Diet for Good Health

There are two types of fats, saturated fats and unsaturated fats. Saturated fats contain long a long chain of carbon atoms bound by single bonds. They do not react very easily with other compounds. Saturated fats are bad for health. On the other hand unsaturated fats contain one or more double or triple bonds to bond the carbon atoms. These fats readily react with other compounds and are good for health.

• Saturated fat causes heart diseases

The risk of atherosclerosis, stroke and coronary heart disease is increased considerably due to saturated fats. These fats raise the total blood cholesterol levels which increase the chances of having a heart attack.

• Saturated fat makes you put on weight

Fats are the reserve energy of the body. As long as enough carbohydrates are present in the body fats are not broken down to give energy. So most of the fat which we take in through our meals gets deposited in the adipose tissue and makes us look fat.

• Saturated fat may lead to cancer

Research has also shown that excess consumption of saturated fat leads to some types of cancer. There is a close link between unsaturated fatty acids and breast cancer and prostrate cancer. The fat is an excellent source of energy for the cancerous cells to grow.

• Saturated fat increases blood pressure

Some saturated fats are present in the blood stream and when there is excess it tends to accumulate in the blood vessels. This in turn reduces the effective area through which the blood passes. It leads to increased load on the heart and may cause high blood pressure.

• Saturated fat is hard to digest

Fats cannot be completely digested by the human digestive system. They are just broken down into smaller and smaller particles till they can directly be absorbed into the blood. It is very hard to breakdown the saturated fats as they are not very reactive. If there is carbohydrates present in the body insulin is produced. This insulin inhibits the digestion of fat and it just gets stored in the body.

The main source of saturated fats is animal fats. Plant fats are usually unsaturated fats.The total saturated fat intake of an adult should be less than 7% of the total calorie intake. Deep fried foods, fast food, cakes, cheese and butter contain a lot of saturated fats and should be avoided.

Does anyone need any more reasons to reduce their daily intake of saturated fats? I think not.