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Fats: The Good and the Bad
Fat forms part of the normal balanced diet as it provides essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins. Fatty acids are found in all the membranes of the body and therefore fat is a very important nutrient. It is also important to remember that not all fats are equal. Too much saturated fat increases the blood cholesterol level and causes obesity.
Saturated Fats
Saturated fats occur mainly in food of animal origin such as fatty meat, full cream milk, ice-cream, cream, butter, cheese, and lard. Saturated fats from non-animal origin include non-dairy creamers which contain the saturated vegetable fats like palm kernel and coconut oil.
Poly-Unsaturated Fats
Poly-unsaturated fats are found in sunflower, soy and corn oils, soft margarine, sunflower and sesame seeds, fatty fish (herring, snoek, mackerel, salmon, pilchard, and trout). When eaten as part of a healthy, balanced diet, these fats can help to reduce cholesterol levels.
Mono-Unsaturated Fats
Mono-unsaturated fats are found in olives, olive oil, avocados, peanut butter, peanut oil, and nuts. When compared with saturated fat, mono-unsaturated fat has a cholesterol lowering effect.
Essential Fatty Acids
Essential fatty acids cannot be manufactured by the body therefore we have to take them in through a balanced diet. These fatty acids keep cell membranes healthy. A balance between the essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids is important for optimal health.
Omega-3
Omega-3 reduces the risk of coronary heart disease by lowering triglycerides, blood pressure and clot formation. It has a positive effect on autoimmune disease as it decreases inflammation. Omega-3 is also important in foetal growth as well as brain, central nervous system and retina development in children. The main food sources are cold water fish such as salmon, pilchards, sardines, mackerel and herring. Plant sources of omega-3 include walnuts, flax, hemp, and pumpkin seeds.
Omega-6
Important omega-6 fatty acids include linoleic and gamma-linolenic acid. Of all the tissues of the human body, the brain has the highest proportion of omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 lowers total blood cholesterol. It has been shown to help with weight reduction and to promote healthy hair and skin. Main food sources are evening primrose oil and borage (starflower) oil. Other sources are corn, hemp, pumpkin, sunflower, safflower and sesame seeds.
To maintain a healthy balance less than one third (10 percent) of the total daily fat intake should be saturated fat, more or less one-third polyunsaturated fat and the rest mono-unsaturated. The easiest way to do this is to eat food from the saturated group at only one of the daily meals i.e. either breakfast or lunch or dinner.
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