The Fat Empire: The Good, The Bad, And The Fatty

Fat is a known class of food popularly referred to as “fat and oil”. The fat is in a solid form and the oil is in a liquid form. Most of our meals contain either of these forms to serve as nourishment.

Fat has an important role to play in our health, thus, the reason to lay the good ones from the bad ones and then from the fatty ones. Let’s move further to know more about the nutritional fatty empire.

What is fat?

Fat is a macronutrient that helps in most vital processes in the body. It is involved in processes like hormone production, absorbing nutrients from diets, and production of energy.

There are two types of dietary fat; saturated fat and unsaturated fat. The unsaturated is further divided into two namely: mono-unsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat.

Mono-unsaturated fat (The good)

These are healthy forms of fat that help reduce increased risks of heart diseases and diabetes. They can be gotten from sources like olive oil, Avocado, seeds, and nuts. These fat are typically liquid at room temperature.

Polyunsaturated fat (The good)

Omega 3 and omega 6 are good examples of polyunsaturated fat. These fats are known to play essential roles in the production of hormones, in the immune system, blood clotting, and cellular growth. Other sources of these fats can be found in sunflower seeds, sunflower oil, walnuts, fax seeds, and oily fish. Studies have shown that consuming Omega-3 fats is linked to a reduced risk of neurodegenerative disease, heart disease, and diabetes.

Saturated fats (The bad)

Too many of these fats are known to cause cardiovascular disease. These fats are mainly found in animal sources and tend to be solid at room temperature. Milk, cheese, fat on meat, processed meat, coconut oil, confectionery sweets, and butter are sources of saturated fats.

Cholesterol: HDL (The Good) and LDL (The Bad)

Cholesterol is a type of fat that the body uses to build cells, hormones, and other substances in the body. Cholesterol is divided into two main types; HDL and LDL cholesterol. HDL (high-density lipoproteins) are good cholesterol. This type contains a high proportion of protein to cholesterol. They protect the body by carrying LDL cholesterol away from the arteries to the liver. They also have anti-inflammatory properties.

LDL (low-density lipoproteins) is termed bad cholesterol. They carry cholesterol to the cells. Consumption of too much LDL can be harmful because it can accumulate inside the walls of your arteries leading to Atherosclerosis. The vessels get progressively narrower until it becomes completely obstructed, and this can eventually lead to a heart attack, stroke, vascular dementia, erectile dysfunction, or loss of limbs. Other risk factors for atherosclerosis include:

• Hypertension
• Smoking
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Obesity
• Physical inactivity

Triglycerides (The fatty)

Triglycerides are fats that are converted to energy in the body. Any calories that your body doesn’t convert to energy straight away are turned into triglycerides. These fats are made up of fatty acids and a form of glucose. They are different from cholesterol in the sense that they are exclusively used for energy and are not for the production of cells and hormones.

If triglycerides are raised then these factors may be the cause;

• Lack of physical activity
• Consuming diets high in saturated fats and sugars
• Alcohol can significantly raise triglyceride levels
• Rarely, it is caused by a genetic disorder.

How to increase HDL and decrease LDL:

• Regular exercise
• Stop smoking
• Avoid saturated and trans fats
• Include foods like purple fruit, oily fish, olive oil, whole grains, nuts, and Avocado regularly in your diet.

Final thought

Knowing the type of fat to imbed in your diet is very critical as too much intake of the bad and fatty ones can cause detriment to your health. Consider your dietary fat to consider your health.