For years, doctors and health organizations have strongly recommended that patients eat good fats over bad fats to protect their hearts. Those good fats are usually unsaturated fats, such as olive oil, that act as anti-inflammatories for the circulatory system. While fats that are bad for you, are usually trans fat or saturated fats, such as butter or cheese.

However, you may be wondering if fat is a good idea at all for diabetics?

The Big, Fat Question

People with diabetes are also at an increased risk of developing heart disease, obesity, and other complications that are generally associated with high fat intake. At least, these diseases have been for many years. Recent reviews of over 72 studies have found that the connection between saturated fats and heart disease may not be as strong as previously thought.

It’s more likely that fat in of itself isn’t necessarily bad for you. The issues can develop when you overeat, especially the saturated fats. These fats can cause inflammation, weight gain, and push other good nutrients out of your diet.

As they say, moderation in everything!

How Much Fat?

So, you can enjoy fat in your diet and the good fats will definitely benefit you. They primarily lower the amount of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in your bloodstream. Overall, it’s better to get more unsaturated fats and to start cutting back on your saturated fat intake.

It’s a good idea to eat less than 20 grams of saturated fat per day. However, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans from 2015 to 2020 report doesn’t even put a recommended limit on the amount of your fat intake. Instead, it focuses more on providing dietary suggestions and recommending healthy fats.

The Good Fats

Just what are the good fats for diabetics? Well, there are many sources of healthy fats that you can include in your diet. Some of them are:

• nut
• avocado
• canola oil
• olives
• peanut butter and oil
• sesame seeds
• tuna
• salmon
• sardines
• soybean oil
• sunflower oil
• corn oil
• pumpkin seeds
• soft margarine