You think “fats” are bad for you? Think again…

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What are Fats?

Fats are usually seen in the bad light, as the main cause of increased cholestrol and body weight, heart problems and even cancer. Hoewever, fats are not as bad as they are thought to be. A vital building block of the human body, they play an important role in promoting healthy cell function, maintaining body temperature, and insulating body organs against shock. The body uses fats as an energy store. When the body requires energy, it breaks these fats into glyrcerol and free fatty acids. The glycerol is converted to glucose by the liver and the fatty acids are a good source of energy for many tissues, especially heart and skeletal muscle.

Well, one needs to clearly understand that it is not ‘fat’ as a whole but the type of fats and the quantity consumed that needs to be checked for a heathy living.What is becoming clearer and clearer is that bad fats (saturated and trans fats) increase the risk for certain diseases while good fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats) lower the risk. The key is to substitute good fats for bad fats. 

Types of fat

There are two types of fat – the good fat and the bad fat

The Good Fat – The good fats consisting of unsaturated fats improve the cholestrol level in the body.

Polysaturated Fat – Polyunsaturated fats are not “saturated” with hydrogen atoms. Usually liquid at room temperature, there are a number of spaces around each fat molecule where hydrogen atoms could be attached. Polyunsaturated fat is beneficial to health as they lower the cholestrol level and helps in preventing heart diseases, arthiritis and certain joint and skin problems.

Monosaturated Fat – As the name suggests, each fat molecule has space for one more hydrogen atom only. Some experts believe that it has a nuetral effect on the health whereas others vouch for their helath benefits.

The Bad Fat – The bad fats consisting of saturated and trans fats worsen the cholestrol level in the body.

Saturated Fats – Saturated fats are mainly animal fats. They are found in meat, seafood, whole-milk dairy products and egg yolks. Some plant foods are also high in saturated fats, including coconut and coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil. Saturated fats raise total blood cholesterol levels more than dietary cholesterol because they tend to boost both good HDL and bad LDL cholesterol. It is important to limit saturated fats as its net result is negetive.

Trans Fats – Trans fatty acids are fats produced by heating liquid vegetable oils in the presence of hydrogen. This process is known as hydrogenation. Trans fats are even worse for cholesterol levels than saturated fats because they raise bad LDL and lower good HDL. It is important to not just limit but eliminate trans fat from the diet..New York has already called for a ban in trans fat food, making it the first trans fat free city in the world.

How much of fat is reccomended for the body?

According to the American Heart Association, the total intake of fat should be limited to 30% or less of daily calories. However, it is important to consume good fats and avoid bad fats as much as possible withing this limitation.

Fat and Cholestrol

One of the most important determinants of blood cholesterol level is fat in the diet – not total fat, as mentioned already, but specific types of fat. Some types of fat are good for cholesterol levels and others are bad for them.

Role of cholestrol in the body

The liver produces a wax like substance called Cholestrol which plays a vital role in the formation of cell membranes, hormones and vitamin D. This cholestrol is transported to all parts of the body through lipoprotiens (protien carriers) in the blood streams.

If there is too much cholestrol in the blood, it deposits on the inside of the arteries in the form of ‘plaque’. This narrows the artery and slows down or blocks the blood flow. This narrowing of arteries, known as atherosclerosis, is a comman cause of heart attacks.

Cholestrol is carried in the body through protein carriers known as lipoprotiens. There are two types of lipoprtoiens which work in opposite directions.

Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) carry cholesterol from the liver to the rest of the body. When there is too much LDL cholesterol in the blood, it can be deposited on the walls of the coronary arteries. Because of this, LDL cholesterol is often referred to as the “bad” cholesterol.

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) carry cholesterol from the blood back to the liver, which processes the cholesterol for elimination from the body. HDL makes it less likely that excess cholesterol in the blood will be deposited in the coronary arteries, which is why HDL cholesterol is often referred to as the “good” cholesterol.

 

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle

It is important to cut down the bad fats and substitute them with the good fats to ensure a healthy existance. Fat, like any other building block, is harmful in excess. However, one needs to realise that eliminating fats totally from the system will cause it to collapse.

 While planning out your diet, ensure that you stick to the healthy limit of fat consumption (30% or less of the daily calories consumed) and select ones that are good for the body.

Tags: body, cholestrol, Diet, fats, health, healthy lifestyle