What Are The Different Types Of Fats
Fats are a type of nutrient that you get from different foods. For humans, it is essential to consume some fats, the problem is usually caused by excessive consumption of them.
These are an important part of the diet, but it is true that some types are healthier than others. Choosing healthy plant-based fats more often than less healthy animal-based fats is beneficial for the person.
This is because these healthier types of fats can help lower your risk of heart attack, stroke, and other health problems.
Next, we develop different types of fats that can be healthier.
What is fat for?
The popular myth that fat only makes you fat is false. The human body needs to eat everything in different proportions.
Fat gives the body the energy it needs to work properly. For example, when exercising, the body first uses the calories from carbohydrates. But after 20 minutes, the calories from fat are used to continue.
For this reason, it is important when exercising, previously, to have carried out a good and complete diet.
Similarly, fat is effective in helping to maintain healthy skin and hair. It also helps you absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K, called fat-soluble vitamins. Fat also fills up adipocytes and insulates your body to help keep you warm.
Classification of fats
Unlike so-called saturated fats, unsaturated fats can have certain benefits. These help lower LDL cholesterol, popularly considered the bad one.
Generally, liquid vegetable oils at room temperature have this type of fats.
Two types of unsaturated fats can be differentiated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. The monounsaturated, for their part, include olive and canola oil, for example. The polyunsaturated ones are those from safflower, sunflower, corn and soy, among others.
Special mention must be made of trans-fatty acids. These are those that are formed when vegetable oil hardens in a process called hydrogenation. Its main function is to keep certain foods fresh for a long time. However, these can be harmful to health.
They are usually the ones used in canning, although they also appear frequently for cooking in fast food chains and some restaurants.
Trans-fatty acids can raise LDL cholesterol levels in the blood. In addition, they can also lower the levels of HDL cholesterol, known as the good one.
The olive oil
Olive oil is considered one of the best options for preparing healthy cooking dishes. Its use is mainly culinary. It is often widely used to lightly sauté meats and vegetables, prepare salads and dressings, and bake, among others.
Olive oil, specifically the so-called extra virgin, infiltrates very little into the food. The chemical variations that occur in frying are small and slow. In addition, specifically with regard to frying, a crust is made on the product that does not allow the constituents to escape.
Regarding its benefits regarding human health, it is worth mentioning that it helps to avoid an overabundance of cholesterol and helps the assimilation of fats. This is because it favors the hepatic synthesis of bile salts.
It also reduces the acid of the esophageal mucosa, as well as slows and regulates the emptying of the stomach into the duodenum. Gastric acidity also decreases, so the risk of gastric ulcers tends to be reduced. In the same way, the amount of fatty acids meets almost all nutritional requirements.
Finally, it can be taken into account that it contributes to the hardening of the bones. This is something that especially benefits children and the elderly.
It is very important to know how the body works, as well as what nutrients it needs to function properly. In any case, it will be advisable to consult with a specialist any questions you may have about your body and diet.
