- What are saturated fats?
Fats are called saturated because of their chemical composition. All fats are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen molecules. Fats saturated with hydrogen atoms.
This chemical composition means that, like butter, it becomes solid at room temperature.
- What foods contain saturated fats:
- the meat
- Processed meat
- Full-fat dairy
- Dairy products
- Butter
- Ghee
- Ice cream products
- Poultry
- pork
- Some vegetable oils such as palm oil and coconut oil
- Pre-packaged snacks and sweets such as cookies, chips, cakes and pastries.
- Why should you limit saturated fats in the diet?
Saturated fats should make up less than 6% of your daily calories.
According to the American Heart Association's recommendations, limiting your intake of saturated fats can improve your heart health. Some research suggests that high LDL levels can increase your risk of heart disease.
On the other hand, high levels of harmful cholesterol have been shown to contribute to atherosclerosis, which leads to heart disease.
One study indicated that consuming semi-fat dairy products reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Introducing processed meat into the diet can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Are saturated fats good or bad?
Experts disagree about how important it is to limit saturated fat in the diet, but the American Heart Association recommends limiting it.
But all experts agree on the need to avoid processed meat.
- The effect of eating saturated fats on weight:
Saturated fats affect the body in more than one way. Eating too much of them increases the number of calories consumed. Which leads to weight gain, as one gram of fat provides 9 calories, which is twice the calories that one gram of carbohydrates and protein contains. Meals rich in saturated fats lead to lower levels of post-meal energy expenditure and fatty acid oxidation.
A study published in the European Journal of Nutrition in 2013 indicated that saturated fats are the most influential in weight gain.
- Tips to reduce saturated fat:
The amount of saturated fats that should be consumed should not exceed 10% of the total calories to the body, based on the guidelines of the World Health Organization. This means that men should not eat more than 30 g of saturated fat per day, women should not eat more than 20 g per day, and children should eat smaller amounts.
- There are steps that must be followed to reduce the consumption of saturated fats:
- Choose foods low in saturated fat by reading the nutritional label before purchasing.
- Use cooking methods that avoid frying and resort to boiling, steam cooking, baking and grilling methods.
- Control the amount of oil consumed by using a teaspoon or using thermal fryers that do not consume a lot of oil.
- Remove visible fat from meat pieces, or the skin layer of poultry before cooking them.
- Trans fats:
Although they are not the same as saturated fats, trans fats can also increase the risk of heart disease. Trans fats raise levels of harmful cholesterol and lower levels of good cholesterol. These changes in cholesterol are linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
Trans fats can be found in small amounts in animal foods, such as red meat or full-fat dairy products. But most trans fats are found in processed foods, fried foods, prepared baked goods such as pastries, pies, cookies, and other snack foods.
- What is the difference between saturated fats and trans fats:
Trans fats are types of fats that have been processed to resemble saturated fats.
The treatment process is done by adding hydrogen atoms to vegetable oils and they transform from a liquid state to a solid state at a normal temperature, such as room temperature. This process is called hydrogenation.
According to World Health Organization statistics, about 540,000 deaths annually are caused by excessive consumption of manufactured trans fats. Eating these types of saturated fats increases the risk of death by 34%, increases the risk of death due to heart disease by 28%, and increases the incidence of heart disease by 21%, due to the effect of trans fats on the levels of good cholesterol, reducing them, and increasing the levels of harmful cholesterol. On the other hand, trans fats do not have any known health benefits.
The World Health Organization recommends limiting the consumption of trans fats, and not consuming amounts larger than 1% of total energy intake, which is equivalent to 2.2 grams per day for a diet that contains 2,000 calories.
- What are unsaturated fats?
Trans fats are usually liquid at room temperature. They differ from saturated fats in that their chemical structure contains one or more double bonds.
- It can be classified into:
- Monounsaturated fats:
This type of unsaturated fat contains only one double bond in its structure. Monounsaturated fats are usually liquid at room temperature, such as canola oil and olive oil.
- Polyunsaturated fats:
This type of unsaturated fat contains two or more double bonds in its structure. It is also liquid at room temperature. Polyunsaturated fats include sunflower oil, corn oil, and omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids
- Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats:
- Reducing harmful LDL cholesterol levels.
- Reducing inflammation.
- Providing the nutrients the body needs to develop and maintain cells.
- Dietary recommendations for unsaturated fats:
The American Heart Association recommends that between 20% and 35% of your total daily calories come from fat. Most of your intake should be from unsaturated fats.
Studies indicate that eating only unsaturated fats may not be as healthy for the heart as believed, and eating saturated fats may not be harmful if used in moderation.
- Incorporating unsaturated fats into the diet:
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats should make up most of your daily fat intake, according to recommendations from the American Heart Association. These foods are such as:
- Nuts
- Vegetable oils
- Some fish, such as salmon, tuna and anchovies, contain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids
- Olive
- avocado
- Harmful effects of trans fats:
Moderation in nutrition is the basis of good health. Excessive consumption of foods that contain trans fats may lead to some health risks, including polyunsaturated fats. These harms and health risks include an increase in the number of calories and a high incidence of hypertension and diabetes. So, excessive intake of omega-6 fatty acids, compared to consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, may promote inflammation in the body.
References:
www.AmericanHeartAssociation.com