Learning about and understanding fatsUnderstanding fats can be difficult sometimes. They are a concentrated source of energy,meaning that they have twice as many calories per gram as carbohydrates and proteins do. They are needed in the diet for healthy skin and normal growth. Fats are the most concentrated sources of calories,so high fat foods are good sources of energy. You need some of this,the good ones that is,unfortunately for most people it’s hard not to eat too much fat. Fats are broken down in the body to release glycerol and free fatty acids. The glycerol can be converted to glucose by the liver and thus used as a source of energy. Understanding fats and knowing the different types are essential to normal nutrition.When the body has used up the calories from carbohydrates,which occurs after the first twenty minutes of exercise,it begins to depend on the calories from fat. Fats are not all the same. The good ones promote your health positively while others increase our risks of heart disease. Fats are polymorphic,which means they are capable of forming several different types of crystals. These crystals are very tiny,forming a smooth but unstable crystal. Fats are also known as lipids. Lipids are solid at room temperature,fats help in the absorption of many essential vitamins,help maintain the structure and function of cell membranes and help boost your body's immune system. Too much fat,of course,can increase your risk of diabetes and obesity.
Saturated fats are popular with manufacturers of processed foods because they are less vulnerable to spoil and generally more solid at room temperature than unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats have a lower melting point,hence increasing fluidity of the cell membranes. Saturated fats also can be found in large amounts in some vegetable products,such as cocoa butter,coconut oil and palm oil. Saturated fats are known to increase total blood cholesterol and LDL cholesterol,also known as the bad cholesterol. This type of fat is mostly found in animal products,such as butter,lard and the fat in dairy products and meats. Saturated fats can cause the bad cholesterol LDL to rise as well as provide an increased risk in the development of certain cancers. Trans-fatty acids are created through a process called hydrogenation. Hydrogenated fats are manufactured fats. Trans -fats,have been around since the 1940s.These fats wreak havoc with the body's ability to regulate cholesterol. In the hierarchy of fats,the polyunsaturated fats which are found in vegetables are the good kind, they lower your cholesterol. Trans-fatty acids are two to four times as bad for you as saturated fat. Keep an eye out for them in all processed foods,as well as margarine. Understanding fats has always been a mystery with me,fat was fat I thought.
To give you an Idea how bad this stuff is,here is how it is made.Hydrogenation is a way of making vegetable oil harden at room temperature.Small particles of nickel or copper are added and the mix is heated to very high temperatures under pressure for up to eight hours while hydrogen gas is injected.Yummy huh. Trans-fats are found in hundreds of processed foods,usually to protect against spoiling and to enhance flavor. Restaurants tend to use a lot of hydrogenated vegetable oil,especially for frying. Trans-fatty acids are bad fats. They appear on ingredient labels as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Recognizing what is on those labels will help you identify and understand fats. Trans-fat is the worst kind of fat,far worse than saturated fat. Trans-fats are bad because they are inorganic compounds and until recently they were in everything. Trans-fats exist in very small quantities naturally, but the vast majority consumed by humans are produced artificially. 
Bad fats destroy hormones. Even oxygen is dependent of essential fats. Bad fats include trans-fatty acids,saturated fats and most of the fats you would cut off meat. Good fats include polyunsaturated fats,omega-3 and other heart healthy oils such as olive oil. Oils that are largely polyunsaturated fats include safflower,sunflower, sesame,cottonseed and corn oil and other vegetable oils,which are liquid at room temperature,contain higher levels of unsaturated fatty acids. They are considered unsaturated fats. So, as a word to the wise,by understanding fats and being careful about what you eat,you will live a longer much healthier,happier life. :)
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