Grassi – Part of a healthy diet? – core fitness

Diet fats play an important role in following a healthy lifestyle. In this article we will learn about different types of fats, which are the good ones and which are bad, as they can help us and where we can find them.

What are they?

As we have learned so far, our body feeds with energy from three macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins and fats. The main form we use fat is triglycerides.

What is a triglyceride? When three fatty acids meet a glycerol molecule, they are attached to the spine of that molecule and form a triglyceride. Those triglycerides can be classified in many categories, one of which is for the length of their carbon chains.

• Short chain fatty acids: less than 6 coal.

• Medium chain fatty acids: 6–12 Carboni.

• Long chain fatty acids: 13–21 Carboni.

• Very long chain fatty acids: 22 or more coal.

We usually consume foods that contain long chain fatty acids that are absorbed in the bloodstream and stored by the body, using them when necessary, while short chain ones are used instantly by the liver to create energy.

Health benefits:

However difficult it may seem, fat is essential for the normal functions of our body:

• It provides energy: having 9 calories/grams, fats are an excellent source of energy

• Hormonal and genical control: balances the production of some hormones such as steroid hormone and genes responsible for growth and metabolism

• Brain health: adequate quantity of fat is beneficial to brain health

• Facilitate the absorption of fat soluble vitamins such as vitamin A, D, E and K

• Taste and satiety: a little fat added to food increases their tasty and satiety

• Keeps our body hot and protects our organs

Good vs bad fats

Depending on the number of double bonds between the coal in their structures, there are different types of fat: monolysuitive fat (a double bond in their carbon chains), polyunsaturated fat (at least 2 double bonds), saturated fat (no double bond = their bonds are “saturated” with hydrogen and trans fat (hydrogens are positioned by one rather than one side.).

Mufas and Pufa are considered the good type of fat, which provides some health benefits to our body, such as reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, inflammation, depression and other health conditions. They tend to be more liquids at room temperature and quite stable for cooking purposes. An important mufies is Oleic acid, which can be found in olive oil, while the most important Pufas are the omega-3 and the omega-6s found in fish.

On the other hand, the bad type of fat is very stable at high temperature, less likely to be damaged during cooking compared to the Pufa and are solid at room temperature. They can lead to high levels of LDL cholesterol (bad), increase inflammation, the function of compromised artery, insulin resistance and excess belly fat. Trans fat can naturally occur in small quantities of foods, but most used in transformed foods are obtained by adding hydrogen to unsaturated fats to create a product that works more like a saturated fat.

Sources of healthy fats

Most foods contain a mix of different fats, but some are rich in a specific type of fat. Below are examples of foods rich in different types of healthy fats.

Monounsaturated fats:

• Olive oil

• Olives

• Macadamia Noci

• Almonds

• Pecan walnuts

• Hazelnuts

• Pistachios

• Peanuts

• Avocado

• Pig

• Beef

These foods are also rich in Omega-6.

Omega-3-rich foods include:

• Salmon

• Sardine

• herring

• Mackerel

• Anchovies

• Chia seeds

• Flax seeds

• Walnuts

Healthy foods rich in saturated fats include:

To summarize:

Grasso is a crucial part of the good function of our body.

The addition of fat to food increases its flavor and the feeling of fullness.

The consumption of the right fats in the right quantities brings some health benefits such as: reducing the risk of heart disease and improve general health.

This article was written by Oana Mocian – Dietietet Diett