Emerging research suggests some saturated fats carry out important functions in the body. However, this does not counteract the advice that people should reduce saturated fat consumption.

The beneficial effects of consuming omega-3 fatty acids are well publicised, but omega-6 fatty acids feature far less in the news. So what are fatty acids and why is it important that we get the balance right?

Cholesterol often gets a bad press and, in a way, that is right because a high level of bad cholesterol in your blood is a major risk factor for heart disease. A healthy balanced lifestyle and diet can help reduce the risk of heart disease, but cholesterol also plays a vital role in keeping the body healthy.

In order to clarify the role of trans fatty acids (TFA or “trans fats”) in human health, the European Commission asked the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for a scientific opinion. The EFSA report was published in August 2004 (1).

Even though most Europeans still eat more fat than is recommended, it is time for a more balanced approach to managing our intake of this nutrient. If you know your fats you are in a good position to both enjoy your food and get a healthy balance of fats at the same time.

Many components naturally present in vegetable oils have been shown to have beneficial properties. Once isolated and concentrated, a number of these compounds have proven effective in treating a wide range of conditions ranging from irritable bowel syndrome to chronic liver disease (1). Similarly, many of the fatty acids and other compounds present in vegetable oils have long been known to benefit our health. There is clearly great potential for developing functional vegetable oils.

Although no single food alone can make a person healthy, eating more fish is one way that most of us can help improve our diets—and our health. Many of the studies about beneficial omega-3 fatty acids focus on fish as the primary source. Salmon, sardines, tuna and even shellfish are rich in omega-3 fatty acid content, but increasing your consumption of all types of fish and seafood is recommended.

The idea that conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) could protect against certain cancers, as well as heart disease is attractive but the evidence to date, while encouraging, is still far from conclusive.

Against a global backdrop of increasing levels of obesity 1, it is important that public health messages to counter this serious problem really work. In a major collaborative venture, five European research centres recently carried out a study to test whether current advice to follow a low-fat diet actually reduced weight in a free-living situation2.