Prefer products with low in saturated fats, rather that just low fat
It's not just the quantity of fat in your diet - the type of fat in your diet can make big difference to your health. Its important to include good fats, and cut back on foods high in saturated fat and trans fatty acids. Focus on mono-saturated and omega-3 fats.
Eat plenty of nuts, seeds, olives and avocados to gain unsaturated fats. Other fats, called essential fatty acids cannot be made by the body, so have to be obtained through diet. The best of these healthy fats are from seafood, poly-unsaturated oils, linseed, mustard seed oil and canola oil.
Minimize saturated fats and oils including: Fatty meets, sausages, salami, full-fat dairy products, potato chips, cakes, cookies, pastries, pizza and deep-fried foods such as French Fries and Fried Chickens. Look out for products low in saturated fat, rather than just low fat.
What is a saturated fat?
Saturated fats, which are usually soilds at room temperature, are simply fats that contain saturated fatty acids (SFA). SFA are a long-chain carboxylic acid, which usually has beteween 12 to 24 carbon atoms that has no double bonds. Thus, saturated fatty acids are saturated with hydrogen, since double bonds reduce the number of hydrogen on each carbon
What food contain saturated fat?
The American Heart Association recommends limiting the amount of saturated fats you eat to less than 7 percent of your total daily calories.
Risk of products with saturated fats
Saturated fatty acids are a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. Diets high in saturated fatty acids increase the production of acetate fragments in the body which, in turn, leads to an increase in the production of cholesterol. When consumed, saturated fats tend to clump together and form deposits in the body, along with protein and cholesterol. They get lodged in blood cells and organs, leading to many health problems, including obesity, heart diseases, and cancers of the breast and colon. The build-up in the arteries can cause a narrowing of the arteries, called atherosclerosis, which consequently can lead to major heart problems.
Obesity
The saturated fat that is consumed are put into storage cells called adipose cells. These storage cells can hold up to 1000 times its own size, therefore it is used to store up a large amount of fats. Saturated fats, which are flat, build up easily in these cells causing obesity. A host of other health problems typically accompanies obesity in those comsuming a diet rich in Saturated Fatty Acids.
Saturated Fats - Not All Bad
Saturated fats have been shown to improve liver health, promote healthy lungs, promote healthy brain functioning, positively influence proper nerve signaling, improve bone strength, and support the body's immune system. However, unsaturated fats also accomplish many of these benefits in the body with less harmful side effects. A diet void of fat should be avoided; however, smart diet decisions should be made instead.
Healthy Diet
In order to avoid a diet rich in saturated fatty acids, a modest total intake of fats should be followed. This would be around 25 percent of your total daily calories. Also, normal amounts of omega-3 fat, which is healthy fat, should be included in the diet. Intake of saturated fat should be reduced in the diet to a maximum of 1/3 of your total fat intake. The American Heart Association recommends limiting the amount of saturated fats eaten to less than 7 percent of the total daily calories. Choose lean meat, fish, and skinless poultry. Grill meat instead of frying in fattening oil or lard. Also, trim the fat off of meat before cooking it. Consume fewer pastries, biscuits and sweets.
Useful URLs:
http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/fats/why-saturated-fatty-acids-are-harmful.html#b
http://www.lowcarbdietworks.com/carbsinfat.php
http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/lowfatbasics/a/fats1004.htm
http://www.cdrfoodlab.com/food-analyzers/foodlabfat/?gclid=CNz94MnJw7ICFQV76wodzgwAzw
