What are fats? Are All Fats Bad?

Fats are a very diverse group of macronutrients and are present in both animal and vegetable foods. With 9 calories per gram, fat is the densest caloric source required by the human body. However, not all fats are the same and it is crucial to pay attention to the types of fat that you include in your diet. Some fats are healthy, some are fairly neutral, while others are actively damaging to your health.

The War on Fat began in the late 1980s and ushered in an era of high-sugar, high-carb, and low-fat foods. You may remember the resurgence of the Atkins Diet and the introduction of books on the Mediterranean Diet from the late 1990s that finally made dietary fat socially accepted and medically recommended again. The truth is that a diet that includes the right kind of fat is not only beneficial but frankly important for your health.

What Fats do in the Body

Fats perform a number of functions in the body, such as helping to absorb certain micronutrients and keep skin and hair healthy. The process of creating, storing and using fat is the way the body keeps energy in balance. Fats allow your body to absorb and accumulate fat-soluble vitamins in liver tissue and adipose tissue. Vitamins A, D, K, and beta-carotene normally have an absorption rate of about 80%, while vitamin E is absorbed in a rate of about 20%. In one study, the absorption of vitamin D simply increased, by adding fat to the food. When the fat content of the meal was 30% of the number of calories, the absorption of vitamin D3 improved significantly. Fat is responsible for creating basic metabolic processes that regulate growth, immune function, and reproductive development. If you're trying to limit your fat intake, consume no less than 6% of your calories in the form of fat to keep these systems functioning properly. At the other end of the spectrum, limit your fat intake by 20-35% of your total daily calories. Since fat contains more than twice the calories of protein or carbohydrates, excessive consumption can lead to weight gain.

Absorption and Storage of Fats

Most dietary fats are "triglycerides". These are composed of three hydrocarbon chains of fatty acids attached to a glycerol skeleton. During the digestive process, bile decomposes triglycerides in the small intestine so that they can be absorbed into the bloodstream through the liver and either directed to the cells for immediate use or sent to lipocytes (fat cells) for its storage and subsequent use.

Metabolism of Fat Reserves

When your body is nourished by its energy reserves, the first reserves it uses are carbohydrates, which are stored in the form of branched chains of glycogen in the muscles and liver. People only store enough carbohydrates to feed 20-30 minutes of vigorous activity. After that, your body uses fat reserves as an energy source. Lipases are the enzymes that break down fat reserves to obtain energy for the mitochondria. The metabolism of fat is aerobic (requires oxygen molecules) and takes place in the mitochondria. The metabolism of carbohydrates is anaerobic (does not require oxygen) to release energy.

In addition to providing an abundant energy source in calories, visceral fat protects the organs of the abdominal cavity from possible damage. Subcutaneous fat isolates muscles and helps regulate body temperature.

Types of Fat

Food fat may be essential or non-essential. Essential fatty acids, such as omega-6 (linoleic acid) and omega-3 (alpha-linolenic), cannot be produced by the human body - we should consume them. There are several sub-classifications of these fats, such as ALA and DHA, which are distinguished by their chemical structure. The body depends on the essential fatty acids for blood coagulation, neuronal development and the management of inflammation.

Non-essential fatty acids are still important for the body but can be produced by the body internally with adequate resources. Saturated fat is not essential in a nutritional sense, but it is important for hormonal regulation in the body.

Whether a fat is saturated or unsaturated depends on the number of hydrogen atoms attached to the carbon chain that makes up the triglyceride. If the fatty acid is saturated, it has no double bonds between the carbon atoms. The fatty acid chain is completely saturated with hydrogen atoms. If there are double bonds between two carbons in the chain, the fatty acid is monounsaturated or polyunsaturated, depending on the number of double bonds in the chain. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature because the hydrocarbon chains are closer. These linear chains can come together at the molecular level and become denser. The mono- and polyunsaturated fats are twisted or doubled by their carbon double bonds, preventing the chains from accumulating on top of each other.

All combinations of fats of natural origin are composed of a mixture of polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids. The physical state of the fat at room temperature is determined by the most prevalent type of fatty acid. In olive oil, the monounsaturated fatty acid is dominant, so it is liquid at room temperature. Butter is mostly composed of saturated fatty acids, so it is solid at room temperature.

What are trans fats?

Trans fats are the famous fats that the media has talked about so much over the past decade, making manufacturers of processed foods angry. In July 2015, the US authorities announced the approval of a national ban on these dangerous fats that promote cardiovascular disease by increasing LDL (bad) cholesterol and lowering HDL (good) cholesterol. Trans fats are the product of the hydrogenation of the carbon double bonds of fatty acids so that they are completely saturated with hydrogen atoms, converting healthy fats into saturated fats. Hydrogenation increases the shelf life, palatability and texture of processed foods, but contributes to cardiovascular disease. Trans fats are also found in small amounts in meat and dairy products, but the amount is negligible.

Trans fats are being phased out of the US food supply but, in the meantime, avoid foods that contain trans fat, such as:

• Coffee cream substitutes for coffee

• Salty and sweet cookies, cakes, frozen cakes and other baked goods

•        Fast food

•        Frozen pizza

• Prepared icing

• Refrigerated dough products (such as cookies and cinnamon rolls)

Trans fats are structurally different from ordinary saturated fats. They cause diseases and should be avoided completely.

What are saturated fats?

Saturated fats are found mainly in products of animal origin such as meat and dairy products, but there are a couple of sources of plant origin such as palm kernel oil, coconut oil and cocoa butter (chocolate fat) ). These fats are solid at room temperature. Although coconut oil and cocoa butter have good qualities, saturated fats from animal products should be avoided as they can raise blood cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. If you are trying to prevent or slow the development of cardiovascular disease, it is imperative to keep the total calories from saturated fat a day to no more than 6%.

Chocolate is unique since most of its saturated fat comes from stearic acid, which is a fatty acid that actually reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. If you decide to include it in your diet, make sure that the only fat in the ingredients is cocoa butter or stearic acid. Low-quality chocolate usually includes milk fat or other saturated fats.

What are Unsaturated Fats?

It is often said that unsaturated fats are healthy fats because they cause the opposite effect of saturated fats. Unsaturated fats reduce LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol. The consumption of these fats can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Unsaturated fats are concentrated in the oils found naturally in fish, nuts, seeds and some fatty fruits. They can be monounsaturated or polyunsaturated.

Monounsaturated fatty acids

It is often said that monounsaturated fatty acids are "heart healthy" because they lower LDL cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The highest concentrations are found in olive, sunflower and safflower oils, as well as in avocados and most nuts. The oils from these sources also provide vitamin E, a fat-soluble vitamin.

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

Polyunsaturated fatty acids, also known as PUFA, make up the predominant fat in fish (such as salmon), vegetable oils and some nuts and seeds. The omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated and cannot be synthesized by the body.

The general consensus is that most people should consume more omega-3 fatty acids and less omega-6 to reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases related to diet that affect Western societies. Omega-3 fatty acids can help slow the development of arterial plaque, reduce triglycerides and reduce the risk of arrhythmia.

What is high cholesterol?

The excess cholesterol in the blood is called high blood cholesterol. High cholesterol can lead to heart disease, so it's important to be aware of your cholesterol status. Doctors usually perform a panel of lipoproteins, also called a lipid profile, to determine your situation. The test measures three forms of fat in the blood:

• Low-density lipoproteins (LDL): "bad" cholesterol, the main source of cholesterol in your body. High levels of LDL in the blood can lead to atherosclerosis and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. The purpose of LDL is to bring cholesterol to the cells, which can accumulate in the walls of the arteries.

• High-density lipoproteins (HDL): "good" cholesterol that carries cholesterol from cells and walls of blood vessels to the liver to remove it from the body.

• Triglycerides: the free fatty acids that are transported in the blood and used as energy. A combination of high triglyceride levels, low HDL, and high LDL may increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Experts recommend a total cholesterol level below 200 mg/dl. The following table describes the different categories of cholesterol levels.

Total cholesterol	Categoría
Less than 200 mg / dL	Desirable
200-239 mg / dL	High limit
240 mg / dL or more	High

LDL cholesterol (bad)	Categoría de Colesterol LDL
Less than 100 mg / dL	Optimum
100-129mg / dL	Almost optimal / above optimal
130-159 mg / dL	High limit
160-189 mg / dL	High
190 mg / dL or more	Very high

HDL cholesterol (good)	HDL Cholesterol Category
Menos de 40 mg/dL	Important risk factor for heart disease
40-59 mg/dL	The larger it is, the better
60 mg/dL y superior	Considered a protection against heart disease

What to do to keep your cholesterol under control

What to do to keep your cholesterol under control

To keep your cholesterol levels under control, I recommend a diet of raw foods. Vegetarians usually have cholesterol levels significantly lower than omnivores, and vegans usually show the lowest. If a diet based on raw foods is not realistic for you, it is best to avoid processed foods and eat a lot of green leafy vegetables, healthy nuts and vegetable oils such as flaxseed. You should pay attention to the partially hydrogenated oils on the nutrition labels; Even if a package says "0 grams of trans fat" it can still contain a maximum of 0.5 g of trans fat in each serving. Try to reduce or eliminate the consumption of saturated fats and cook with extra virgin olive oil.

One of the most delicious ways to regularly cleanse your body of excess cholesterol is to eat more fiber. Research indicates that bile acids, which are synthesized from cholesterol, bind to soluble fiber in the intestines. This bile is eliminated from the colon later and the body must use more cholesterol that it extracts from the blood to synthesize more bile. Eat foods rich in soluble fiber such as oats, whole grains, legumes and citrus fruits to lower cholesterol.

Fats are an essential part of a healthy diet, but you should be aware of what you are eating. Do you have information about food fats? Leave a comment below and share.

The information and statements made are for educational purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. Global Healing Center does not dispense medical advice, prescribe or diagnose diseases. The opinions and nutritional advice expressed by Global Healing Center are not intended to be a substitute for conventional medical services. If you have a serious medical condition or concern about your health, consult your doctor.