The importance of right fat consume for the health
The fat types and their effects:
High consumption of fat or of the combination fat and
carbohydrates causes obesity, heart disease and other health
problems.. However the different types of fat have very
different effects on the health. Here is a survey of the
different fat cathegories and their effects:
Mono-unsaturated fat - This type of fat prevents heart disease
and circulatory disease in moderate amounts.
Omega-6-poly-unsaturated fat - This fat type prevents heart
disease if you do not consume too much of it. However it causes
inflammatory reactions. This type of reactions are benign when
they are moderate and when they are provoked to fight disease.
But a constant high inflammatory response is dangerous, and can
cause rheumatism, heart trouble and cancer. A very high
consumption of this type of fat is therefore dangerous.
Omega-3-poly-unsaturated fat - This type of fat prevents heart
disease and reduces inflammatory reactions in moderate amounts.
Therefore it also reduces the risk of cancer, intestinal
inflammations and rheumatism.
Omega-9-poly-unsaturated fat - This type of fat also prevents
heart disease and reduces inflammatory reactions in moderate
amounts. Therefore it reduces the risk of cancer, intestinal
inflammations and rheumatism.
Saturated fat - This type of fat is probably not dangerous in
small amounts. In higher amounts, saturated fat gives high
cholesterole levels, causes clogging of the blood vessels, cause
coronary heart disease and increases the risk of infarctation of
the heart and other organs.
Cholesterole- . Cholesterole is a fat-like compound found in the
food, but also syntisized from saturated fat by the body. High
intake of saturated fat or of cholesterole itself, therefore
elevates the cholesterole level in the body. Cholesterole is a
neccessary compund, but in higher amounts it causes clogging of
the blood vessels, causes coronary heart disease and increases
the risk of infarctation of the heart and other organs.
Trans-fat - This type of fat is produced by chemical processing
to yield specific mechanical properties. Margarine often
contains this type of fat. Trans fat is dangerous, and is
probably a causal component for heart disease and cancer. There
is however one exception: Some amount of fat containing the
trans acid conjugated linoleic acid seem to be benevolent for
the skin health and may help reduce weight. Conjugated linoleic
acid is found in milk and butter.
Common problems of the averidge diet:
The averidge American and European diet generally contains too
much fat and carbohydrates combined. The fat consumed is
generally a mixture of trans fat, saturated fat and
omega-6-poly-usaturated fat. This fat misconsume causes
overweight and is probably a major contributing component for
the incidence of heart disease, cancer, intestinal inflammatory
diseases, rheumatism and other inflammatory conditions.
Recommanded amount of fat in the diet:
A common advice is to let 25-30 % of the energy needed be
covered by fat, and the rest by carbohydrates. However, experts
do not agree at his point. Some recommand a low carbohydrate
diet with more fat, and others recommand a high carbohydrate
diet with a low fat amount. In either case, the combined intake
of fat and carbohydrates should not be much higher than your
daily energy consumption if you have a normal or wanted weight.
If you want to loose weight, this combined amount must be lower.
If you want to gain weight, it should be higher.
The right mixture of fat types:
The right mixture of different fat types is as important as the
amount of fat in the diet to keep good health. However, you must
not take the percent ratios given here too literally, since
there is much unagreement about the exact ratios that should be
recommanded. Furthermore, if you have an active lifestyle that
demands much energy, this is best achieved by increasing the
amount of carbohydrates and mono-unsaturated fat.
Mono-unsaturated fat - Ideally as much as 35% of the fat
consumption should be from this type of fat. You can find this
fat in olive oil, raps oil and walnut oil.
Omega-6-poly-unsaturated fat - 30 % of the fat consumption
should be from this fat type. You find it in soya oil and corn
oil.
Omega-3-poly-unsaturated fat and omega-9-poly-usatureted fat -
20 % of the fat consumption should be this type. You find it in
fish oil and in fat fish. If you suffer from inflammatory
conditions like rheumatism and intestinal inflammation, you will
probably benefit from increasing the amount of this fat type,
and reduce the amount of other fat types.
Saturated fat - Not more than 15 % of the fat consumption should
be saturated fat. Saturated fat is found in fat from mammals,
coconut fat and in milk.
Cholesterole - The cholesterole level in the body depends upon
the combined amount of consumed cholesterole itself and
saturated fat. To keep the cholesterole level right, you should
not consume too much saturated fat, and not very much of food
containing cholesterole, like eggs and spawn.
Trans-fat - This type of fat should ideally not be a part of the
diet at all. Margarine, cookies, snacks and often also bread
contain this type of fat. It is therefore important to reduce
the consume of margarine, cookies, snacks, and to check the
composition of the bread you consume.
Conjugated linoleic acid - This is perfaps the only trans fat
acid that is benevolent in some amuont. It is found in natural
milk fat, and you can buy dietary supplements of this substance.
A small amount of this substance may help keep your skin healthy
and may help you to reduce weight.