Skip to main content

What is Saturated Fat?

By
To understand the different types of fat like saturated and unsaturated you need to know a little bit about chemistry.

The main part of fat in our diet and in the body are in the form of triglycerides. The rest is cholesterol, waxes and phospholipids. All triglycerides are made up of a fork-like structure called glycerol and 3 building blocks called fatty acids.

Fatty acids are classified according to the number of double bonds they possess. Saturated fats contain no double bond, monounsaturated fats contain one and polyunsaturated fats contain two or more.

These fatty acids are responsible for the physical properties of the fat. As a rough guide, saturates are solid at room temperature and tend to be derived from animal sources. Most unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and are usually vegetable fats like oils.

The body can make all the fatty acids it needs except for two, known as essential fatty acids: alpha linolenic acid and linoleic acid. These polyunsaturated fatty acids must be supplied in the diet. Good sources on these fatty acids are vegetable oils and also fish.A high intake of saturated fat, has been associated with a raised blood cholesterol level, which is one of the risk factors for coronary heart disease.

The saturated fat should not be more than 10% of total energy intake. Saturated fat is present in butter, cheese, meat, meat products (sausages, hamburgers), full-fat milk and yoghurt but also in vegetable sources such as coconut and palm oil.

www.eufic.org
www.foodexperts.net

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Is too much soy bad for men?

By
While soy may be beneficial to women in a variety of ways, research in monkeys suggests that it could have an adverse effect on the behavior of men, according to researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. Reporting in the current issue of the scientific journal Hormones and Behavior, the researchers found that in male monkeys, "long-term consumption of a diet rich in soy isoflavones can have marked influences on patterns of aggression and social behavior." Isoflavones are a naturally occurring plant estrogen in soy protein. "Although considerable attention has been directed at the potentially beneficial effects of isoflavones in reducing the risk of various cancers, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and postmenopausal symptoms, less effort has been invested in characterizing neurobehavioral effects," according to the study.
4 comments
Read more

Dietary modification could be a simple way to reduce the risk of stroke

By
Dietary modification could be a simple way to reduce the risk of stroke say researchers. The research shows a diet that consists of meats, refined grains and desserts is associated with a greater risk for stroke than a diet of fruits, vegetables, fish, legumes and whole grains. The study included dietary information on 71,768 female nurses between 38 and 63 years old. The women had no history of heart disease or diabetes. They completed questionnaires about their diet every few years for 14 years. Researchers tracked how many of the women had a stroke and then compared their diets. They rated the women's diets based on if they ate more of a Western diet or a prudent diet. During the follow-up, 791 women in the study had had a stroke. It was found that women who ate a Western diet vs. a prudent diet had a higher risk of developing a stroke . They say those who had the highest scores for a Western diet, meaning they mainly ate meat, refined grains and sweets, had a more than 50...
Post a Comment
Read more

Food Commission UK publishes new guide to children's food

By
hildren deserve the best food and drink we can provide, but research shows that most children are eating a dangerously unbalanced diet, high in saturated fats, sugar and salt, and low in fruit and vegetables. More than one in five children are now overweight, and one in three children have tooth decay before they even begin primary school. A poor diet can mean poor concentration at school, and increases the risk of heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes in later life. The Food Commission Guide to Children's Food is designed to help parents and carers distinguish which children's foods are genuinely healthy, and to spot the unhealthy ingredients which lurk in many popular children's foods and drinks. The guide, published in poster format, explains that simply reading food labels and looking for added vitamins is not enough to protect children's health. Many food products are poorly labelled, and advertisers are happy to promote high fat, high sugar and high sa...
Post a Comment
Read more