Introduction
It is a very common practice that people are cutting down on fats as they can lead to many negative and harmful effects in an individual's body. Not all fats are meant to be avoided. Fats that are healthy can be incorporated into the diet. The fats that can be incorporated into the daily diet, different types and varieties of fats that can be obtained through the diet, and the differentiation between the good and bad fats along with the best ways to consume them are briefly described in this article.
What Are Fats and How Are They Metabolized in the Human Body?
Fat is considered unhealthy, but that is not the fact. The type of fat one chooses as dietary intake and the frequency of that intake add many differences to the systemic health. Healthy fats not only provide a rich texture to the meals but also add the right amount of flavor to a balanced diet. The foods that contain the largest amounts of healthy fats for example include meat, dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds etc. Typical examples of cooking fats are olive oil, lard, canola oil, butter, margarine, etc. Fats are linked to cholesterol which is a type of fatty substance made by the liver, but is yielded eventually from one's diet. Fat metabolism has several important functions in the body such as:
-
It maintains the components of the cell membrane and its structures.
-
It helps in the transport of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K in the body.
-
Energy (ATP - adenosine triphosphate) storage in the body cells is also facilitated.
-
Helps in the formation of steroid hormones in the body.
-
Provides protection or insulation from cold.
-
Lubrication of the body surface is also done due to fat metabolism.
What Are the Sources of Good and Bad Fats?
Sources of Good Fats:
The largest amounts of polyunsaturated fats are yielded from plant sources only like seeds, nuts, and vegetable oils. Fish and seafood are also equally rich in these healthy polyunsaturated fats. Olive oil, canola oil, avocado, and nuts are good examples of heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids.
Sources of Bad Fats:
The bad fats are foods that are rich in saturated fats and trans fats usually like fried food, baked chips, baked goods, oily snacks, creamy sauces, oily dressings, sugar-filled desserts, and processed and refined foods.
What Are Saturated Fats?
Saturated fats are those fats that are usually solid at room temperature. These fats are always considered unhealthy. Saturated fats can be unhealthy only when one exceeds the appropriate amount of consumption needed on a daily basis. When excess saturated fat is consumed, it may raise the LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol in the blood, and it would certainly lead to potential health problems. According to the dietary guidelines for Americans, as suggested by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), an individual is recommended to keep their daily intake of saturated fat to less than at least 10 percent of the total calories they consume in a day. For instance, If an individual is on a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet, then the appropriate saturated fat intake for them should be not more than 0.7760 ounces in a day (10 percent of the total calories which equals 200 calories or less). Excessive saturated fats are directly proportional to the LDL cholesterol.
Research shows that more consumption of these saturated fats is not heart-healthy and would certainly contribute to the increased risk of acquiring cardiovascular diseases. A common myth is that all kinds of saturated fats are bad which is untrue. For example, the saturated fats in dairy would certainly influence an immuno-protective effect on an individual's health system. As a part of low-fat diets, experts recommend maintaining the saturated fat content to a limit and cutting back on the extra fat and instead opting for heart-healthy or cardioprotective polyunsaturated and mono-saturated fats that decrease the LDL cholesterol in the blood.
What Are Unsaturated Fats?
Unsaturated fats are mainly of the mono and polyunsaturated varieties. These fats are obtained through plant and animal-based diets that are commonly found in nuts, seeds, fish, avocados, and olive oil. The unsaturated fats remain only liquids at room temperature and are considered essentially "good" fats owing to nutrition research. It indicates that as the LDL particle size is considerably reduced by consuming such poly and mono-unsaturated fats, the risk of developing cardiovascular disease also is low in Individuals who follow this balanced diet filled with healthy fats.
What Are Trans Fats?
Trans fats are solids at room temperature and are also artificially produced by the addition of hydrogen to the oils to create more double bonds in their chemical structure. This is done to prolong and make the fats more shelf stable. Some animal foods may also contain trace amounts of naturally occurring trans fat that would be potentially detrimental to an individual's health as well.
Trans fats are certainly capable of raising the LDL cholesterol in blood and tend to lower the "good" or HDL cholesterol, increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease as well as diabetes in an individual. In fact, the recommended intake of trans fats by nutrition experts is very low and should be negligible or zero. According to the American Heart Association, the daily recommendation that one consume should be less than one percent of the daily calories that come from trans fats provides an ideal way of sustaining cardiovascular health. For instance, an individual who consumes around 2,000 calories per day should not exceed the limit of consuming more than 0.0705 ounces of trans fats (approximately 18 calories overall).
How to Avoid Bad Fats in the Diet?
To prevent the risky effects of consuming bad cholesterol and the onset of cardiovascular diseases, the below-mentioned precautions can be followed.
-
Cutting down on bad fat consumption can be done by limiting the amount of saturated fat and avoiding trans fat altogether.
-
Avoid consuming unhealthy baked goods, desserts, chocolates, and sugary and processed, refined, or fried foods.
-
While cooking, nutrition experts recommend plant-based oils that are heart-healthy like canola, olive, sunflower, or coconut oil.
-
Choose a plant-based vegan diet and a low-fat diet by consulting a registered dietician or nutritionist to see what foods best suit an individual's body type and systemic health.
Conclusion
Good fats that are derived from plant-based sources be it from fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, plant-based oils, or fatty fish and proteinaceous sources like meat (in moderation) can be included as part of heart-healthy diets. Maintaining a nutrient-dense and balanced diet form by cutting back on bad fats can prevent individual risk of acquiring cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension.
