Saturated Fat and Obesity
Author: tiger Published Under: Health
There are several types of fat that are required for a healthy body, but saturated fat and hydrogenated fat is actually incredibly unhealthy. These two types of fats are one of the main reasons that obesity and diabetes has become so much more common in the United States.
In the United States, obesity is a severe problem, with cardiovascular disease and diabetes becoming increasingly common. Often, this leads people to demonize fat, which is in many ways unfair, as fat alone is not really the problem. Instead, when considering whether a person's diet is healthy or not, it is more important to look at what types of fats they are eating, as some fats are actually essential for a healthy body.
The main reason that fat is a problem in America, is that most of the foods produced in the country contain saturated fats. Saturated fats are actually very unhealthy, as they counteract the effects of the essential fatty acids and are more likely to be stored in the body, rather than being used as a source of energy.
The reason so many foods have saturated fat is not that saturated fat occurs naturally, but that during processing, the healthy unsaturated fats are turned into saturated fat. As a result, people in America tend to consume too much saturated fat, which leads to higher levels of cholesterol, another type of fat.
This is because as levels of saturated fat build up, the body is no longer able to break up cholesterol as efficiently, leading the cholesterol to build up in the bloodstream. Instead of being stored in places like the buttocks or breasts, it begins to clog the arteries and blood vessels, leading to heart disease.
Saturated Fats and Cancer
While saturated fats are directly linked to heart disease, the link between cancer and saturated fat is not as airtight. This belief started in the 1950s, with scientists observing relationships between saturated fat and cancer in animals. For years, it was believed that saturated fat played a direct role in the development of cancers like breast cancer. However, recent studies have shown that, saturated fat is not a contributing factor to breast cancer.
While the link between breast cancer and saturated fat has been called into question, it is still generally believed that saturated fats play a role in the development of prostate cancer and colon cancer. A number of studies have found that polyps and other growths are more common in those who eat higher levels of saturated fats, which is often attributed to the way that too much saturated fat affects the hormones.
A More Dangerous Fat
While saturated fat is generally looked at as one of the worst types of fat, recent studies suggest that hydrogenated fats and partially-hydrogenated fats could actually be much worse. Hydrogenated fats are created by preforming hydrogenation on an unsaturated fat. This turns a fat that would normally be liquid at room temperature to a solid, with Crisco, and other shortenings, being an example of a hydrogenated fat.
By hydrogenating the fat, which is done by inserting hydrogen bubbles into the oil, the fat becomes much harder, which allows it to be spread more easily and to last longer. Manufacturers often use soy, corn, or cottonseed oils, which are the cheapest kinds of oils. Often, they will also add other chemicals, such as bleach or coal-tar, which make the hydrogenated oil appear more butter-like. Margarine is a good example of this process.
During the process of hydrogenation, the unsaturated fats, which are typically rather healthy, become saturated, which basically acts completely opposite of healthy fats in regards to its effect on the body and cells. Further, the saturated fats created by this process are unnatural, called trans-fatty acids, and bully the other fats so that they are absorbed, instead of the healthy EFAs.
In a recent Harvard Study, it was found that a woman who consumes over four teaspoons of margarine everyday is two-thirds more likely to develop cardiovascular disease. One of the reasons that trans-fatty acids, which are the byproduct of hydrogenation, are so dangerous is that they dramatically raise cholesterol levels.
Staying Healthy and Eating the Right Type of Fat
Fat is essential to a healthy diet and aids in many important and vital bodily functions. Notably, eating healthy fats is actually an important part of preventing heart disease. However, eating the wrong types of fat or too much fat can also be dangerous.
Tips for Selecting the Right Type of Fat
- Avoid Margarine and other hydrogenated fats. Make sure to read the label and compare brands, as recently some margarines have begun to avoid using so much hydrogenated oil. If you must use margarine, make sure it is made without trans-fatty acid.
- Before selecting a food, read its food label to determine if it contains saturated fat or unsaturated fat, as well as its cholesterol level. Try to avoid foods that are labeled as hydrogenated, partially-hydrogenated, or that are high in saturated fat, as this is extremely unhealthy.
- Despite a bad wrap, butter is often healthier than other kinds of spreads, as it is usually low in trans-fatty acids. That doesn't mean to use it in excess, but merely that it is often a better choice than many kinds of margarines.
- Instead of cooking with shorting or margarine, try to switch to vegetable oil, as both margarine and shorting contain hydrogenated oils.
- When considering an oil, be it vegetable oil, olive oil, or margarine, make sure it does not contain more than 2 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon.
- Olive Oil is incredibly healthy and very tasty. It can be used to replace margarine on bread.