The article below appeared in the Yemen Times and was written by Salma Ismail. The original article can be found at: http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1266&p=health&a=2.
The author provides an excellent well organized summary for the layman on saturated fats, and unsaturated.
Khalid stands at the Suq Al-Milh in the Old City of Sana’a taking in the smells of fried samboosa, falafel, French fries, zalabiya, khameera and khubz al-taawa. The famous snacks are outsold by 09:00 every day. They all taste so good, but is the oil they are all drenched in healthy? Like many Yemenis, he is unaware of the different types of fat and the different effects they have on his body. He gets his package and leaves with an ignorant smile on his face.
Although fat is an essential part of the diet, lots of people eat more than they need or is good for them. Lack of awareness and a high illiteracy in the country are to blame.
We do need fats in our diets as they help with nutrient absorption and nerve transmission, but eat too much and they can contribute to weight gain, heart disease and even certain types of cancer.
Fats are not created equal. Some fats are good for our health while others increase our risk of heart disease. The key is to replace bad fats with good fats in your daily diet.
There are two main types of fat found in food – saturated and unsaturated. Eating a diet that is high in saturated fat, over time can raise the level of cholesterol in your blood.
Worldwide, coronary heart disease killed more than 7.6 million people in 2005. The only cardiac centre in the country is at the Al-Thawra Hospital General Teaching Hospital in Sana’a. Overcrowded and understaffed, it receives no less than 150 patients a day, thus overwhelming resources, according to Dr. Aziz Saleh Al-Zindani, Head of the Cardiac Center.
However, without a Yemeni Heart Association, the country lacks specific information related to the prevalence of cardio-vascular disease.
With the 2009 Yemeni budget plan allocating only 5.7 percent of general expenditure to health services, according a recent analysis by the Civil Society Organizations Network for Development, understanding fats and choosing food wisely is essential to avoid having to see a doctor altogether.
Is cholesterol bad?
Surprisingly, cholesterol itself isn’t bad. In fact, cholesterol is just one of the many substances created and used by our bodies to keep us healthy. Some of the cholesterol we need is produced naturally, and can depend on your family’s health history, while some of it comes from the food we eat.
There are two main types of cholesterol to be concerned about: high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL).
High levels of LDL in the blood are considered to be bad. These lipoproteins leave cholesterol deposits on arterial walls. The cholesterol hardens into a waxy substance called plaque. Over time, the plaques narrow the opening of the affected vessel leaving blood less space to flow freely.
Those cholesterol plaques could break free from the walls of the arteries and with other substances, lodge in a smaller vessel causing a stroke, heart attack, or pulmonary embolism, which is a blot clot in the lung.
High levels of HDL in the blood are considered to be good. These lipoproteins remove cholesterol from arterial walls before they can form life-threatening plaques. The cholesterol is returned to the liver. The arteries are kept free from anything that might hinder blood flow to the organs of the body.
Within the category of cholesterol-containing foods, there are those that are cholesterol-high foods, while some may contain lesser amounts of cholesterol. Egg yolks as opposed to egg whites contain a very high amount of cholesterol. But of late, research has lead doctors to believe that egg yolks increase the HDL cholesterol, which is good for your heart, and not the LDL cholesterol that is bad for you.
Eating a diet that contains plenty of soluble fiber could also help to reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood. Good sources of soluble fiber include oats, beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, fruit and vegetables.
Saturated Fat
Saturated fats raise total blood cholesterol as well as LDL cholesterol, the bad cholesterol. In general, the main sources of saturated fat are from animal products: red meat and whole-milk dairy products, including cheese, sour cream, ice cream and butter. But there are also plant-based sources of saturated fat, principally coconut oil and coconut milk, palm kernel oil, cocoa butter, and palm oil.
Even though they are vegetable oils and have no cholesterol, they are high in saturated fats. And while you probably don’t go to the supermarket and buy these, these plant-based saturated fats crop up in a number of commercially prepared products. Cocoa butter is in chocolate. Coconut oil and palm oils are in anything from non-dairy whipped toppings and coffee creamers, to cookies and cakes.
Unsaturated fat: the good fat
Unsaturated fat helps fight the very diseases that consuming excess fat is said to cause. These unsaturated fats are divided into monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, and both types are thought to have beneficial effects on cholesterol levels.
Mono-unsaturated fats help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol while also boosting HDL (good) cholesterol. Polyunsaturated fats are also thought to help lower total and bad cholesterol. But mono-unsaturated fats tend to be favored over poly-unsaturated fats because some research suggests that polyunsaturated fats are less stable, and can reduce levels of good cholesterol as well as bad.
But let’s not ignore poly-unsaturated fats. These are often a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, found mostly in cold-water fish, nuts, oils and seeds, and also in dark leafy greens, flaxseed oils and some vegetable oils.
One kind of omega-3 fatty acid is an “essential fatty acid,” which cannot be manufactured by our bodies, so eating these foods is the only way to get them. Omega-3 fatty acids are thought to lower blood pressure, combat LDL cholesterol, fight inflammation and protect the brain and nervous system.
While unsaturated fats – both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated- are beneficial when consumed in moderation, saturated fat and trans-fat are not. Saturated fat and trans-fat raise the level of LDL or “bad” cholesterol. Therefore, it is advisable to choose foods low in both saturated and trans-fats as part of a healthy diet.
Trans-fat: the man-made fat
When it comes to fat, trans-fat -also called trans-fatty acids- is considered by some doctors to be the worst of all fats because of its blow on your cholesterol levels. Unlike other fats, trans-fat both raises your “bad” LDL cholesterol and lowers your “good” HDL cholesterol. Trans-fats may be mono-unsaturated or poly-unsaturated, but never saturated.
Manufacturers like using trans-fats in their foods because they’re easy to use, inexpensive to produce and last a long time. Trans-fats give foods a desirable taste and texture. Many restaurants and fast-food outlets use trans-fats to deep-fry foods because oils with trans-fats can be used many times in commercial fryers.
Trans-fats were invented as scientists began to hydrogenate fat, a process in which liquid vegetable oils are converted into solid fats. This enables them to withstand better the food production process and boast a longer shelf life for the products that contain them, so they stay in the supermarket for months or even years.
As a result of hydrogenation, trans-fatty acids are formed. The latter are found in many processed foods such as many margarines, biscuits, cakes and pies.
They are also found in commercially-fried food such as French fries or chicken from some fast food chains, packaged snacks such as microwaved popcorn, as well as in vegetable shortening and hard-stick margarine.
Unlike other dietary fats, trans-fats are not essential, and they do not promote good health, according to the US Food and Nutrition Board, at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.
The consumption of trans-fats increases one’s risk of coronary heart disease by raising levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and lowering levels of “good” HDL cholesterol, according to the US Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Health.
Authorities worldwide recommend that consumption of trans-fat be reduced to trace amounts. Trans-fats from partially hydrogenated oils are more harmful than naturally occurring oils.
Researchers at Harvard’s School of Public Health estimated that trans-fats contribute to 30,000 deaths a year in the US.
Cutting down on “bad fat”
While shopping at your local supermarket, it’s easy to check the label for saturated fat. Although these are sometimes disguised under the terms “saturates” or “sat fat,” food labels which tell you how much saturated fat is in the food. More than 5g sat fat per 100g is a high level, while 1.5g sat fat per 100g is low. If the amount of sat fat per 100g is in between these figures, then it is a medium level.
You can also spot trans-fats by reading ingredient lists and looking for the ingredients referred to as “partially-hydrogenated oils.” In particular, look for “partially hydrogenated” vegetable oil, another term for trans-fat. The word “shortening” also is a clue: Shortening contains some trans-fat.
In saturated fats, trans-fats and cholesterol – such as canola oil, corn oil, olive oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, soybean oil and sunflower oil – but use them sparingly, because they contain 120 calories per tablespoon. Stay away from coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil. Even though they are vegetable oils and have no cholesterol, they are high in saturated fats.
So the next time you decide to indulge in falafels or samboosa, try to ask the type of oil it was fried in. Steer away from them, if they don’t know what type.
Checking your food labels is also a must. However, living healthy isn’t only about making healthy food choices, you need to practice moderation, eat a wide variety of foods and get enough physical activity.
The article above appeared in the Yemen Times and was written by Salma Ismail. The original article can be found at: http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1266&p=health&a=2.
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