Fats for essential fatty acids

There was a time when fat was used liberally in all the food preparations for a simple reason that it made food tastier. But ever since the darker shades of high fat consumption are discovered and related to disorders like diabetes, heart diseases, cancer and obesity, moderation is the key.

Body stores energy in the adipose tissues in the form of fats. Fat are basically a group of chemical compounds containing fatty acids. A gram of fat provides 9 kilocalories.

Fats are essential to maintain vital functions in the body. Fats provide essential fatty acids, it is important for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A,D,E,K and to maintain a healthy lining between the bones (Cerebral vascular fluid and synovial fluid).

Fats can be either saturated or unsaturated (polyunsaturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids).

But besides this there are also other types of fats like trans fats, triglycerides, omega-3 fatty acid, omega-6 fatty acid and cholesterol.

Fatty acid molecules are mostly composed of a carbon and hydrogen atoms. A saturated fatty acid is saturated with hydrogen atoms where each hydrogen atom is attached to every carbon atom.

Saturated fatty acids are solid at room temperature.

In unsaturated fatty acid either one or more than one pair of hydrogen atom is missing. If there is one gap (one hydrogen atom missing) then it is called monounsaturated fatty acid and if there are many gaps (many hydrogen atoms missing) then it is called polyunsaturated fatty acid.

Polysaturated and monosaturated fatty acids are mainly found in plant origin and some sea foods, while saturated fatty acids are found mainly in animal origin. Depending up on the site of missing hydrogen molecule polyunsaturated fatty acid is of two kind omega-3 fatty acid and omega-6 fatty acid. Monosaturated fatty acid is liquid at room temperature but solidifies in the refrigerator, while polyunsaturated fatty acid is liquid at both room temperature and in the refrigerator.

Trans fatty acids are byproducts of partial hydrogenation (a process in which missing hydrogen atoms are put back into polyunsaturated fatty acids). A straighter structure is taken by some of the hydrogenated fatty acids that allow the fatty acids to pack more tightly. This is the reason hydrogenated vegetable oils such as margarine and vegetable shortening are solid at room temperature.

Fats and cholesterol come under the broad classification of 'lipids'. Cholesterol is required for many functions in the body like processing food, bile acids for digestion and helps produce steroid hormones. Most of the cholesterol required by the body is synthesized by liver. Cholesterol is only derived from animal origin, so one should be alert of the gimmick that Oil Company plays of 'cholesterol free oil'. All the oil from plant origin is cholesterol free.

Is Interesterified Fat Better Than Trans Fat

Is interesterified fat better than transfat? Studies have shown that this kind of fat is not a lot better than trans fat. Interesterified fat is made up by taking saturated fat (solid fat) and combining it with liquid fat. If you are wondering about interesterified fat health benefits, remember that this kind of fat raises LDL cholesterol and lowers HDL cholesterol. Interesterified fat health benefits are not considered beneficial to a person as it lower insulin levels and raises blood sugar levels. As can be clearly seen from the above, interesterified fat nutrition is not good and doctors recommended staying away from products that contain it.

Is There Any Food With No Fat?

Is there any food with no fat? Many fruits and vegetables fall into this category of fat free food. A “food with no fat” list would include most raw fruits. Most raw fruits are considered fat free foods. Fruits that do not fall into this category include kiwi fruit, avocados, peaches and nectarines. Grapes, all kinds of berries, bananas, citrus fruit and plums fall into the category of food with no fat. Raw vegetables are also considered healthy and fat free. Sweet corn and broccoli are exceptions to this rule. Cooked vegetables are only full of fat if you add butter or margarine while cooking.

What Are Good Fat Free Foods?

One of the best ways to lose weight is to ensure that your body burns more calories than it consumes. One way that you can speed up this process is by eating good low calorie foods. Good low calorie foods comprise of the following:-

- Vegetables: mushrooms, celery, red peppers, boiled potatoes, watercress, tomatoes, broccoli, beans, and legumes and so on.
- Meat and animal products: Beef, white eggs, turkey, lean ham, low fat cheese, beef, fish, chicken breast, pork sirloin and so on
- Fruits: White, red or pink grapefruit, melons, apricots, currants among others.

A good fat free food list would also consist of most raw vegetables and fruits.

Which Is Better Low Fat Or Reduced Fat Food?

Which is better – low fat or reduced fat food? In order to answer this question, we must first understand what the debate between low vs. reduced fat food is all about. Keep in mind that low fat is not the same as reduced fat. To understand the difference in low vs. reduced fat food, it is necessary to understand what low fat food is. Low fat food is food that contains 3 g or less fat per serving. Reduced fat food is food that supposedly contains at least 25% less fat than the original food. Low fat vs. reduced fat recipes can be easily found online.

Submitted on February 24, 2009

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