Fat type in Food

Fats in different foods
 

 

 

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Different Fats in the diet

 

There are several types of fat that we obtain from the food we eat. Although essentially made up of the same elements each type of fat has a tiny structural difference that causes the body to deal with it differently. The effect is that some fats contribute to good health while some may affect our health in a negative way. Before discussing the various types of fats keep in mind that ALL fats and oils contain the same amount of calories per gram so in order to lose weight any type of fat should be limited to an intake that is sufficient to maintain health.

 


Saturated Fat


Saturated fats tend to come mainly from animal sources like red meats, creams and cheeses. They are considered potentially harmful to health if consumed in high amounts. You can easily tell if fat is highly saturated by its consistency at room temperature; the harder it is the more saturated the fat will be. A classic example is hard cheese it is hard even at room temperature because it contains high amounts of saturated fats. Compare this to cottage cheese, which is made from the same ingredients however the lower amounts of saturated fats make cottage cheese soft at the same temperature. 

 

Trans fats are basically the same as saturated because the body treats them the same as saturated. These are often found in margarines and many highly processed foods. Trans fats are often listed as hydrogenated oils in the list of ingredients on food labels. You should try to limit your intake of saturated fat to less than 10 percent of your total calories and try to limit trans fats as much as possible by eating mostly natural foods and ingredients.

Unsaturated Fats


This group of fats is made up of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and oils. These are regarded as the healthier types with possibly monounsaturated fats being the healthiest choice. Monounsaturates are associated with a lowered risk of developing heart disease and cancer. These fats are usually found in olives, olive oil, rapeseed oil, nuts and seeds.

Polyunsaturated fats


Polyunsaturated fats are found in foods of plant origin. The best sources are oily fish, walnuts, sesame and pumpkin seeds. Other high sources are vegetable oils such as sunflower and safflower. These fats were once believed to have some of the best health benefits however; new research has shown that polyunsaturated sources high in omega 6 fatty acids may actually pose some health risk. The research suggests that its not ingesting too much omega 6 but rather that the balance of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids is incorrect, the fact is that many people just do not consume enough omega 3 fatty acids. High omega 3 sources of polyunsaturated fats are found in oily fish such as Mackerel Herring Pilchards Sardines Salmon Trout.

Read more about omega 6 potential health problems here!

 

The role of omega 3 fatty acids for Health benefits

 

Remember try to cut out the saturated fats but consume small portions of the healthier fats. There’s no need to consume a big portion of oily fish in the belief that it’ll be better for you. You only need a small amount of essential fatty acids every few days to maintain good health while losing weight.
 

Good and Bad Fats in the diet

 

 

 

Good and Bad Fats in the diet

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Fat in Mcdonalds

Fat intake

 

Different Fats in the Diet

 

Always seek the approval from a qualified dietician before making changes to eating habits or before starting any new diet. Please read our Terms!


 
 

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