How Fats and oils Affect Our Health

Following a good diet plan one should be aware of the key components like fats & oils which prove to be a hurdle in implementation of diet management program.The main way to lower cholesterol levels is to reduce your intake of saturated and trans fats. It is important to include both poly and monounsaturated fats in your diet plan but remember that all cooking oils provide 14g of fat per tablespoon and 120 calories. So use all oils sparingly, especially if you are trying to lose weight.

Fat in food is composed of two main types of fatty acids, saturated and unsaturated. Unsaturated fatty acids can be either polyunsaturated or monounsaturated. The fat in food is a combination of saturated, polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats. The proportions of each fatty acid vary greatly with different foods.

Saturated fatty acids raise blood cholesterol levels. Some animal sources of oils high in saturated fatty acids include butter and dairy products, lard and dripping. Coconut oil and palm oil are plant sources of saturated fats. There are two main types of polyunsaturated fatty acids: omega 6 ( n -6) and omega-3 ( n -3) fatty acids. Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids are an essential part of the diet and play a part in reducing blood cholesterol levels. These polyunsaturated fatty acids are believed to lower low density lipoproteins which are associated with coronary heart disease. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are found in seed oils (e.g. linseed oil, rapeseed oil, soya oil, walnut oil) and nuts (e.g. walnuts and peanuts), meat from grass-fed animals (e.g. beef) and green leafy vegetables (e.g. spinach). However, oily fish (mackerel, salmon, kippers, herring, trout, fresh tuna and sardines) are the best source of the type of omega-3 (known as EPA and DHA) that can protect against heart disease.  Monounsaturated fatty acids have been found to help lower the amount of low density lipoproteins in the blood and unlike polyunsaturates do not lower levels of the protective high density lipoproteins. Monounsaturates can be found mainly in olive oil, rapeseed oil, avocado and nuts. You should carefully note that presence of unrefined oils (including unrefined olive oil) have a relatively low smoking point and are not suitable for cooking at high temperatures (e.g. frying). The smoking point is the temperature to which oil can be heated before it smokes and becomes discoloured and is the visual indication that the oil is decomposing. Heating oil beyond this point will not only affect the flavour of the food but can also result in the formation of Trans fat and damaging free radicals. It is also sensible to avoid re-using cooking oils or eating foods cooked in oils that have been continually reheated.

Articles on Weight Loss due to Diet Nutrition Therapy and Information on Healthy Diet and Fitness Diet Plans.

NEWS and Articles found in this section will help you update your knowledge base on obesity and other health problems you might not be aware of as on yet. An enormous amount of health issues that we face in a daily life routine have somehow trapped us in an endless maze. One needs to be aware of the possible solutions the health problems because most of them originate from home and can be solved at home itself.

Diet and Nutrition Information Articles | NUtrition and Diet Therapy for Weight Loss | Weight Loss Diet and Nutrition | Diet and Nutrition Program | Nutrition Facts and Weight Loss Diet Guide | Dietary Guidelines on Nutrition | Healthy Nutrition Diet | Nutrition Diet Healthy Exercises | Eat Healthy Nutrition Diet | Essentials of Nutrition and Diet.