|
|
Just the Facts About Good & Bad Fats! :
Jun 21, 2007
The fat in the food you eat is not the villain many people think it is. As a matter of fact, eating no fat at all is unhealthy. To maintain optimum health, as well as manage your weight, you have to look at not only the amount of fat you eat, but also the sources. Let us introduce you to the essentials of developing a healthy relationship with fat . What Fat Does for You Here are just a few of the roles of dietary fats: Fats provide the raw material for manufacturing the various substances that regulate the immune system, response to inflammation, adrenal and sex gland activity, eyesight and brain development and performance, among other things. Fats influence the “stickiness” of blood, which plays an essential role in heart attacks and stroke. Fats are essential for cell growth and the healing of damaged tissues. The vitamins A, D, E and K and other nutritional factors depend on fat to be absorbed. This is a small taste of why no-fat and low-fat regimens can be harmful if you don't take in enough of the right fatty acids (the basic components of fat).Taking care of yourself means taking excellent care of your heart. If you're ready to get started, check our Heart Smart Program . We can help you make those important, everyday choices that mean so much to your heart's health. Make Fat Your Friend, but Not Your Best Friend
This, of course, is not an open invitation to feast on fatty foods. Heart disease and stroke are the first and third leading causes of death respectively in the U.S. -- and fat intake is linked to heart disease and possibly some cancers. An estimated 1-in-3 women over age 65 has some form of cardiovascular disease, and heart attacks are now the number-one killer of American women. Animal vs. Vegetable
What does it mean when we say pay attention to the source of fats? This refers to the foods that the fats come from (i.e. animal- or plant-derived). In North America and Europe, the fats that most people consume come from foods of animal origin. These contain substantial amounts of saturated fatty acids. By contrast, in most of the rest of the world (where heart disease is less common), the fat the majority of people consume is from plant foods, which are largely mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids. This reality that the source of fats is critical to making fat part of a healthy diet is supported by an extensive body of scientific research.
Continue reading
|
