"Fats are not enemies if you know all about them."

If a person is faced with the choice of which product to eat - fat or fat-free - almost everyone will give preference to the second. People are always looking to lose weight. And to do this, you need to eat dietary products. Fat, on the other hand, has consistently been touted as the harmful enemy of diet, so it's no surprise that people are perplexed when doctors and nutritionists praise fat. In fact, there are healthy fats for weight loss. You probably know that avocado is one of them that became popular in food and made a boom on Instagram a few years ago, and only very recently there was calmness. So you can take into account olive oil, the pearl of the Mediterranean food system. In addition to these, there are many healthy, fat-rich foods that you should definitely include in your diet on a regular basis. Here's what you need to know.

What fats are good for the body? Usually, these are considered monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. They help lower cholesterol that clogs the arteries, in addition to their other heart-healthy properties. Research also shows that these fats affect the normalization of insulin and blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.

“Monounsaturated fats are some of the healthiest of all fats,” says Dana Hanns, Ph.D., M.A. in health, researcher and developer, senior nutritionist at UCLA Medical Center and a visiting assistant professor at Fielding Public Health. "They fight inflammation, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and are full of good nutrients and are also beneficial for weight loss."

Polyunsaturated fats can also be beneficial. The two main types are omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which our bodies need for brain function and cell growth. Omega-3s are good for heart health and are mainly found in fish and algae, nuts and grains. “Other omega-6 polyunsaturated fats can be found in some vegetable oils,” adds Hanns. "They are not particularly harmful, but they are not always beneficial, unlike omega-3 and monounsaturated fats." Omega-6s work alongside omega-3s to lower cholesterol, but research shows that eating more omega-6s than omega-3s can contribute to inflammation and weight gain, so the key is to be sure. that you are consuming more omega-3 than omega-6.

What are unhealthy fats

One simple rule of thumb: trans fats should always be avoided - they are listed as "partially hydrogenated oils" on the label. They really do not carry anything but harm. Most of them are artificial and raise the level of bad cholesterol and reduce the level of good, which helps to clear the blood vessels. According to the American Heart Association, trans fats increase the risk of heart disease and stroke and are associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.

Saturated fat is a little more difficult to deal with. Older nutritional research has said saturated fat is actually bad for cholesterol levels, but newer information has it that it's neutral. The topic is very sensitive, and the recommendations of the USDA and the American Heart Association are still to limit the consumption of saturated fats and prefer them to monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Many of the healthy foods listed below contain saturated fat, but they do not make up a large proportion of all fat and therefore do not drown out the benefits of healthy fats.

List of foods that contain healthy fats

Here are the best sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. We have prepared a material on healthy fats, a list of products - especially for you!

1. Avocado

One medium avocado contains about 23 grams of fat, but mostly monounsaturated fat. In addition, the average avocado contains 40% of your daily fiber requirement without sodium or cholesterol, and is a good source of lutein, an antioxidant that helps protect vision. Try using it in place of foods that are higher in bad fats - use 1/5 of a medium avocado instead of mayonnaise on a sandwich, butter on toast, or sour cream in baked potatoes. Remember that avocados are high in calories, so you should eat no more than 1/4 of an avocado at a time.

2. Walnuts

Walnuts are one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, in particular alpha-linoleic acid, found in plants. A recent study found that one handful of walnuts a day lowers overall bad cholesterol levels as well as improves blood vessel function. Studies have also found that eating nuts reduces the risk of blood clots, which can cause heart attacks, and improves arterial health.

3. Other nuts such as almonds and pistachios

Nuts like pecans, pistachios, cashews, and almonds are also high in healthy fats. Almonds are the richest in vitamin E, while pistachios are the richest in lutein and zeaxanthin, and carotenoids are important for eye health. All that is required is to eat about 30 grams of nuts daily to see the beneficial effects. Some varieties are fattier than others, such as cashews and macadamia nuts, so you need to pay more attention to serving size (nuts average 45 grams of fat per 100 grams). Nutritionists love pistachios because the fact that you need to peel them helps you eat them more slowly, making it easier to control portion size accordingly. Peanuts (legumes) contain both monounsaturated fats and omega-6 polyunsaturated fats, which indicates that it is good for the body.

4. Nuts and seed oils

Nut oils and oils from various seeds are where the healthy fats are found. Try almond, cashew, and sunflower oil for the right amount of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats from a plant source. All it takes is 2 tablespoons, which can be spread over toast or eaten with fresh apple slices. Choose natural nut butters with the minimum amount of ingredients.

The fat in one cup of black olives is 15 grams, but again, this is mostly monounsaturated. Plus, no matter which olives you like, they all contain many other beneficial nutrients, such as hydroxytyrosol, which has long been known as a cancer prevention agent. New research suggests that it also plays a role in reducing bone loss. If you have allergies or other inflammatory conditions, olives may be the perfect snack for you as research shows olive extracts act as antihistamines at the cellular level. However, with all these benefits, it's important to remember that serving size depends on the amount of olive oil. Stick to 5 large olives or 10 small olives as the ideal norm.

The reason olive oil is appearing in more and more cuisines is its richness in monounsaturated fats. But do not pour it in large quantities. One tablespoon contains a whopping 14 grams of fat.

One cup of ground flaxseed contains a whopping 48 grams of fat, but it's all healthy unsaturated fat. You only need 1 or 2 tablespoons. Flaxseed is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, so for vegetarians (or those who don't eat fish), it becomes the key to meeting the need for healthy fats. In addition, flaxseed contains up to 800 times more lignans than other plant foods. These nutrients contain both plant estrogen and antioxidants, and research shows they may help prevent certain types of cancer. Last but not least, flaxseed contains both insoluble and soluble fiber, so it can help you feel fuller longer, lower cholesterol and promote heart health. Sprinkle flaxseed on yogurt or oatmeal, spoon into smoothies. Or try adding on a pie crust when baking.

8. Salmon

Fatty fish like salmon (as well as sardines, mackerel, and trout) are full of omega-3 fatty acids and are known to help improve heart health. This is one of the best ways to get the fat you need. The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings of fish per week for maximum benefits.

Tuna is also high in healthy fats and omega-3s. We're talking about both convenient canned food and tuna in your favorite sushi. Steaks, hamburgers, tuna salads - the options are endless, so choosing something for yourself is not difficult. As with salmon, tuna should be limited to 340 grams (total twice a week) to avoid overexposure to, for example, mercury, which can be found in small amounts in seafood.

Yes that's right. Just 30 grams of dark chocolate (one serving) will contain about 9 grams of fat. About half of this is saturated fat, and the other half is rich in healthy fats and many other essential nutrients - vitamins A, B, and E, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and flavonoids (plant antioxidants). And did you know that one serving of dark chocolate also boasts 3 grams of fiber? We can say that chocolate is practically a vegetable. To get the highest possible flavonoid levels from chocolate, buy bars with at least 70% cocoa beans.

This product contains not much fat. Foods above or below may boast a lot, but tofu is a good source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats nonetheless. A small, 80-gram serving of hard tofu contains 5 to 6 grams of healthy fat and about 1 gram of saturated fat, but it is natural - from soybeans. Tofu is considered a healthy food for a specific reason - it is a low sodium, solid vegetable protein that provides nearly a quarter of the daily calcium requirement.

12. Young soybeans

Rich in both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, soybeans are also an excellent source of vegetable proteins and fiber. Enjoy them boiled or salted, delicious snacks, or mashed hummus.

Add them to a salad or just eat a small handful for a large dose of healthy fats, protein, and fiber.

These small but powerful seeds are rich in omega-3s, fiber, protein, essential minerals and antioxidants. Their popularity as a superfood is well deserved - you can add a tablespoon to smoothies for a quick increase in fat, fiber and protein, or soak them overnight for a quick breakfast. You can even use them in desserts.

15. Eggs

Eggs are an inexpensive and easy source of protein. People often think that eating egg whites is a healthier option than whole eggs because they contain less fat, but while it is true that egg yolk contains some fat, it is also rich in important nutrients. One whole egg contains 5 grams of fat, but only 1.5 grams of saturated fat. Eggs are also a good source of choline (one egg yolk contains about 300 micrograms), a B vitamin that helps the brain, nervous system, and cardiovascular system. In terms of cholesterol, recent nutritional research has found that eating eggs does not raise blood cholesterol levels. In fact, research has linked moderate egg consumption to improved heart health.

The following foods are higher in saturated fat and should be considered carefully. But they can also be part of a healthy diet.

16. Beef and pork

Foods high in fat, such as steak, are considered unhealthy. But it's actually less fat than you think, especially if you choose lean meats that have 5 grams of fat and less than 2 grams of saturated fat per 100 grams (on average). What's more, lean beef is a great source of protein, iron and zinc, all important nutrients for active women. One 100-gram serving of lean beef contains a whopping 25 grams of protein needed to build muscle, and three times more iron (which is important for transporting oxygen from the blood to the brain and muscles) than 1 cup of spinach, and the resulting third of the daily value of zinc supports the immune system. Lean pork can be a good source of fat when consumed in moderation. Processed pork, such as bacon, often contains sodium and other preservatives such as nitrates (which can increase heart disease and cancer risk), so another white meat should be used instead.

17. Whole milk

As we have discussed, consuming complete dairy products has benefits in weight management over low-fat or low-fat dairy products. They even help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. One cup (220 grams) of whole milk contains 8 grams of fat, of which 5 grams of saturated fat versus skim milk, which contains none of them. Other proponents of fat in dairy products point out that fat is needed to absorb vitamins A and D from milk, since they are fat-soluble vitamins.

18. Whole Yogurt

When shopping for yogurt, choose one that contains active cultures for the gut health benefits. Go for the classic no-filler - fruit flavors have an astounding amount of extra sugar. Add healthy nuts and fresh fruit to yogurt.

19. Parmesan

Cheese concludes the review of healthy fats and the food list. It is often unfairly criticized for its high fat content, especially hard, fatty varieties like Parmesan. While it is true that cheeses are higher in saturated fat than plant-based foods, they (especially Parmesan, which contains only 27 grams of fat and of which 18 grams are saturated per 100 grams), provide a host of other nutrients. In terms of calcium supply to the body, in particular to bone tissue, cheeses provide almost a third of the daily requirement. And yes, cheese contains as much protein as any other food, even when compared to meat and eggs!

(18 assessments, the average: 4.67 of 5)

There are three types of fats:

• saturated (a lot of them are found in animal and solid vegetable fat, great for cooking);
• monounsaturated (high amounts are found in almond, avocado and olive oils);
• polyunsaturated (found in all vegetable fats).

Useful properties of vegetable fats:

• They contain essential polyunsaturated acids. Omega-3 and Omega-6. They are vital to our health. And the body itself cannot produce them. The only way to get them is through food.
• Polyunsaturated fatty acids prevent blood clots, inflammation, and high blood pressure. They help the immune system to work in full force, promote proper digestion.
• The product contains substances that improve tissue regeneration. Thanks to this property, the aging process of cells slows down.
• Natural oils (especially the first cold pressed) contain a lot of vitamin E. It is an antioxidant that helps the body fight free radicals. It is also called the “vitamin of beauty and youth”. Hence - the beneficial effect of vegetable liquid fats on the skin.
• Plant-based saturated fat contains less bad cholesterol. Liquid oils prevent the development of atherosclerosis.

Harm

There are a lot of vegetable fats. All of them can be combined into two large groups:

• solid;
• liquid (oils).

Each specific product can harm the body in its own way. Consider what is common to all vegetable fats.

Harm to vegetable fat:

• Frequent and large amounts of food in food can cause infertility in women. This is due to the imbalance of fatty acids: they began to eat more vegetable oil, less animal fats.
• After processing at high temperatures, polyunsaturated fats are oxidized. In this form, they lead to thinning of the walls of the arteries and their subsequent rupture.
• Oxidized substances are not absorbed by the cells of the body and are not used by them as an energy resource. They float in the bloodstream, gradually settling on the walls of blood vessels. The result is obesity, heart disease, cancer.
• Altered polyunsaturated fats help in the production of free radicals. The risk of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, oncology increases.

Calorie content

All types of liquid vegetable fat contain 900 kcal. Let's calculate the energy value depending on the measure of weight:

The number of calories an adult needs on a daily basis depends on a number of factors:

• age;
• height and weight;

On average, an adult needs 2,500 to 4,500 calories per day. The lower limit is for people engaged in mental work. The upper one is physical. Of course, few people will eat vegetable fat in its pure form. But for cooking, for dressing salads, it is often used. Therefore, the calorie content must be taken into account. Especially those categories that need dietary nutrition.

Contraindications

• The main food element of vegetable oils is fats. These are high-calorie foods. Therefore, people who are prone to obesity should not abuse vegetable fats.
• To reduce costs, industrial corporations use chemical solvents to process cotton, soybean, or rapeseed seeds. Subsequently, all of these chemicals are deposited in the liver and absorbed into the bloodstream. The situation is aggravated by repeated processing of plant materials. Therefore, you need to use oils produced by the cold-pressed method.

The nutritional value

The food industry produces several types of vegetable fats. Let's consider the most popular ones:

The data in the table is given as a percentage of total fat. One hundred grams of the product contains 90-100 grams of fat. There are no proteins and carbohydrates in vegetable oils.

Vitamins and minerals

All vegetable fats contain a lot of vitamin E. But it will bring maximum benefit if the product is not exposed to strong heating.

When you look at a product label, you may be confused by the amount of fat. Each product can contain one of four types of fat: saturated, trans, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated. In addition to the information on the label, you should know which fats you should or should not eat.

Most people consider foods high in fat automatically unhealthy. It's not like that at all. I know this may sound complicated, but this article will help you figure it out. In it, I'll tell you about 13 high-fat foods to add to your diet.

To help you decipher food labels, let's first understand the different types of fats.

In my article on carbohydrates, we talked about the fact that carbohydrates are macronutrients and nutrients that the human body must consume in large quantities in order to function properly.

Fats are also classified as macronutrients that must be consumed daily. The problem is that, like carbs, not all fats are good for your health. In fact, some fats, such as trans fats, can be very harmful.

In articles on fats, saturated and trans fats are most commonly found, while unsaturated fats are intimidating to people. The truth is, fats are easy to figure out if you just read the right information.

Let's take a look at the four types of fats commonly found in foods.

Saturated fat, by definition, is a fat with one hydrogen bond. This bond can be found in animal or vegetable fats and is commonly found in oils, some red meats, eggs, and coconuts.

You may have heard conflicting information about saturated fat. Some studies conclude that there is no significant evidence that saturated fat increases the risk of heart disease, while others, such as the American Heart Association, suggest that saturated fat increases cholesterol and should be no more than 5-6 % of your daily diet.

I am a proponent of the former and believe it is best to consume the right types of saturated fat. In fact, the study I just mentioned showed that there was not enough evidence that saturated fat increases the risk of heart disease.

In fact, the American Diet Guidelines recently revised their findings for cholesterol and saturated fat and recommended a change in the 2015 dietary guidelines to show that there is no evidence that cholesterol restriction is necessary in our diets.

They also suggested that dietary restrictions on saturated fat should also be revisited because there is no evidence that they are associated with heart disease or any other medical condition. You can read the entire scientific report yourself at Health.gov.

The bottom line is that eating saturated fat in moderation and as part of a healthy diet is probably nothing to worry about.

Trans fats are in the unhealthy category and are found in foods like fried foods, baked goods, potato chips, frozen pizza dough, and a variety of snacks.

Trans fat is the synthetic version of oil. To create trans fats, hydrogen is added to vegetable oil, making it solid at room temperature, according to research from the Mayo Clinic. This also happens with unnatural saturated fat.

The result is a partially hydrogenated oil. You may have heard this term before, as this regular oil is better for these reasons:

1. It doesn't need to be changed as often as other oils (think fast food deep fat fryers that don't necessarily use fresh oil).
2. It has a longer shelf life.
3. It's not expensive.

Partially hydrogenated oils should be reduced as much as possible in your diet.

Here we come to our next type of fat that should always be included in your diet - monounsaturated fat. Both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are categorized as "good fats".

First, monounsaturated fats are made up of one carbon double bond. This bond means fewer hydrogen atoms are required compared to saturated fats, which are mostly hydrogen.

Unlike saturated fats, monounsaturated fats become liquid at room temperature.

Last on my list are polyunsaturated fats.

By definition, polyunsaturated fats are composed of two or more carbon double bonds.

Polyunsaturated fats are found in certain oils, such as sunflower, safflower, or corn oil, which are usually best limited due to their high omega-6 content. But these fats can also be found in healthy foods like walnuts, salmon, and flax seeds.

It's important to note that polyunsaturated fats are very important, which means that our body needs them. Well, at least half of them.

There are two types of polyunsaturated fats, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. We usually don't get enough omega-3s in our diet, but we also get too much omega-6s.

Now that I've covered the four main types of fat, how can we make sure we only include the right types in our diet?

Fats to focus on

Ideally, you will want to consume both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, focusing primarily on omega-3s. Of course, these two types of fats are considered healthier fats to eat on a daily basis. Saturated fat is good in moderation, especially if it comes from healthier food sources.

Dairy products

Yogurt can help improve your digestion with probiotics or live cultures, and it also helps with weight loss, according to a study in the US National Library of Medicine.

Thanks to the nutrients found in this dairy product, you will also get your dose of energy, calcium and protein.

Cheese is also a great source of protein, calcium, and minerals and can be beneficial for appetite control.

According to Alan Aragon, nutritionist and writer: “The combination of protein and fat in regular cheese is very satisfying ... As a result, eating cheese helps you stay full for hours, and I've found that it reduces my clients' food intake on subsequent meals. ".

Since it is still a high-fat food, be sure to pay attention to serving sizes and adjust if necessary based on your daily calorie goals.

Cooking oil

3. Extra virgin olive oil

While I've already discussed the next two products on my list in this article, they are still worth mentioning.

So why is this very fatty food right for you?

Olive oil is high in antioxidants and can actually prevent the spread of cancer cells and cause their death, according to the researchers.

Extra virgin olive oil should definitely be on my list.

What about coconut oil?

Coconut oil can increase cholesterol or HDL levels and is great for cooking.

Nuts and seeds

I would say that nuts also give me energy, which is why I always keep them close at hand. But the problem is that nuts can be extremely high in calories, so you need to control your portions. Take a small handful, because it's not easy to stop eating them.

Take a look at this list of nuts and their fat content per 100 grams:

• Almonds: 49 g fat, 78% of calories from fat
• Brazil nuts: 66 g fat, 89% of calories from fat
• Cashews: 44 grams fat, 67% of calories from fat
• Hazelnuts: 61 g fat, 86% of calories from fat
• Macadamia: 76 g fat, 93% of calories from fat
• Pecans: 72 grams fat, 93% of calories from fat
• Pine nuts: 68 grams fat, 87% of calories from fat
• Pistachios: 44 g fat, 72% of calories from fat
• Walnuts: 65 grams fat, 87% of calories from fat

This list shouldn't stop you from eating nuts; rather, it should prove to you that eating them in controlled portions is imperative.

Seeds can be treated in the same way as nuts, they are also necessary for the body, but you need to monitor the portion size.

My favorite seeds:

1. Chia seeds.
2. Flax seeds (ground)
3. Pumpkin seeds (roasted, no salt)
4. Sunflower seeds (roasted without salt)

Although they are high in fat, all of these seeds provide tremendous health benefits. Flax seeds are rich in fiber, antioxidants and essential omega-3 fatty acids.

Take pumpkin seeds and you will be loaded with antioxidants and also get about 50% of the recommended amount of magnesium.

As for sunflower seeds, they are also rich in antioxidants, fiber and amino acids. It's safe to say that these seeds are the main high-fat foods to add to your diet.

Like nuts, nut butters are fatty foods that should not be avoided. However, you need to choose the right oil, as well as the type of nuts. Two of my favorites are almond and cashew.

Vegetables

When it comes to this high-fat product, it's better to control your portions.

As you can see from this food label, the avocado serving size should only be ⅕ of the average avocado. If you ate an entire avocado, you got 250 calories and 22.5 grams of fat. However, once you've eaten it all, it's not the end of the world.

You will also get about 20 vitamins and minerals, fiber, protein, omega-3s, 4 grams of carbs, and just 1.2 grams of carbs per serving. All of these benefits make avocados an essential fatty food.

Although they are high in fat, olives are full of monounsaturated fats, which is why I find them an excellent addition to any diet.

Animal products

Most of the fat in eggs is concentrated in the yolk. This is why many people on low-fat diets only consume egg whites. However, assuming you follow the same principles, the fats found in the yolk will work well for you.

In one large egg, you will find 1.6 grams of saturated fat, 0.7 grams of polyunsaturated fat, and 2 grams of monounsaturated fat.

Eating red meat as part of a healthy diet can help you get healthier fats.

Some cuts of meat are higher in fat than others, but beef tenderloin or round steak are two options. You can use bison meat, which is even leaner and healthier.

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, “An analysis of 20 studies involving about a hundred thousand participants indicates that eating about one to two servings of 100 grams of fatty fish per week - salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies or sardines - reduces the risk of death. from heart disease by 36% ”.

Supplements

Yes, I am here to say that chocolate is the right food, but only if you choose the right chocolate. Choose chocolate that contains at least 70% cocoa, you can really do a good service to your health.

The Cleveland Clinic notes that the fat in the cocoa butter used to make chocolate is composed of oleic acid, which is a monounsaturated fat similar to that found in avocado and olive oil.

Chocolate also contains flavonoids, a group of antioxidants.

It's easy to eat a lot of chocolate, so watch your portion sizes. Only 30 grams contains 155 calories, and 38% of them are fat. If you decided to eat a whole 150 grams of chocolate, you would consume almost 900 calories and 228% of the total fat you need for the day.

This is why portion control is absolutely essential when it comes to dark chocolate.

I hope this list will show you that not all high-fat foods should be avoided. Natural fats are healthy and critical for your body to function properly.

Vegetable fat is a multifaceted concept and many are confused in it. Everyone knows that, for example, olive oil is good for you. But is palm oil added to ice cream good for you? Are vegetable fats spreads good for you? You will find out the answers to all these questions from this article.

What are vegetable fats?

The category of vegetable fats includes both healthy oils and unhealthy ones. Because classification according to the principle of origin (vegetable fat or animal fat) does not always indicate the benefits of the product.

So, for example, vegetable fats include healthy olive, peanut oil and harmful ones - palm and coconut. And animal fats include healthy and unhealthy animal fat (internal fat, lard, etc.).

The point is that you need to classify fats in terms of benefits into three categories - saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Saturated fats are fats of a dense structure that are not digested, but often settle in the body, slagging it and clogging blood vessels with cholesterol plaques. This category includes palm oil, coconut oil and cocoa butter, as well as all types of animal fats - be it margarine, lard, fatty meat, butter or other high-fat dairy products. They should be excluded from the diet!

Monounsaturated fats or oleic acid (omega-9) is the most useful component for the human body, which allows you to fight diabetes, oncology, decreased immunity, weakness and other ailments. You can get them from olive and peanut oil, poultry, avocado and olives. These are healthy fats and should be in your diet.

Polyunsaturated fats (omega-3 and omega-6) are fats that the body does not produce, and must be obtained from food, since they are involved in all metabolic processes and enhance vitality. This category includes rapeseed and flaxseed oils, walnut and wheat germ oils, and fish and fish oils, which are sources of omega-3s. And sources of omega-6 are nuts, seeds, cottonseed, sunflower and corn oils.

Thus, some vegetable fats and oils are useful, some are harmful. It is very important to remember this difference and avoid common mistakes.

Vegetable fat in food

If you see "vegetable fat" in any product, you should know that these are the very harmful saturated fats - palm or coconut oil. Their effect on the human body is very negative, but due to them it is possible to significantly reduce the cost of production, therefore they are added to a lot of different products.

Let's take a closer look at why these cheap vegetable fats are dangerous:

• disrupt the work of the gastrointestinal tract;
• they are almost not digested, which is why the level of harmful in the blood increases sharply;
• such fats provoke the development of atherosclerosis;
• obesity develops due to the frequent use of this type of fat;
• eating foods with such fats is a strong blow to the cardiovascular system;
• useful linoleic acid is almost absent in this fat, which means that the harm done is not compensated at all.

That is why, when you see the mysterious "vegetable fats" in the list of ingredients in a product, you should understand that these are not valuable and healthy oils, but cheap and unhealthy fat.

Foods containing vegetable fats

Palm oil is incredibly popular: products in which it is added are stored longer, do not require special storage conditions, perfectly keep their shape and do not lose their presentation even after long storage. Typically, you can find harmful vegetable fats in foods such as:

When choosing something from this list, at least take the time to study the label to select products that will not harm you and your family.

A healthy diet must contain fat. Nutritionists often recommend that they include their herbal options in the diet. It is believed that such fats are beneficial for the body and have little effect on the figure. What is the advantage of these compounds and why they should be in the diet, MedAboutMe figured out.

A healthy diet includes fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. Nutrition is simply impossible without these components. However, each category has its own options for substances, and not all of them are uniquely beneficial. For example, fats can be of animal or vegetable origin. All types are usually divided into three large groups:

• Saturated fats are mostly of animal origin, but also found in plant foods. They are necessary for the body, but in large quantities they can pose a threat to health.
• Monounsaturated Fat. This is a more useful option. More often found in some types of vegetable fats - in almond, olive, avocado oil, etc.
• Polyunsaturated fats. The most beneficial option found in all vegetable oils.

Since the human body itself cannot synthesize lipids of plant origin, they must be supplied with nutrition. These substances are involved in metabolic processes, and also help maintain the health of organs and systems, including the cardiovascular system. In particular, vegetable fats provide the body with essential omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which:

• They improve blood regeneration, have a positive effect on its composition.
• Reduces the risk of blood clots.
• Reduce "bad" cholesterol, prevent the development of atherosclerosis.
• They slow down the aging process, are natural antioxidants.
• Improves the elasticity of the vascular walls.

Also oils are a source of vitamins E, A and D, help the body to absorb fat-soluble vitamins.

Diet for weight loss and fats

Normally, the ratio of fats, proteins and carbohydrates should be distributed as follows:

• 25-35% are fats.
• 25-35% - for proteins.
• 30-50% - for carbohydrates.

Any lipids, including vegetable fats, are the most nutritious substances of all of the above. For example, 1 tsp. any vegetable oil contains about 45 kcal. And since the diet involves reducing the calorie content of the diet, sometimes up to 1800 kcal per day, it is often mistakenly believed that fat should be removed or minimized.

However, nutritionists recommend making other changes - reducing carbohydrates (by eliminating fast carbohydrates), increasing the amount of proteins, but leaving fats approximately in the same range (25-35%). It is simply recommended to exclude the substances of animal origin, since they are saturated unhealthy fats.

The following dishes and products should be removed from the diet:

• Butter.
• Fat.
• Fatty meats: pork, lamb.
• Sour cream, cream.
• Fermented milk products with high fat content.

At the same time, it will not be possible to completely remove fats in animal products - they are found even in dietary meats.

A weight loss diet involves controlling the amount of lipids consumed, but in no case completely eliminating them. For example, you can change the salad dressing - instead of ready-made vegetable fat (olive, sunflower, sesame oil), add flax seeds, sesame seeds or olives to the dish and season the salad with, for example, lemon juice. Avoiding fried foods will also help you stay on top of the fat in your diet.

As mentioned, vegetable fats can contain saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.

• Unsaturated fatty acids are omega-3 (linolenic, arachidonic, and docosahexaenoic) and omega-6 (linoleic).

With a lack of them, various symptoms are observed, from dry skin to blurred vision and stunted growth in children. Such fats are found in animal products (fish) and in plants - soybeans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, liquid vegetable oils.

• Saturated fatty acids - stearic and palmitic.

Unlike unsaturated fats, saturated fats can be harmful to your health. First of all, it is their high concentration in the blood that increases the level of "bad" cholesterol. This, in turn, provokes the development of atherosclerosis - the deposition of cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels. If such processes affect the arteries of the heart, coronary artery disease develops, which can result in a heart attack. Unsaturated fat is found in large quantities in meat. However, they are also found in plant products - these are the so-called solid oils (palm, coconut and others).

Dangerous vegetable fats

Even the initially healthy vegetable fats can be harmful to your health. This happens in the case of heat treatment, if the oil is used for frying, grilling, stewing. Under the influence of high temperatures, polyunsaturated fatty acids are oxidized and already in this form can act on the body in a fundamentally different way than untreated ones. In particular, they:

• Affect the elasticity of the walls of blood vessels, lead to their thinning.
• They cannot be used by the body in full, therefore they remain in large quantities in the blood, changing its composition.
• They activate the formation of free radicals, which contribute to aging and can lead to cancer.

Therefore, the fats in plant-based foods are best left raw - used for dressing salads, when preparing cold sauces, and more.

Vegetable fats can be added to food as cooked oils. The most valuable of them in terms of the content of unsaturated acids are as follows:

• Linseed.
• Sesame.
• Olive.
• Soybean.
• Corn.
• Rapeseed.
• Sunflower seed.
• From grape seeds.

At the same time, nutritionists note that it is more beneficial to consume fats in foods, and not in the form of oil, since vegetable oils do not contain carbohydrates and proteins. But with fresh products, you can get not only useful unsaturated acids, but also fiber, slow carbohydrates and vegetable proteins. Among such products:

• Nuts - almonds, cashews, peanuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts.
• Sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
• Sesame seeds.
• Flax-seed.
• Avocado.