One of the biggest myths modern humanity- harmfulness of fats. Fat has become enemy number one. People spend dollars, rubles, euros, etc. to buy low-fat cookies, low-fat cola, tablets that can interfere with the absorption of fats, tablets that dissolve fats. People are on all sorts of fat-free diets.
But... In countries that are prosperous in all respects, the number of people suffering from obesity is steadily growing. The number of people suffering from cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus, that is, diseases largely associated with excess weight. The war on fat continues...
So what's wrong?
Fact 1: Fats are good for you
The first and main mistake is to assume that all fats are the same; giving up all fats is a good thing. However, the education of the population is quite high, now many people know that unsaturated fats (mainly vegetable fats) are healthy. And the harmful ones are saturated ones (mainly animals).
Let's figure this out.
Saturated fats - structural components cell membranes, participate in the biochemistry of the body. That's why complete failure from them will lead to irreversible changes in health. Another thing is that their consumption must correspond age indicators. Children and adolescents need them in sufficient quantity, their consumption can be reduced with age.
Unsaturated fats - reduce the level of “bad” cholesterol, are necessary for the body to absorb certain vitamins (fat-soluble), and participate in metabolism. That is, the body also needs these fats.
A quick observation: saturated fats are solid, unsaturated fats are liquid.
According to physiological indicators for the average person, the ratio of saturated - unsaturated fats should be 1\3:2\3. Eating healthy fats is essential!
Trans fats are definitely harmful. They are also found in nature (for example, in natural milk), but for the most part they are formed from other (vegetable) fats, through hydrogenation (a method of processing fats to give them a solid form).
Fact 2: Body fat is not the result of eating fat.
What?! Of course, if you simply increase your fat intake without reducing other foods, you excess weight dial. The basis of maintaining a normal weight is balance. You should burn as many calories as you consume.
But diets with sharp restriction calorie intake can also lead to sudden weight gain after withdrawal. Why? The body received a command: hunger. This means we need to accumulate fats in reserve. Therefore, all food is processed and goes to the “depot” - body fat. At the same time, you may faint from hunger. Processed carbohydrates are stored in fat reserves.
Studies show that if a person is on a low-calorie, low-fat diet, then the few kilograms lost with great difficulty come back, even if you continue to “sit” on this diet.
In addition, people who consume low amounts of fat are prone to obesity.
And observations of patients in the USA revealed a picture that a decrease in the amount of fat from 40% (which is considered normal) to 33% in the diet is accompanied by an increase in overweight people.
Remember that unsaturated fats are involved in metabolism. The protein: fat: carbohydrate ratio for an adult should be approximately 14%: 33%: 53%.
Conclusion: An increase in unsaturated fats in food while maintaining the same calorie content will not lead to weight gain, but will contribute to improved health through metabolism.
Fat is considered the culprit of many ills. Doctors and scientists advise reducing fat intake or eliminating it from the diet altogether. Of course, for those who are obese or have chronic diseases, it is better to listen to this advice. However, the rest of us would be foolish to give up fat. Let's find out more about them with the facts below.
1. Consumption of fats does not necessarily lead to their deposition in the body.
Many people think that consuming fat will definitely affect their figure in the form of deposits on the waist, hips and abdomen. If you eat more than your body requires, then yes, this problem can arise. For example, if you consume starchy carbohydrates in unlimited quantities, you can expect an increase in insulin levels, and then fat will be deposited. But if you eat evenly consuming fats and proteins, then this problem can be avoided. In everything you need to know when to stop.
2. No need to avoid nuts
Nuts contain useful forms fats - monounsaturated fats, which help you feel full faster, but also increase healthy cholesterol. Nuts do not have any effect on weight gain, because you can’t eat a lot of them due to their satiety, and besides, they are poorly digested by the body. Consequently, the cell walls of nuts are not easily destroyed during chewing. This means that they pass through the body in transit and do not release all their fat.
3. There is no need to completely eliminate saturated fats from the body.
It has always been believed that saturated fats are the enemies of health, so they were advised to be excluded from the diet. But today it has become clear that moderate consumption of saturated fat does not cause any harm. And some of them even need to be included in a healthy eating program.
Virgin coconut oil is one of the healthy sources of saturated fat. It contains lauric acid, which is found nowhere else except in breast milk. It is a powerful immune stimulant. It is recommended to fry foods in coconut oil.
4. Just because a product label says “no trans fats” doesn’t mean they aren’t there.
Many manufacturers believe that if a product contains a very small amount of an ingredient, then there is no need to list it on the label. It happens that a product contains only 0.5 g of trans fat, but you will not find it among the ingredients on the packaging. After eating several servings of this product, you will not even know that you have eaten enough of this harmful ingredient.
5. Nutrients from vegetables without fat are less absorbed
Studies have shown that salad dressed with fat or sauce with fat is much better absorbed by the body and receives more essential nutrients - carotenoids. If you constantly eat salads without fat, then carotenoids will not be absorbed by the body at all. They are responsible for red, yellow, orange and green colors and are important for preventing many diseases. So that the body absorbs everything nutrients from vegetables, eat them with healthy fats.
6. Extra virgin olive oil is not suitable for frying.
Although it contains healthy monounsaturated fats, it high temperatures loses its properties. It is better to use it for dressing salads or marinating meat. Olive oil is very delicate and spoils quickly, so it should be stored in a dark glass container with a tightly closed lid to avoid oxidation and preserve all its beneficial properties.
7. Fats have many functions in the body.
Without fats, our body and our organism cannot live. Here are a few reasons for this:
The brain needs fats. About 60% of the dry weight of the human brain is fat. Healthy nerve cells contain fats - docosahexanoic acid;
Sexual hormones are formed with the help of fats;
Fatty acids are essential for healthy skin and hair;
Fats are involved in metabolism, functions immune system, help stabilize blood sugar.
Lipids protrude the most important source energy reserves of the body. The fact is obvious even at the nomenclature level: the Greek “lipos” is translated as fat. Accordingly, the category of lipids combines fat-like substances biological origin. The functionality of the compounds is quite diverse, which is due to the heterogeneity of the composition of this category of biological objects.
What functions do lipids perform?
List the main functions of lipids in the body, which are basic. At the introductory stage, it is advisable to highlight the key roles of fat-like substances in the cells of the human body. The basic list is the five functions of lipids:
- reserve energy;
- structure-forming;
- transport;
- insulating;
- signal
The secondary tasks that lipids perform in combination with other compounds include regulatory and enzymatic roles.
Energy reserve of the body
This is not only one of the important, but the priority role of fat-like compounds. In fact, part of the lipids is the source of energy for the entire cellular mass. Indeed, fat for cells is an analogue of fuel in a car tank. The energy function of lipids is realized in the following way. Fats and similar substances are oxidized in the mitochondria, breaking down to water and carbon dioxide. The process is accompanied by the release of a significant amount of ATP - high-energy metabolites. Their supply allows the cell to participate in energy-dependent reactions.
Building Blocks
At the same time, lipids perform a construction function: with their help, the cell membrane is formed. The following groups of fat-like substances are involved in the process:
- cholesterol is a lipophilic alcohol;
- glycolipids – compounds of lipids with carbohydrates;
- Phospholipids are esters of complex alcohols and higher carboxylic acids.
It should be noted that the formed membrane does not contain fats directly. The resulting wall between the cell and external environment turns out to be two-layer. This is achieved due to biphilicity. This characteristic of lipids indicates that one part of the molecule is hydrophobic, that is, insoluble in water, and the second, on the contrary, is hydrophilic. As a result, a cell wall bilayer is formed due to the ordered arrangement of simple lipids. The molecules turn their hydrophobic regions toward each other, while their hydrophilic tails point inward and outward of the cell.
This determines protective functions membrane lipids. First, the membrane gives the cell its shape and even maintains it. Secondly, the double wall is a kind of passport control point that does not allow unwanted visitors to pass through.
Autonomous heating system
Of course, this name is quite arbitrary, but it is quite applicable if we consider what functions lipids perform. The compounds do not so much heat the body as they retain heat inside. A similar role is assigned to fatty deposits that form around various organs and in subcutaneous tissue. This class of lipids is characterized by high heat-insulating properties, which protects vital organs from hypothermia.
Did you order a taxi?
The transport role of lipids is considered a secondary function. Indeed, the transfer of substances (mainly triglycerides and cholesterol) is carried out by separate structures. These are linked complexes of lipids and proteins called lipoproteins. As is known, fat-like substances are insoluble in water, respectively, in blood plasma. In contrast, the functions of proteins include hydrophilicity. As a result, the lipoprotein core is a collection of triglycerides and cholesterol esters, while the shell is a mixture of protein molecules and free cholesterol. In this form, lipids are delivered to the tissues or back to the liver for removal from the body.
Minor Factors
The list of the 5 functions of lipids already listed complements a number of equally important roles:
- enzymatic;
- signal;
- regulatory
Signal function
Some complex lipids, in particular their structure, allow the transmission of nerve impulses between cells. Glycolipids mediate this process. No less important is the ability to recognize intracellular impulses, also realized by fat-like structures. This allows you to select substances needed by the cell from the blood.
Enzymatic function
Lipids, regardless of their location in the membrane or outside it, are not part of enzymes. However, their biosynthesis occurs with the presence of fat-like compounds. Additionally, lipids are involved in protecting the intestinal wall from pancreatic enzymes. The excess of the latter is neutralized by bile, where cholesterol and phospholipids are included in significant quantities.
Lipids - what are they? Translated from Greek, the word "lipids" means "small particles of fat." They are groups of natural organic compounds of a broad nature, including fats themselves, as well as fat-like substances. They are part of all living cells without exception and are divided into simple and complex categories. Simple lipids contain alcohol and fatty acids, while complex lipids contain high-molecular components. Both are associated with biological membranes, have an effect on active enzymes, and also participate in the formation of nerve impulses that stimulate muscle contractions.
Fats and hydrophobia
One of them is creating the body’s energy reserve and providing water-repellent properties. skin coupled with thermal insulation protection. Some fat-containing substances that do not have fatty acids, are also classified as lipids, for example, terpenes. Lipids are not susceptible to exposure to an aqueous environment, but are easily dissolved in organic liquids such as chloroform, benzene, and acetone.
Lipids, the presentation of which is periodically held at international seminars in connection with new discoveries, are an inexhaustible topic for research and scientific research. The question "Lipids - what are they?" never loses its relevance. However, scientific progress does not stand still. IN Lately Several new fatty acids have been identified that are biosynthetically related to lipids. Classification organic compounds may be difficult due to similarity in certain characteristics, but with significant differences in other parameters. Most often created separate group, after which the overall picture of the harmonious interaction of related substances is restored.
Cell membranes
Lipids - what are they in terms of their functional purpose? First of all, they are essential component living cells and tissues of vertebrates. Most processes in the body occur with the participation of lipids; the formation of cell membranes, interconnection and exchange of signals in the intercellular environment cannot do without fatty acids.
Lipids - what are they if we consider them from the perspective of spontaneously occurring steroid hormones, phosphoinositides and prostaglandins? This is, first of all, the presence in the blood plasma of which, by definition, are individual components of lipid structures. Because of the latter, the body is forced to produce highly complex systems their transportation. Fatty acids of lipids are mainly transported in complex with albumin, and lipoproteins, soluble in water, are transported in the usual manner.
Classification of lipids
Distribution of compounds having biological nature, by category - this is a process associated with some controversial issues. Lipids in connection with biochemical and structural properties can be equally attributed to different categories. The main classes of lipids include simple and complex compounds.
Simple ones include:
- Glycerides are esters of glycerin alcohol and fatty acids of the highest category.
- Waxes are an ester of a higher fatty acid and a 2-hydroxy alcohol.
Complex lipids:
- Phospholipid compounds - with the inclusion of nitrogenous components, glycerophospholipids, ophingolipids.
- Glycolipids - located in the outer biological layers of the body.
- Steroids are highly active substances of the animal spectrum.
- Complex fats - sterols, lipoproteins, sulfolipids, aminolipids, glycerol, hydrocarbons.
Operation
Lipid fats act as material for cell membranes. Participate in the transport of various substances around the periphery of the body. Fat layers based on lipid structures help protect the body from hypothermia. They have the function of energy accumulation “in reserve”.
Fat reserves are concentrated in the cytoplasm of cells in the form of droplets. Vertebrates, including humans, have special cells - adipocytes, which are capable of containing quite a lot of fat. The placement of fat accumulations in adipocytes occurs thanks to lipoid enzymes.
Biological functions
Fat is not only a reliable source of energy, it also has insulating properties, which biology contributes to. In this case, lipids allow you to achieve several useful functions, such as natural cooling of the body or, conversely, its thermal insulation. In the northern regions, different low temperatures, all animals accumulate fat, which is deposited evenly throughout the body, and thus a natural protective layer is created that performs the function of heat protection. This is especially important for large marine animals: whales, walruses, seals.
Animals living in hot countries also accumulate fat deposits, but they are not distributed throughout the body, but are concentrated in certain places. For example, in camels, fat accumulates in the humps, in desert animals - in thick, short tails. Nature carefully monitors the correct placement of both fat and water in living organisms.
Structural function of lipids
All processes associated with the life of the body are subject to certain laws. Phospholipids are the basis of the biological layer of cell membranes, and cholesterol regulates the fluidity of these membranes. Thus, most living cells are surrounded by plasma membranes with a lipid bilayer. This concentration is necessary for normal cellular activity. One biomembrane microparticle contains more than a million lipid molecules, which have dual characteristics: they are both hydrophobic and hydrophilic. As a rule, these mutually exclusive properties are of a non-equilibrium nature, and therefore their functional purpose looks quite logical. Lipids in the cell are an effective natural regulator. The hydrophobic layer usually dominates and protects the cell membrane from the penetration of harmful ions.
Glycerophospholipids, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, and cholesterol also contribute to cell impermeability. Other tissue structures are located membrane lipids, these are sphingomyelin and sphingoglycolipid. Each substance performs a specific function.
Lipids in the human diet
Triglycerides are an effective source of energy. Meat and dairy products have acids. And fatty acids, but unsaturated, are found in nuts, sunflower and olive oil, seeds and corn grains. To prevent cholesterol levels from increasing in the body, it is recommended daily norm limit animal fats to 10 percent.
Lipids and carbohydrates
Many animal organisms “store” fats at certain points, subcutaneous tissue, in the folds of the skin, and other places. The oxidation of lipids in such fatty deposits occurs slowly, and therefore the process of their transition to carbon dioxide and water allows you to get a significant amount of energy, almost twice as much as carbohydrates can provide. In addition, the hydrophobic properties of fats eliminate the need to use large amounts of water to promote hydration. The transition of fats into the energy phase occurs “dry”. However, fats act much more slowly in terms of energy release and are more suitable for hibernating animals. Lipids and carbohydrates seem to complement each other during the life of the body.
Fat has always been regarded as a component of food that is harmful to the body, and some nutritionists are of the opinion that it is better to limit the intake of fat. But are fats really that bad for us?
In fact, fats perform several very important functions for our body, and first of all, fat is an important supplier of energy for us. We can highlight the fact that 1g of fat supplies more calories than proteins and carbohydrates in double quantity. The body does not burn all fats at once, but puts some of them in storage as a reserve to be used in the future as needed. We bring you information about fats that will help you look at fats in a new way.
Why is fat necessary for our body?
Fats supply essential fatty acids for the functioning of our body, which are involved in metabolism and are energy suppliers. In addition, fats are part of cell membranes, for example, nerve cells have membranes that are 60% fat. Thus, we can distinguish several important functions fat:
Fats are suppliers of energy material - approximately 30% of energy comes from fats,
By forming subcutaneous fatty tissue, they protect organs and tissues from mechanical damage, and also prevent heat loss,
They are carriers for vitamins A, D, E, K, as well as minerals, since without fats their absorption in the body is impossible,
They are part of cell membranes (mainly cholesterol). Without them, the cell loses its function and collapses,
Fats produce female sex hormones, which is especially important in postmenopause, when ovarian function has practically disappeared. They also play an important role during the reproductive period, since they support hormonal background at the proper level. If the level of adipose tissue in the body is below 10-15%, then hormonal imbalance up to the cessation of the menstrual cycle,
Omega-6 unsaturated acid(aka arachidonic acid) is involved in the activation of blood coagulation and anticoagulation systems.
Almost 35% daily diet must consist of fats. Wherein significant role plays a type of fat.
Which fats are healthy and which are not?
Depending on the chemical structure Fats are divided into saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids contain a large number of hydrogen ions and are part of food products of animal origin. These are precisely the fats that are deposited on the stomach, thighs, and buttocks. This is peculiar energy reserve body. Saturated fats hinder growth muscle mass because they reduce the effect of insulin. But at the same time, they are the basis for the production of testosterone. When they are excluded from food, the level of this hormone, important for men, also decreases. The same can be achieved by consuming them excessively. Therefore, they are also important for the body, but in moderation.
Unsaturated fatty acids (Omega-3 and Omega-6) contain few hydrogen ions and are found primarily in animal products, such as olive oil or vegetable oil, fish oil. These fats are not stored in the body, but are completely burned. They are a beneficial nutritional component for the body and a raw material for the production of hormones.
There are also so-called trans fats, or artificial fats. They are filled with hydrogen ions and are found in candies and cookies, as well as in foods fast food(fast food). They are used primarily for food storage and increase the risk of developing oncological diseases and diseases of the cardiovascular system.
Omega-3 and Omega-6 are unsaturated fatty acids.
Of all types of fats, these fatty acids are the most valuable for our body. They are found in sunflower and corn oils, and rapeseed oil contains them in an ideal ratio.
Omega-3 fatty acids that are beneficial for the body are also found in flaxseed, nut and soybean oils. Salmon, mackerel and herring also contain them in sufficient quantities.
Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids:
Reduce the risk of developing atherosclerosis, thus preventing the development of cardiovascular diseases
Reduces cholesterol levels,
Strengthens the walls of blood vessels,
Reduce blood viscosity, thus preventing the development of blood clots,
Improve blood supply to organs and tissues, restoration of nerve cells.
Ideally, you need to mix saturated and unsaturated fats, for example, season meat dishes and salads with canola oil.
Which is better, margarine or butter?
Unlike butter, margarine contains more unsaturated fatty acids. But according to new teachings, this does not mean that the oil is more harmful. In terms of calories, both products are almost equal. But margarine contains harmful trans fats, which contribute to the growth of several diseases.
If you are a fan of margarine, then it is better to choose high-quality types with low content solid fats.
Do fats lead to obesity?
Although fat contains more calories, there is no proven link between fat intake and increased weight.
Excess calories lead to obesity: those who consume more calories than they burn gain weight. Food containing sufficient amounts of fat satiates us for a long period and allows us to eat less.
Those who, on the contrary, try to save on fats, often eat more carbohydrates. Cereal products such as White bread And pasta increase blood sugar levels, and with it insulin, which leads to the growth of adipose tissue. In addition, saturation of the body occurs quickly, but does not last long, resulting in more frequent food consumption.
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