Knowing The Types Of Fat You Are Eating

Fats are the source of food energy. Fat is obtained from food stuffs that we taken in, such as meats, butter and oils. However, it is important to maintain a balanced intake of fat to ensure good health as excess of fat in body can lead to high levels of cholesterol.

Fats are one of the important nutrients that supply calories in food. Fat is obtained from food such as meats and oils. Fats is also the source of vitamin A, D, E and K as well as lonoliec acid, an essential nutrient. Fat also adds flavor to the food, making them taste good.

The basic component of fats is triglycerides that contain three groups of fatty acids:

• Saturated fats
• Polyunsaturated fats
• Monounsaturated fats

Most fat sources are a mixture of saturated or monounsaturated.

Types of Fats

We consume different types of fats; mainly they are divided into 3 types. Fats are necessary for good health, however too much fat can be harmful for health leading to various diseases. Thus, it is very important to know that type and the quantity of fat you consume.

Saturated Fats

Saturated fats are mostly present in milk, dairy products and in meats. Fish contains the least amount of saturated fat; poultry is less saturated in fat than red meat. Saturated fats are also found in oils such as coconut, palm and cocoa butter oil.

Saturated fats are ones that remain hard on room temperature. Saturated fat is known to increase heart risk if taken in high quantity for long as it can lead to high cholesterol.

Monounsaturated Fats

They are mostly found in vegetable oils such as canola, olive and peanut oil. They are liquid at room temperature and not very harmful for health. Eating foods high in monounsaturated fats may also help in lowering the cholesterol level.

Polyunsaturated Fats

They are another type of fat mainly found in vegetable oil such as sunflower and corn oil. Eating polyunsaturated fats in place of saturated fats decreases LDL which is bad cholesterol while increases HDL, the good cholesterol. Polyunsaturated fat is also found in seafood.

Too much fats in the blood stream leads to cholesterol, an essential fat made by the liver. People get high cholesterol by eating too much meats and dairy products. Too much cholesterol may lead to heart disease.

How Much Fat Should We Eat?

Before eating the food, you should know the type of fat it contains as fat contains more calories than any other food source. All types of fat contain 9 calories per gram. Because of the fact that fat contains more calories than any other food source, it is easy to consume more calories which in turn can lead to weight problems and high cholesterol.

We should not take more than 33% of our total calories from fat. It should not make up more than 10% of our total energy.

How to Regulate Intake of Fats?

Due to its high calorie content, fats should be taken in a regular amount according to the age. Fat intake can be regulated by the kinds of food one eats. Fortunately, when we buy food stuffs, the amount of calories and nutrition is mentioned on the label. The label should be read carefully to know how much fat content a product contains.

It can be said that though fats are necessary to main good health, excess of fats may lead to weight gain and increases the risk of various diseases. It is very important for you to know the types of fat you are eating so that you only eat what is beneficial for you.