A nutrient needed for good health

Unless you have your head in the sand, you already know that FAT in the diet is a HOT topic. It is clear that diets high in FAT are related to many health problems Heart disease, some cancers, obesity, and diabetes are just a few of these health problems But, Fat isn’t as EVIL as some might think.

Why we need fat in our diet –Some vitamins need fat in order to be used in the body Fat soluble vitamins are A,D E and K –Linoleic and linolenic fatty acids are essential in maintaining healthy skin. The food you eat must supply these fatty acids –Provides energy 9 calories per gram

Other Functions of Fat –Stored Fat can be used when you need an extra energy source –Fat cushions your body organs –Fat layer under your skin provides insulation

SORTING OUT THE FATS WE EAT Whether solid or liquid at room temperature, fats we eat are made up of fatty acids. Fatty acids aren’t all the same, they differ depending on whether they are saturated or unsaturated FAT SATURATED FAT Solid at room temp UNSATURATED FAT Liquid at room temp Monounsaturated Fat Polyunsaturated Fat

Quiz time- Matching some questions will require more than one answer ___ The vitamins that can only be dissolved in fat. ___ The type of fat when hydrogen is linked to all the carbon atoms on the chain. ___ The two types of fatty acids found in foods that keep skin healthy ___ A type of fat that is solid at room temperature ___ Two types of fat that are liquid at room temperature ___ What the layer of fat beneath the skin provides ___ The percentage of calories that should come from fat ___ The number of calories in a gram of fat. a.Vitamins B and B12 b.4 calories c.Vitamins A,D,E, K d.9 calories e.Polyunsaturated fats f.Saturated fats g.Monounsaturated fats h.Linoleic i.Cushion j.Insulation k.Linolenic l.40-50% m.15-20%

Answers If you get all the answers right you may move on! 1.C 2.F 3.H,K 4.F 5.E,G 6.J 7.M 8.D

Making sense of what’s in the Pantry?

It is their fatty acid content! ALL FATS ARE MIXTURES OF FATTY ACIDS It is the proportion of saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats that determines the characteristic of the fat So what makes margarine different than cooking oil?

Saturated Fats Animals Beef Fat Lard Butter Cheese Plants Coconut oil Palm Kernal Oil Cocoa Butter

Unsaturated Fat Polyunsaturated Corn oil, Safflower Soybean Cottonseed Monounsaturated Olive Canola Peanut

TRANS FATS Through a process called hydrogenation, fats can be changed to be more saturated. Trans fats are said to: increase total blood cholesterol increase LDL cholesterol ( the “ bad” cholesterol)

Making the Healthiest Choices The different types of fats have different effects on your blood cholesterol –Saturated Fats –Polyunsaturated Fats- –Monounsaturated Fats-

Do you know your fats? ____ What are the two categories of fat that raise blood cholesterol? ____The group of fats that include sunflower, corn and soybean oils ____Examples of fats that are considered the heart healthy fats ____The process applied to fats that makes it a trans fat. ____What determines whether a fat is considered a saturated fat or an unsaturated fat. ____The category of fat that actually lowers blood cholesterol ____ The source(s) of saturated fats ____ The source(s) of all unsaturated fats a. Saturated fat b. Unsaturated fat c. Palm kernel oil, coconut oil d. Hydrogenation e. Canola oil, olive oil, peanut oil f. Polyunsaturated fats g. Monounsaturated fats h. Trans fat i. The proportion of different fatty acids j. plants and animals K. only plants

Check your knowledge 1. a and h 2. f 3. e 4. d 5. i 6. g 7. j 8. k