Fats and Oils

What are FATS?? Fats are nutrients in food that the body uses to build nerve tissue (including the brain and nerves) and hormones. The body also uses fat as fuel. Unused fats are stored by the body in fat cells.

Good Fats Why Some Fats Are Healthy aid in the absorption of some vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat soluble, meaning they can only be absorbed if there's fat in a person's diet) are the building blocks of hormones are necessary for insulating all nervous system tissues in the body help people feel full, so they're less likely to eat as much Fat is a great source of energy but has twice the amount of calories compared with the same amount of carbohydrates or protein. For example, 1 gram of fat provides 9 calories, whereas 1 gram of both carbohydrates and protein provide 4 grams each.

Dairy products as source of Fat About Fat Desserts and snacks (including potato chips, chocolate, cakes, doughnuts, pastries, and cookies) are a significant source of fat. Kids also get fat from whole-milk products and high-fat meats, such as bacon, hot dogs, and non- lean red meat.

Good Fats and Bad Fats Types of Fats 1. Unsaturated fats: Found in plant foods and fish, these fats are seen as neutral or even beneficial to heart health.heart The types of unsaturated fats are: monounsaturated, found in avocados and olive, peanut, and canola oils polyunsaturated, found in most vegetable oils omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat found in oily fish like tuna and salmon

Saturated Fats 2. Saturated fats: Saturated fats are found in meat and other animal products, such as butter, shortening, lard, cheese, and milk (except skim or nonfat), saturated fats are also in palm and coconut oils, which are often used in commercial baked goods. Eating too much saturated fat can raise blood cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease.cholesterol

Trans Fats 3. Trans fats: Found in margarine (especially the sticks), commercial snack foods and baked goods, and some commercially fried foods, trans fats (also called trans fatty acids) are created when vegetable oils are hydrogenated (meaning that hydrogen atoms are added to the fat molecule so they remain solid at room temperature).

More about Trans Fat!! Trans fat is a fatty acid formed through a chemical process called hydrogenation. Hydrogen is added to liquid vegetable oils to reconfigure the fat molecules into solid fat. partial hydrogenation because it increases shelf life and flavor stability. Trans fat is most commonly found in some of America’s favorite processed foods: baked goods, crackers, snack foods, shortening and some margarines. Natural levels of trans fat can be found in meat and dairy products, but there is no scientific consensus to conclude that trace levels of natural trans fat causes dietary harm. Why is trans fat unhealthy? Trans fat raises low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad” cholesterol) and reduces high- density lipoprotein (HDL, or “good” cholesterol).

Kids and Fat intake How Much Fat Should Kids Get? Although some people may think it's wise to try to cut fat altogether, it's crucial for fat to stay a part of a child's diet. For young kids, especially, fat and cholesterol play important roles in brain development. Ages 2 and under - fat should not be restricted. Ages 1 to 3 years - 30% to 35% of calories coming from fat. Ages 4 to 18 years - 25% to 35% of calories.

Cholesterol Good Vs. Bad Cholesterol Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like material that is found in various parts of the body. It comes from two sources -- the liver produces it, and we consume it in animal products, particularly meat and dairy products. There are two main types of cholesterol: HDL and LDL. LDL cholesterol is more likely to clog blood vessels because it carries the cholesterol away from the liver into the bloodstream, where it can stick to the blood vessels. HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, on the other hand, carries the cholesterol back to the liver where it is broken down. LDL cholesterol is the bad kind, so call it "lousy" cholesterol — "l" for lousy. The HDL is the good cholesterol, so remember it as "healthy" cholesterol — "h" for healthy.

Cholesterol floats around in your blood and can get into the walls of the blood vessels and stay there. If you have too much cholesterol in your bloodstream, a lot can collect in the blood vessel walls, causing these "pipes" to become narrower. This can clog the blood vessels. If the clogging gets worse over many years, it can cause damage to important body parts, like the heart (heart attack) and brain (stroke).stroke

Review All fats and oils are a mixture of saturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids. Solid fats contain more saturated fats and/or trans fats than oils. Oils contain more monounsaturated (MUFA) and polyunsaturated (PUFA) fats. Saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol tend to raise “bad” (LDL) cholesterol levels in the blood, which in turn increases the risk for heart disease. To lower risk for heart disease, cut back on foods containing saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol.