What are fats, trans fats and saturated fats?

The word "fats" we used to hear every day. But few people think about what fats are. In fact, they are present in the diet of each person and are needed in order to ensure the vital activity of the body. However, not all fats are useful.

About the benefits of fat

Fats are organic substances, the main purpose of which is to provide energy to the whole organism. It is for this reason that people with a thick layer of subcutaneous fat easily tolerate hunger and, strange as it may sound, less freezes. Fat poorly conducts heat, and therefore stores it in the body. In addition, fatty tissues protect the organs from injuries and mechanical damage, they seem to "wrap" them and protect them. The view that eating fats in food is harmful, is mistaken, because they are needed by the human body, but in a moderate amount. Their deficiency can lead to malfunction of the body. Together with fat, we get unsaturated fatty acids, part of fat-soluble vitamins and phosphatides.

About the dangers of fatty foods

The excess of fats is also harmful - if a person consumes fatty foods, they are deposited in the liver, under the skin and can provoke a lot of serious diseases. It is also worth remembering that fat has the property of accumulating in the blood. Obesity of blood reduces the amount of protein in it, and it is the main carrier of fat molecules. All this leads to the glueing together of red blood cells among themselves, the blood thickens, blood clots appear in the vessels. As a result, the nutrition of tissues and organs is disturbed, the risk of stroke sharply increases.

Quality composition of fats

When looking for the answer to the question "what is fats?" It is necessary to take into account not only its benefits and harm to the body, but also its qualitative composition. From the chemical point of view, they are divided into two groups - saturated and unsaturated. What is saturated fat? These are fats with a closed structure, that is, they are not capable of attaching other atoms to themselves. And unsaturated, on the contrary, in their chain contain open atoms, which can attach to themselves another atom. This is the benefit of unsaturated fats - they can attach to themselves other elements necessary for the work of the body, and have greater value. Saturated fats the body can not "spend" on other purposes, so they accumulate.

Is cholesterol a friend or an enemy?

Another feature of saturated fats is the presence of cholesterol in their composition. In many people, this word is associated with excess weight, blood vessels and disruption of the heart. However, there is also a "useful" cholesterol, which is necessary to maintain vital activity and is produced by our body. The question arises: what is fats and where does cholesterol come in? The fact is that cholesterol is involved in the creation of hormones such as estrogen, cortisol and testosterone. In addition, he takes part in reactions that take place at the intracellular level. The body receives cholesterol in two ways: it produces it in the liver and with fats, which people use. Therefore, fats and cholesterol closely interact.

About trans fats

As far as fats are concerned, it is important to know what trans fats are and how they differ from conventional ones. Trans-fat is formed by passing hydrogen bubbles through a conventional oil, for example, vegetable oil. This is done to increase its shelf life (hence, the products that are produced from it) and give it a stable state. The most striking example is the usual margarine. Unfortunately, trans fats are dangerous to health. Getting into the human body, they not only disrupt the metabolic processes, but also negatively affect the metabolic processes of fats, which in turn disrupts the process of the exchange of insulin. The result is obesity. Scientifically proven the negative effect of trans fats on men - the level of testosterone in their blood drops sharply. This leads to obesity in the "female" type, fat is deposited on the hips, buttocks and chest. In addition, the erectile function is markedly reduced, the muscles of the body are sagging and lose their mass. Therefore, in order to avoid all possible negative consequences, it is important to know what trans fats and saturated fats are.

Trans fats are found not only in margarine, they can be found in potato chips, cookies and other "bought" bakes, frozen pizza and many other products. At the same time, the proportion of such fat can reach about 50%, since most of them are made using hydrogenated fats. For example, in one serving of French fries, about 14 grams of trans fats, in a small packet of chips - 3 grams, in a portion of fried chicken - 7 grams, in a portion of a dry breakfast - 2 grams. To harm your health, it is enough to consume more than 4 grams of trans fat a day.

Fats, proteins and carbohydrates - one team

What are fats, proteins and carbohydrates? This is one "team" of substances that, from the energy point of view, can completely become a substitute for each other. However, if the body fills the lack of carbohydrates with proteins and fats, he will have to spend additional energy to absorb them. But it is worth remembering that proteins are a source of essential amino acids, and fat is a source of essential fatty acids, so in this respect there are no substitutions. The organism is most difficult with a lack of proteins.

Protein is the building material for the body. It consists of a number of amino acids, 9 of which come only with food and are not synthesized in the body. Animal food contains more protein than vegetable, and the digestibility of such proteins is 90%, whereas vegetable proteins are only assimilated by 65%.

What are fats? This is the energy reserve of the body. And if there is a lack of them, the proteins begin to degrade actively - a hormonal failure occurs in the body, the skin becomes dull, the strength of the vessels decreases, and digestion problems occur.

Carbohydrates are the best source of energy for the brain, while the muscles of the body receive energy by converting fats. Conditionally carbohydrates are divided into simple and complex. The most useful are complex carbohydrates, or polysaccharides. Their deficiency can cause a decrease in the protein content, and excess also leads to the appearance of excess weight. Therefore, it is important to find the golden mean.