Fats, Good Bad
Fats, The Good...The Bad and Omega 3. This has become a hot
topic lately. There is so much talk of fats, the healthy fats,
the bad fats, the trans fats. I have done some research on fats,
trying to keep it simple for us. Here is some important
information I have come up with. Omega 3 has become a favorite
topic of mine. It has such amazing health improvement qualities.
Remember, this is for your information only, and not meant as
gospel nor is it meant for diagnostic purposes. Saturated fats
Saturated fat is the main dietary cause of high blood
cholesterol. The American Heart Association recommends that you
limit your saturated fat intake to 7-10 percent of total
calories (or less) each day. If you have coronary heart disease
or your LDL cholesterol level is 100 mg/dL or greater, your
doctor should recommend the Therapeutic Lifestyle Change (TLC)
Diet. It recommends 25-35 percent of calories from fat, with
less than 7 percent coming from saturated fat. Cholesterol is
limited to less than 200 milligrams a day. Saturated fat is
found mostly in foods from animals and some plants. Foods from
animals -- These include beef, beef fat, veal, lamb, pork, lard,
poultry fat, butter, cream, milk, cheeses and other dairy
products made from whole milk. These foods also contain dietary
cholesterol. Foods from plants -- These include coconut oil,
palm oil and palm kernel oil (often called tropical oils), and
cocoa butter. Hydrogenated fats During food processing, fats may
undergo a chemical process called hydrogenation. This is common
in margarine and shortening. These fats also raise blood
cholesterol. Use hydrogenated fats only if they contain no more
than two grams of saturated fat per tablespoon. The saturated
fat content of most margarines and spreads is printed on the
package or Nutrition Facts label. Polyunsaturated and
monounsaturated fats -- Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats
are the two unsaturated fats. They're found primarily in oils
from plants. Polyunsaturated fats -- These include safflower,
sesame and sunflower seeds, corn and soybeans, many nuts and
seeds, and their oils. Monounsaturated fats -- These include
canola, olive and peanut oils, and avocados. Both
polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats may help lower your
blood cholesterol level when you use them in place of saturated
fats in your diet. But a moderate intake of all types of fat is
best. Use polyunsaturated or monounsaturated oils -- and
margarines and spreads made from them -- in limited amounts.
This is recommended in place of using fats with a high saturated
fat content, such as butter, lard or hydrogenated shortenings.
Since their discovery in the 1970s, the omega-3 essential fatty
acids have generated thousands of studies and clinical trials.
Essential to life and good health, they protect against disease
and can treat illness. Dr. Barry Sears is a research scientist
and creator of the world famous Zone Diet. His most recent book,
The OmegaRx Zone - The Miracle of the New High-Dose Fish Oil, is
the culmination of 20 years of research on the benefits of
long-chain omega-3 fatty acids contained in fish oil. In fact,
Dr. Sears pioneered the development of pharmaceutical-grade fish
oil, a highly refined nutritional supplement rich in DHA and
EPA. This work continues his life long dedication to using diet
to help people maintain their state of wellness.
http://www.getwellnews.info Yet few people understand what they
are, what they do. When it comes to heart disease, prevention is
your best bet. High blood pressure and hypertension put undue
stress on the heart, blood vessels and other organs. A person
can get excellent heart health through a variety of ways,
especially through a good diet.
Certain foods have been shown to be healthy for the heart. Fish
has the proven benefits of omega-3 oil. Omega-3 may lower the
risk of abnormal heart rhythms and reduce the cohesion of blood
cells, which make them less likely to form clots and block
arteries. Omega-3 seems to be particularly beneficial to people
already at risk for heart disease and those who have experienced
a heart attack. Olive oil is a healthy choice over other fats
such as butter, palm and coconut oils because olive oil is a
monounsaturated fat that does not increase levels of cholesterol
and triglycerides The following information on trans fatty acids
is Information from the Food and Drug Administration Q: What are
trans fatty acids? A: Trans fatty acids (or "trans fat") are
fats found in foods such as vegetable shortening, some
margarines, crackers, candies, baked goods, cookies, snack
foods, fried foods, salad dressings, and many processed foods.
*-additional information from me: Fats that are artificially
created through a chemical process of the hydrogenation of oils.
This solidifies the oil and limits the body's ability to
regulate cholesterol. These fats are considered to be the most
harmful to one's health. The Federal Drug Administration has
mandated that the amount of trans fats be labeled on food
products by 2005. Q: Why should We care about trans fat? A: It's
important to know about trans fat because there is a direct,
proven relationship between diets high in trans fat content and
LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels and, therefore, and increased
risk of coronary heart disease - a leading cause of death in the
US. Q: Aren't all fats bad? A: No. There are "good" fats and
"bad" ones, just like there's good and bad blood cholesterol.
Saturated fats and trans fat have bad effects on cholesterol
levels. Polyunsaturated fats and monosaturated fats (such as
olive oil, canola oil, soybean oil, and corn oil) have good
effects.
Q: How much trans fat is too much? A: There is research
currently under way to determine this. However, it is true and
accurate to say that the less saturated fat, trans fat and
cholesterol consumed the better. Trans fat while pervasive in
many of the foods we eat is not "essential" to any healthy diet.
Q: How can consumers know if a product contains trans fat if
it's not identified on the nutrition label? A: Consumers can
know if a food contains trans fat by looking at the ingredient
list on the food label. If the ingredient list includes the
words "shortening," "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil" or
"hydrogenated vegetable oil," the food contains trans fat.
Because ingredients are listed in descending order of
predominance, smaller amounts are present when the ingredient is
close to the end of the list. Q: Do restaurants have to list the
fat content of their foods? A: No. But it's a good tip to always
ask which fats are being used to prepare the food you order. (I
read in the rumour mill that Restaurants in New York are being
asked to voluntarily cut down on their trans fat usage* my own
comments) Q: Why is it important to read labels? A: Labels
provide valuable information. An informed consumer is able to
make better, healthier choices. "The American Heart Association
recommends healthy people eat omega-3 fatty acids from fish and
plant sources to protect their hearts. Have you heard of this
miracle? OmegaRx Fish Oil, quoted as being close to a Medical
Miracle in our Century! Omega 3, The Good Fat, Is on your side,
they contribute to your good health. They are also a big part of
Dr Barry Sears Zone Diet. Omega-3 (you may sometimes see it
written as n-3 or w-3) is the name given to a family of
polyunsaturated fatty acids. The parent omega-3 -
alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) - is described as 'essential' as,
like vitamins, it must be obtained from diet. It is
polyunsaturated and has 18 carbon atoms and 3 double bonds
(18:3). There is no doubt that the omega-3 fatty acids are
essential to health. Omega-3 oils -- found in fatty fish, like
salmon and tuna -- help lower blood pressure, fight heart
disease and even battle depression. ... Omega-3 fatty acids work
against depression. Recent studies suggested that consuming
omega-3 rich foods such as oily fish can help prevent
depression. Omega-3 fatty acids have already been found to offer
a myriad benefits to human health. Notably, intake of omega-3
fatty acids or use of oily fish reduces the cardiovascular
disease. Omega-3 fatty acids are found richly in oily fish such
as salmon fish and tuna. Plant sources such as flaxseed oil and
canola oil also offer certain amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-3 fatty acids or oil can be purchased as nutrient
supplements.
There is no doubt that the omega-3 fatty acids are essential to
health. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and
drug Administration. This article is not intended to diagnose,
treat, cure any disease. It is very definitely to your advantage
to study further the wonderful benefits of Omega3.