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Whenever Fats is mentioned, we tend to
stay away from the topic thinking of the negativity of it to our
health. You may be wrong for the first time. We need fats in our diet.
We need good fats. Without fats in our diet, our health will
deteriorate, our brain will not function properly, we have trouble with
metabolism, our body temperature will fluctuate indecently and the list
goes on.
Fats are made up of chains of molecule
called fatty acids. There are two distinct types of fats and each type
of fats are broken down further to two sub types.
Both good fats and bad fats are not created equal and they
do impact on our health very much. Our energy balance will be
disrupted when our fats are disproportion from our food intake.
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The Good Fats
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Monounsaturated Fats
Most of the monounsaturated fats are
found in plants. Their primary source are from olive oil, canola oil,
safflower oil and avocados. When you replace saturated fats with
monounsaturated fats, you are lowering your bad cholesterol (LDL)
without lowering your good cholesterol (HDL)
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Polyunsaturated Fats
Polyunsaturated Good Fatty Acids are
found in plant products such as corn oil, flaxseed oil, sunflower oil,
pumpkin oil, walnut oil, soy bean oil and palm oil. They are also
readily available in cold water fish such as chinook salmon, herring,
anchovy, albacore tuna and mackerel.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential
to ongoing good health. Our body needs them through our diet because we
can't produce them.
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids are made up
of:
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Omega 3
Omega 3 derive most of it's oil from cold
water fish, canola oil, walnuts, Brazil nuts, flaxseed oil and leafy
green vegetables.
Medical research have proven that omega 3
is able to prevent heart disease, Alzheimer disease, improve memory,
prevent sudden cardiac death, arrhythmia, elevate blood triglyceride
levels, prevent blood clots and prevent skin disease.
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Omega 6
Omega 6 are found in animal meat, milk,
eggs, vegetable oils, seeds and nuts. They are the most common oil and
readily available.
To lead a healthier life, intake of omega
3 and omega 6 should be balance with the least ratio of 1:2.
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The Bad Fats
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Saturated Fats
Saturated Fatty Acids are found primarily
in animal fats. We need saturated in moderation but not in total
abstinence. Food such as red meat, dairy products such as whole milk,
butter and cheese are rich in saturated fats
Saturated Fatty Acids increases blood
cholesterol and triglycerides. The American Heart Association
recommends not more than 7% of daily calories consumption should come
from saturated fats.
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Trans Fatty Acid
Trans Fatty Acid are artificial fatty
acids. They are the modern day man made fatty acids. Trans fatty acid
is the by product of hydrogenating polyunsaturated fats. This man made
fats are used in modern day food because of the stability of the fats.
Trans fat do not spoil as fast as polyunsaturated or monounsaturated
fats.
Junk food usually are made of trans fats
as one of the primarily ingredient.
There are many adverse health problems
associated trans fatty acids. They are found to be the culprit to
increase the bad cholesterol (LDL) and lower the good cholesterol (HDL).
The effect is so great that according to
New England Journal of Medicine, when you replace just 2% of your
energy intake from trans fatty acid to monounsaturated fats or
polyunsaturated fats, you decrease the risk of heart disease by up to
53%.
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