Although it has long been said that foods such as salmon, eggs, or dark chocolate are very good for health thanks to the components they contain and the benefits they confer, there are options that are even better when it comes to taking care of health, especially for the future. This is explained by pharmacist and dietitian Maria Casas through one of her TikTok videos, where she analyzes the different sources of fat and places at the top of the podium the flax seeds, nuts, avocado, and olives.
According to the expert, we tend to associate salmon with omega-3, eggs with their large amount of proteins and their high nutritional density, or chocolate with its flavonoids, known for improving blood circulation and helping to reduce inflammation; which has ended up making these foods become “famous”, and indeed, while they fall into the “good” category on the expert’s podium, she insists on pointing out that there are foods better that people are unaware of. Therefore, Maria clarifies that when buying these alongside other foods, we see they have worse long-term health results. To understand why, the nutritionist has prepared a ranking that runs from the options most harmful to the group that can truly be a big help.
The Fat Podium: From Worst to Best
To facilitate daily shopping choices, María Casas classifies fats into different categories according to the impact they can have on the body:
The Worst Options: Industrial Pastries and Processed Meats
They occupy the lowest rung. Casas warns that they combine saturated fats, sugars, salt, and other ingredients that have shown poorer health results.
To Consume in Moderation: Red Meat, Full-Fat Dairy, and Coconut Oil
This category includes butter, fatty cheeses, and coconut oil. They are especially high in saturated fats, and many people consume them daily even though there are much better options available.
The “Good” Options: Salmon, Eggs, and Chocolate
They are healthy and very popular foods, but they fall behind when compared with other alternatives that offer greater long-term benefits.
The “Very Good”, but With a Caveat: High-Quality Vegetable Oils
Oils rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids are a great option, but the expert notes that being in liquid form they do not preserve all the properties found in their whole version. For that reason they do not enter the TOP 3.
The 3 Best Fat Sources According to the Expert
To take the top spot on the podium, it is not only the type of fat that matters, but also whether the food preserves its complete matrix, that is, its fiber, minerals, and natural antioxidants.
Rank 1: Flax Seeds and Nuts
They crown the ranking. Maria Casas highlights that “flax seeds are the best source of omega-3”, and that, together with nuts such as pistachios, they are the foods that “have shown the best health outcomes consistently over the long term, far better than the rest of the sources”.
Rank 2: the Avocado
Maria regards this as an excellent source of healthy fats. It stands out for being much more satiating, relatively low in calories, and preserving a more complete matrix.
Rank 3: Olives
To harness their benefits, the dietitian makes a crucial point: it is important that they be unsalted. In this way, they preserve their fiber, minerals, and bioactive compounds such as phenolic compounds.
