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Not All
Fat is Created Equal
by Kim Paolino
In order to maintain its good health the body
needs a certain amount of fat. Fats, or lipids,
are necessary for the proper functioning of
cell membranes, skin, and hormones, as well
as providing transportation of the fat-soluble
vitamins A, D, E and K to all parts of the body.
It's stored as an energy source, and protects
vital organs. Fat also is the major source of
fuel for light to moderate intensity exercise.
A lot of the food we consume is loaded with
fat, but do we know just what type, and what
affect it has on our bodies? Ideally, eating
less of all kinds of fat is the best course
of action. There's a lot to know, and it can
be quite overwhelming.
First, let me touch a little on cholesterol.
Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found
among the fats in the bloodstream and in all
cells of the body. These substances are physically
unable to dissolve in the blood, and need to
be transported to and from cells by carriers
call lipoproteins. High Density Lipoprotein (HDL), or the good
cholesterol, collects excess cholesterol in
the blood and delivers it to the liver. Here,
it undergoes reprocessing and is discharged.
Low Density Lipoprotein, or LDL, also know as
the bad cholesterol, when in excess, builds
up on the arterial walls and can increase the
risk of heart disease. The types of fats we
consume play an important role in our levels
of serum or blood cholesterol. Fats are categorized into what we most commonly
refer to as saturated and unsaturated, with
unsaturated fats divided into monounsaturated
and polyunsaturated. One other fat that's not
quite as familiar, and the unhealthiest to consume,
is trans fat. Saturated fats come mainly from animal sources
such as meat and poultry, as well as, milk,
butter, and eggs, and can also be found in some
vegetable oils. They stay solid or semi-solid
at room temperature. Unfortunately, those delicious fast food restaurants
we frequent way too often, serve food that is
loaded with saturated fat. These artery-clogging
fats are considered unhealthy and play a major
role in blood cholesterol levels. A diet high
in saturated fat may increase LDL (bad) cholesterol
levels, while lowering HDL (good) cholesterol
levels, this resulting to an increased risk
of heart disease. Unsaturated fat, although considered the healthier
fat, in excess is not necessarily good for you.
They're just not as bad as saturated or trans
fats. Unsaturated fat is generally found in
vegetables. Monounsaturated fat can be found
in such oils as, olive and canola oil. They
stay liquid at room temperature, but begin to
congeal when refrigerated. Nuts and avocados also contain monounsaturated
fat. Polyunsaturated fat can be found in corn,
soybean and sunflower oils. Both at room temperature
and in the refrigerator, these oils remain liquid.
Polyunsaturated fats are the main fats in seafood,
and are considered a healthy fat that does not
clog arteries. Just when you thought you knew it all, here
come trans fats. Trans fats are formed when
liquid vegetable oils are mixed with tiny metal
particles, usually nickel oxide, and subjected
to hydrogen gas in a high-pressure, high-temperature
reactor. Then, soap-like emulsifiers and starch
are squeezed into the mixture to give it a better
consistency. Unpleasant odor is then removed by steam-cleaning
the oil at high temperatures. At this point,
any natural color is removed by bleach, dyes
and flavors are added, and finally, the result
is hardened vegetable oils that remain solid
at room temperature. Sounds unreal doesn't it?
This process is called hydrogenation. Trans fats are added to processed foods for
a longer shelf life and enhancement of flavor.
When eating those tasty fried foods from your
neighborhood restaurant, know that they tend
to use a lot of trans fats (hydrogenated vegetable
oil) to cook with. The bad news is, these fats are worse for
the cardiovascular system and result in a higher
risk of heart disease and stroke then the already
unhealthy saturated fat. A lot of foods we eat contain hidden trans
fats but Americans remain clueless as to how
much because most food labels do not list this
information. While they list the total grams
of fat, it does not include trans fat. The FDA
is in the process of changing guidelines to
have food manufacturers include trans fat on
their labels. Think about this, when that cookie you are
eating lists only two grams of saturated fat
per serving, know that it actually contains
double that amount when trans fat is taken into
account. This goes for a lot of other items,
such as, margarine, crackers, apple pie, fish
sticks, salad dressing, and of course, french
fries and doughnuts. Until these guidelines are changed, we can
only render a guess as to how much trans fat
our food contains. If you see partially hydrogenated
oils or fats listed in the ingredients, that
food contains trans fat. Although foods containing
trans fat are great tasting, it is the worst
fat you can eat. This phantom fat raises LDL
cholesterol and lowers HDL cholesterol, increasing
the risk of premature heart disease. When it comes to cancer, researchers are unable
to pinpoint which types of fat increase the
risk, they just know a diet high in fat does.
Such diets have been linked with an increased
risk of breast, lung, colon and prostrate cancers.
Good enough reason to eat less fat! Understandably, this is a lot of information
to absorb and is quite frightening in itself.
So lets be smart, we know what we need to do.
Read labels, aim for moderation, not elimination,
of fat in your diet. Know your limits; eat less
meat and more fruit and vegetables each day.
Include more whole grains, and beans, while
limiting sweets, and other high-fat food. Incorporate
the healthier types of fats into your diet.
Eat carefully!
Source: The Franklin Institute Online Health
Link-Medical College of Wisconsin
About the Author: Kim Paolino is the senior writer
for the Food for Thought column at www.firefightersworkout.com,
where you sign up for the FREE Train For Life
Newsletter - Get hot news on how to lose weight,
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