"It is important to have fat in our diet as it helps us to absorb vitamins, provides us with energy and is the source of essential fatty acids or Omega fatty acids. Essential fatty acids are so-named because our bodies cannot produce them yet we need them to function and grow.Types of fat in food:
Unsaturated
• Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated fats,
• Essential or Omega fatty acids (3, 6, and 9)
• Trans fats
Saturated fat
The good
We should strive to eat unsaturated fat as these provide the healthier choice and can actually help reduce cholesterol. Unsaturated fats include;
Monounsaturated fats which are found in natural foods such as nuts and avocados, and are the main component of tea seed oil and olive oil (oleic acid).
Polyunsaturated fats can mostly be found in grain products, fish and sea food.
Essential fatty acids or Omega fatty acids. These fats are found in oily fish, avocados, nuts, seeds and vegetable oils. Oily fish is also a great source of omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids have been found to have many beneficial effects on the body including improving varicose veins and stimulating blood circulation.
Regular intake is reported to reduce the risk of primary and secondary heart attacks and may help with depression and anxiety. Also there are reports of improved behavior and concentration especially in children with learning disabilities, ADHD and autism. Some omega 3 fatty acids are found in certain vegetable oils, such as linseed, flaxseed, walnut and rapeseed. The FDA recommends no more than 3 grams per day, of which no more than 2 should be from supplements.
The bad
Eating a diet high in saturated fat can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which then increases the chance of developing heart disease. If you have a diet high in these fats and take little or no exercise you are more likely to be overweight. Saturated fats are found in meat products, sausages, hard cheese, butter, pastry, cakes, cream and coconut oil.
The ugly
Trans fats are produced by bubbling hydrogen gas through unsaturated vegetable oil. Vegetable oil treated in this way does not spoil easily. These characteristics made it attractive to food makers because it extends the shelf life of their products.
As with saturated fat trans fats increase cholesterol and therefore increase the risk of heart disease. Trans fats are essentially unsaturated which makes them the ugliest of the fats due to the fact the label may say unsaturated leading you to believe it is the healthier option. At the moment under EU law trans fats do not even have to be on the food label even if they are present in the food. Something they are promising to change in the future.
Trans fats are usually found in these foods biscuits, cakes, fast food, pastry and some margarines. Generally these foods contain a lot of sugar and salt too. So if you are aiming for a healthy diet it is better to leave them out.
Anyone with congestive heart failure, chronic recurrent angina or evidence that their heart is receiving insufficient blood flow should contact their doctor before taking fish oil supplements."
FirstMed Centers Kft.
Hattyúház, Hattyú u. 14.
H-1015 Budapest, Hungary
16.10.2008