Not All Fats are Bad for You
Your body needs essential fatty acids for optimal health and wellbeing. Fats (or lipids) are visible in meat and dairy products but most foods do contain some fats. Plant sources of fats include the oils found in nuts, seeds, soy beans, avocados, peanuts and olives. Plant oils contain the essential fatty acids (EFAs).
Fats are an important part of a healthy balanced diet. The problem arises however when the intake of the wrong kind of fats is excessive. The excessive intake of the wrong fats leads to many health problems including:
- obesity
- cardiovascular disease
- diabetes
- increased risk of cancers including breast and colon cancer
- varicose veins
The maximum daily intake of fats should not exceed 40 g per day or 30% of our total daily food intake. We can actually live on very little fat because there are fats in many protein and carbohydrate foods. Our only dietary requirements are the key essential fatty acids - linolenic (omega -3) and linoleic (omega-6) acids.
Functions of fatsFats perform many important functions in the body these include the following. Fats:
- in the body are stored energy - energy that it can later use in times of decreased food and energy intake.
- insulates the body and protect it from cold and injury.
- transport other nutrients - such as fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
- are an integral part of the cell membrane of all cells.
- are involved in the synthesis of many hormones.
- surround many organs of the body and this protects these organs from injury.
- help to regulate body temperature.
Triglycerides - composed of three fatty acids and one glycerol molecule for most of our dietary intake of fats. Cholesterol is a fat that is obtained through the food that is eaten and is also made in the body - it is involved in many body functions. A disturbance of the balance between the LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol and the HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol and triglycerides is involved in the development of heart disease. Most of the people who suffer from heart disease have too little HDL cholesterol. Essential fatty acids increase the amount of HDL in the blood.
A diet that is too low in essential fatty acids lead to the development of health problems such as:
- depression
- dry skin
- brittle nails
- hormone imbalances
- immune system problems
- gradual deterioration of the cells and tissues and ultimately death
The good fats are essential fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids. These are found in:
- olive oil,
- grapeseed oil,
- supplements containing evening primrose oil or salmon oil,
- some nuts,
- avocado and
- cold-water fish.
The bad fats are trans-fatty acids and saturated fats. These are found in:
- red meat,
- dairy products including milk, cheese, cream and yoghurt,
- butter,
- vegetable oils such as sunflower oil, coconut, palm and safflower,
- brick margarine,
- whipped cream toppings and
- processed foods.
Saturated fats come from animals and are generally solid at room temperature. They include butter, lard and suet. Coconut and palm oils are liquid saturated fats. Saturated fats are more stable than unsaturated fats and thus tend to go rancid less easily than unsaturated fats.
Unsaturated fats are usually liquid at room temperature - that is they are generally oils. There are two types - mono and polyunsaturated.
Monounsaturated fatty acid molecule has two adjoining carbon atoms are attached by a double bond and there is room for another pair of hydrogen atoms. Eg. Oleic acid in olive oil. When more than one area of the carbon chain in the fatty acid molecule can accept hydrogen atoms it is said to be polyunsaturated Eg. Linoleic acid in safflower and other plant oils.
What are trans-fatty acids?Trans-fatty acids are found in brick margarine, shortening, commercially baked goods and processed foods and foods containing partially hydrogenated oils. Partially hydrogenated oils are made when manufacturers artificially saturate liquid oils with hydrogen to form solid fats - this process forms harmful trans-fatty acids. These fatty acids are shaped differently from the mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids from which they were made. They affect cell membranes, essential fatty acids and prostaglandin functions adversely. Trans-fatty acids:
- raise total cholesterol
- lower the blood levels of the good HDL cholesterol
- raise the blood levels of the bad LDL cholesterol
- interfere with blood sugar and insulin
- reduce the body's ability to rid itself of toxins, carcinogens and drugs
- decrease immune function
- tend to be associated with pregnancy and reproductive problems, poor milk quality and low birth weigh babies.
Essential fatty acids are derived from animal and plant sources. "Essential' means that the body cannot produce the specific fatty acid and has to take them in form outside sources - either through food or supplements. Linoleic acid (omega-6), linolenic acid (omega-3) and arachidonic acid (this is formed from linoleic, linolenic acids) are indispensable for the biochemistry of the body. We need more omega-3 than omega-6 - in a ratio of about 2:1.
Fats have received a bad reputation in recent years. This is because our Western diet has emphasised food that are high in trans-fatty acids and saturated fatty acids. These fatty acids - especially when taken in excess can be harmful to the body. However the body needs fats for proper functioning. The body needs to take in the essential fatty acids Linoleic acid (omega-6), linolenic acid (omega 3 ).
31.08.2007. 21:17
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