Not all fats are bad. Disassembling the myth

1 BUT IF I EAT A LOT OF FAT, MY CHOLESTEROL WILL RAISE...

Much of the bad reputation fats get is due to the association between their consumption and increased cholesterol. But cholesterol is necessary! All your cell membranes contain cholesterol.

We must differentiate between cholesterol and lipoproteins, which are responsible for transporting it. LDL cholesterol is responsible for transporting cholesterol to the cells, and HDL cholesterol collects the excess cholesterol and delivers it to the liver.

Today we know that we must differentiate between LDL-C (the amount of cholesterol carried by these lipoproteins) and LDL-P (the number of these lipoproteins). The real problem is increasing the number of these particles, rather than making them larger and carrying more cholesterol.

Broadly speaking, when there are more LDL-P particles it is more likely that These can "collide" and spill their contents into the arteries, forming plaque (that's why LDL has always been the bad guy...).

Eat cholesterol does not increase in almost no person blood cholesterol , but the consumption of refined flours and sugar does, as they produce an increase in triglycerides, which are also transported within the LDL-P particles and, incidentally, in small particles.

It seems like everything is starting to fall into place, and we're seeing how the Western diet has led to an increase in cardiovascular disease.

2 YOU HAVE TO EAT LITTLE FAT BECAUSE IT IS HIGH IN CALORIES....

All foods provide energy. This energy is expressed in kilocalories (kcal). Fats in particular are characterized by their higher caloric value, as one fat provides 9 kcal, compared to the 4 kcal of energy provided by proteins and carbohydrates. That is, all foods are energy potential, but foods rich in fat are more caloric than those made up of carbohydrates or proteins.

But be careful, this shouldn't be a reason to avoid consuming them; we should reduce or eliminate them from our diet. Without consuming fat, we couldn't live or enjoy good health.

Why we should consume fats

• They are essential structural elements, as fats are part of cell membranes and hormones. Therefore, we need them for the structural maintenance and functioning of the entire body.
• They are a source of energy.
• They contain certain fatty acids that humans cannot synthesize, meaning they must be obtained through fatty foods. These are linoleic acid (omega 6) and linolenic acid (omega 3), which are essential nutrients because a lack of these essential fatty acids can lead to various disorders, primarily affecting the nervous system.
• They are those that carry fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) and are also necessary for their absorption.
• They participate in blood coagulation and blood pressure.
• Fat is the ultimate palatable agent, so it contributes to the palatability of the diet and, therefore, to its acceptance and increased enjoyment of food.

TYPES OF FATS

Fats are usually classified based on how many of their carbon atoms are bonded to hydrogen atoms.

1 SATURATED FATS

All of its carbon atoms are bonded to hydrogen atoms.

They are stable at room temperature and have therefore been traditionally used for cooking.

They abound in animal sources (meats, butter, dairy products...) but also in some vegetable sources such as coconut.

If you still think that saturated fats are bad, we recommend you read in our article where does this bad reputation come from?

Of course the origin matters; it is not the same to consume fat from animals raised in freedom as it is from those raised industrially, but here we leave you this meta-analysis , where it concludes that there is no relationship between the consumption of saturated fats and cardiovascular diseases

2 MONOUNSATURATED FATS

Some of its carbon atoms are bonded to hydrogen atoms.

They are liquid at room temperature. We find them in large quantities in olive oil, avocado, and almond oil.

3 POLYUNSATURATED FATS

They are also liquid at low temperatures. They are abundant in animal sources (oily fish (sardines, salmon, tuna, etc.).

Also in vegetable sources (sunflower oil, soy, corn) but these should be limited as we will explain later.

Within this group, we should highlight omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which we must consume regularly in our diet since we cannot synthesize them ourselves.

4 TRANS FATS OR HYDROGENATED FATS

They are artificially created by hydrogenating vegetable fats. They are found in industrial pastries and processed foods.

It is advisable to limit them as much as possible.

WHICH FATS ARE GOOD

The key is to know The origin of the fat we consume through food, since consuming an avocado, oily fish, or nuts is not the same as consuming fat from processed foods loaded with trans and hydrogenated fats. The impact on your health is completely different.

And why is this? The key difference is how these fats behave in our body. That is, the fat that is obtained Foods do not generate a negative impact, such as pastries and processed foods that are foods loaded with sugar and hydrogenated fat, which is what is stored, producing chronic diseases and those of metabolic syndrome.

Aside from trans fats, it is advisable to limit the consumption of vegetable oils (sunflower, soybean, corn), since when cooking with them they oxidize very easily and are very high in omega 6, creating an omega 3/omega 6 ratio that is not beneficial for the body and is associated with many modern pathologies.

Make sure you consume enough omega 3, which is found, as we said before, mainly in oily fish, but also in plant sources such as nuts and chia seeds.

On the other hand, it is Saturated fat has been demonized a lot, and we need it for various metabolic functions, although the body is capable of producing it, and if we consume too much it self-regulates by producing less.

We must consume all types of fat (saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats), prioritizing a higher intake of MUFAs and PUFAs. That is, we must not stop consuming them, but we must balance them more towards monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. What we must completely eliminate from our diet is hydrogenated vegetable fat, which is found in processed products such as pastries, sauces, and margarines.Therefore, it's important to read product labels to identify if they contain it. We'll write a post later on how to learn to read labels.

HOW MUCH FAT TO CONSUME

For the average person, a good recommendation is to keep the amount of energy we get from fat to no more than 30-35% of the total energy supplied by the diet. Preferably, we should consume monounsaturated fats (olive oil) and polyunsaturated fats (oily fish, nuts, chia seeds, etc.).

We need the fat.

A lack of fat (in the diet and in body composition) causes a number of disorders, especially in women, resulting in hormonal imbalances, infertility, and amenorrhea. Its deficiency can also cause dry skin, hair loss, weak nails, and flaking skin.

On the other hand, excess fat accumulated in our bodies can cause acne, obesity, circulatory and heart diseases (fluid retention, hypercholesterolemia, arteriosclerosis, heart attack, stroke, gout), diabetes, fatty liver, among other pathologies.

Consuming more fat in the diet is not harmful either, and in fact the ketogenic diet (so popular today) has shown many benefits, especially in diseases related to cognitive impairment, cancer and schizophrenia...

DIET TO LOSE FAT

The fat you consume in your diet is one thing, and the fat you accumulate in your body is another. The fat you consume doesn't accumulate in your body unless there's a caloric surplus—that is, you eat more calories than you expend.

If you want to lose body fat, you'll need to consume fewer calories than you expend (even if you're in a calorie deficit, make sure you're getting enough nutrients to maintain your health. It's best to consult with an up-to-date health professional before starting a diet).

This topic could be the subject of several posts, but here are some recommendations:

To optimize fat loss, several aspects must be combined

• Eat a healthy diet rich in vegetables, fruits, quality protein, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and reduce consumption of rich, processed foods.
• Doing strength exercises regularly, since this Helpwill help maintain muscle mass (toning is nothing more than losing fat and maintaining muscle) which continues to burn calories at rest and keeps the metabolism high.

Don't make the mistake of running or doing aerobic exercise for hours on end. You'll burn fat, but also muscle, and you'll look more flabby than toned.

Taking care of your diet and doing weight-bearing exercises along with some moderate cardio is much more effective. In fact, increasing importance is being placed on NEAT (not exercise activity training), which is the energy expenditure we have during any activity other than physical exercise.

If you want to burn more calories, increase your NEAT. Most smartphones have an app to track your daily steps. Aim for at least 8,000 steps a day as a starting point.

Your body composition will thank you.

We've tried to shed some light on fats. If you have any questions or want to contribute, we'd love to hear from you in the comments!