Skip to main content

The truth about Fats

TRUTH ABOUT FAT
By NETHRA VIJAYAKUMAR

DIETARY FAT
Fat is a type of nutrient, and just like protein and carbohydrates, your body needs some fat for energy, to absorb vitamins, and to protect your heart and brain health. 

Dietary fat and cholesterol
Dietary fat also plays a major role in your cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is a fatty, wax-like substance that your body needs to function properly. In and of itself, cholesterol isn’t bad. But when you get too much of it, it can have a negative impact on your health. As with dietary fat, there are good and bad types of cholesterol.
         • HDL cholesterol is the “good” kind of cholesterol found in your blood.
         • LDL cholesterol is the “bad” kind.
         • The key is to keep LDL levels low and HDL high, which may protect against heart disease and stroke.
         • Conversely, high levels of LDL cholesterol can clog arteries and low HDL can be a marker for increased cardiovascular risk.

Rather than the amount of cholesterol you eat, the biggest influence on your cholesterol levels is the type of fats you consume. So instead of counting cholesterol, it’s important to focus on replacing bad fats with good fats.

MYTH: Fats are bad for you

FACT: Eat fat, gain fat, right? For many decades, the traditional way to lose weight has been to subject oneself to a low-fat diet, yet current evidence suggests that, given the same caloric deficit and protein intake, low-fat and low-carb diets produce similar weight losses. 

Moreover, while low-fat diets are not inherently unhealthy, shunning all fat from your diet can be dangerous, since your body needs to consume at least some omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. As for saturated fat being the main driver of cardiovascular disease: yes, just another myth.

MYTH: Trans fats can be completely eliminated from the diet.
FACT: Because small amounts of trans fats occur naturally in some meats and dairy products, you can't eliminate them from the diet. But you can reduce the amount of trans fats you consume. Avoiding foods that contain or are prepared with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils is the easiest way to minimize your intake of trans fats.

MYTH: Trans fats can be formed at home by cooking an oil to its smoking point.

FACT: Trans fats can't be produced during home cooking, even if the oil temperature is high enough to make oil smoke. This type of fat is produced when hydrogen is added to turn liquid vegetable oils into solid fats. However, letting oil reach the smoking point isn't good because it breaks down fatty acids, forming harmful oxidation products. Overcooked oil also makes fried foods taste bad.

Summary:
The truth is that if you stay in a caloric surplus, a low-fat diet won’tmake you lose weight. You need some omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and saturated fat won’t necessarily give you a heart attack( but too much trans fat may).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

INCREDIBLE USES OF GUAVA LEAF

INCREDIBLE USES OF GUAVA LEAF By Nethra Vijayakumar GUAVA LEAF Guava (Psidium guajava) is a crop of economic importance and is considered to be a poor man’s fruit in India. India is the world’s largest producer of guava producing 17,650,000 MT in 2011, followed by china, Thailand. Therapeutic uses ·       Medical Properties and Composition of guava leaves, guava leaf tea has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective and antioxidant activities. These effects are probably due to the presence of phenolic compounds. ·       Studies have shown that gallic acid, catechin, and epicatechin inhibit pancreatic cholesterol esterase, which decreases cholesterol levels. ·       Catechins are important as a preventive treatment for diabetes type 2 and obesity. Quercetin has been associated to decreased mortality from heart disease and decreased incidence of s...
3 comments
Read more

BOON OF BLACK RICE

  BOON OF BLACK RICE By Nethra Vijayakumar        Black rice originating in China, has an interesting story. It was grown in small quantities and consumed only by the royalty.   It’s also known as the purple rice, forbidden rice,   prized rice and emperor’s rice. In Tamil Nadu, it is popularly known by the regional name ‘ Karuppu Kavuni ’ Rice, which is a black variant and it also has a red variant which is mostly used to make sweets      Black rice contains essential amino acid like lysine, tryptophan; vitamins like Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, folic acid: and it is good source of minerals like iron, zinc, calcium, phosphorus and selenium. It is also good source of fiber and protein. HEALTH BENEFITS: HIGH ANTIOXIDANT: Deep    black    purplish    color, in    black    rice, indicates    the    high    antioxidant    properties....
2 comments
Read more

THE SEVEN CHAKRA - BALANCING

THE 7 CHAKRAS - BALANCING The chakras, the nadis are the channels of prana in our body. Out of 114 chakras, two are outside the physical body. The remaining 112 chakras arrange themselves into seven dimensions, with sixteen aspects in each dimension. The seven fundamental chakras are discussed below. q SAHASRARA CHAKRA: English name Crown chakra Colour White Element Thoughts and beyond senses Mantra OM Emotions Equanimity, balance serenity, wisdom, enlightenment Body parts related Upper brain and beyond Gland Pituitary gland To balance Meditation, sirsasana   AJNA CHAKRA: English name Third eye Colour Indigo Element Intuition Mantra OM Emotions Awareness, intelligence, intuition,...
Post a Comment
Read more