There is no doubt that when good fats and bad fats in excessive amounts are taken, it causes problems for human health. Fat is often vilified for leading to many conditions that are harmful to our health, ranging from obesity to cancer to heart disease to osteoarthritis. The primary function of fat is to be an energy reservoir. One gram of fat has nine calories, which is more than double the amount of calories from carbohydrates and protein.
Dietary fat also helps keep hair and skin healthy. It insulates the body, protects organs, and fills fat cells. They also cushions our internal organs and helps us absorb important fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E, K. If you don’t meet your daily fat intake, absorption of these vitamins may be limited resulting in improper functioning. These are essential for blood coagulation, muscle movement, and inflammatory response. Fat is needed to build cell membranes, the vital exterior of each cell. It protects the lining of the gut and its walls from infections.
And the sheaths surrounding nerves. For long-term health, some are better than others. Good ones include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Bad ones include industrial-made trans fats. Saturated fats fall somewhere in the middle.
There are several types of fat, some are good, and few are bad. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, saturated and unsaturated fats are considered healthy, while trans fats are commonly considered unhealthy.
Unsaturated fats contain one or more double bonds. They have an effect on cognitive function and behavior, inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and asthma. Omega-3 fatty acids(Polyunsaturated) are found in foods, such as fish and flaxseed, and in dietary supplements, such as fish oil. These are of three main types ALA, DHA, and EPA. Omega 3 appear to help the heartbeat at a steady clip and not veer into a dangerous or potentially fatal erratic rhythm. Such arrhythmias (problems with the rate or rhythm of your heartbeat) cause most of the 500,000-plus cardiac deaths that occur each year in the United States.
Saturated fat is a type of fat in which a double bond is absent. They are naturally present in foods that do contain essential ones. They are nonessential, meaning our body can make them not it’s own, even if they are not taken in diet. These have been assumed to cause heart disease by raising cholesterol in the blood — however, There is no experimental evidence to verify that saturated fat increases the risk of heart disease.
The latest research suggests Saturated Fat Can Raise LDL (Bad) Cholesterol, But Also HDL (Good) Cholesterol. We also have a systematic review, which combines data from numerous randomized controlled trials. According to their review, published in 2011 by Cochrane collaboration, “reducing saturated fat has no effect on death or death from heart disease.”
Trans ones are found in two forms formed by bacteria in the stomach of cattle and aren’t considered harmful, and artificial, which are hydrogenated vegetable oils and have serious health consequences. According to the American Health Association, “Trans fats raise your bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and lower your good (HDL) cholesterol levels. Eating trans fats increases your risk of developing cardiac disease and stroke. High consumption of these also associated with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
So in order to live a healthy life, make good dietary choices, and replace unhealthy fats with healthy fats!