated fats also contain Omega 3’s, which boost our brain function, strengthen our immune system and improve our moods. Polyunsaturated fats also include Omega 6, which benefits skin and eye health.

Saturated fats are bad fats! They can be found in meats, poultry and dairy products like butter and whole milk. Limit saturated fats to ten percent of your daily calories and remove hard fats such as poultry skins, bacon fat and lard in order to adhere to the Mediterranean way of eating .

Saturated fats do have some positive characteristics, one of which is Lauric acid. Lauric acid aids in increasing HDL (good cholesterol levels).

Keep in mind however that we often eat far too much saturated fat for the positive to outweigh the negative reactions of this fatty group. Hence it is deemed bad and has a negative effect on the body.

Think of Trans fats as a manmade invention that makes food last longer on grocery store shelves.

Trans Fats raise bad cholesterol levels and lower good cholesterol levels. Prolonging the shelf life of a grocery product reduces cost to the grocer but promotes inflammation and heart disease in our bodies via the additives used to preserve the product.

Trans fats may be identified as Partially Hydrogenated Oils on food labels. Some misleading laws state that the product may be labeled as zero Trans fat provided it is under a half a gram per serving. In order to determine if the product is truly free of Trans fats you must check the ingredients label for the Partially Hydrogenated Oils . If this ingredient is on the label then there are Trans fats in the product.

The Mediterranean diet suggests a reduction of unhealthy fatty acid groups that clog arteries and an increase in the amount of foods that support healthier cholesterol levels.

The Mediterranean diet is full of healthy and healing foods . It reduces foods that cause diseases especially when overeaten as they are in some cultures that consume higher levels of red meats and dairy.