Types of fat and what they do

Do you know the different types of fat that exist? Fats are these chemical compounds that the body uses to produce energy. They also form the adipose panniculus (a form of tissue) that protects us (and all mammals) from the cold. Believe it or not, they also support and protect certain organs and even help some animals float when they swim. The fats we have heard about are Saturated, Unsaturated and Trans. They are called that because of the degree of unsaturation (number of chemical bonds it has). But hey, how are they related to our diet and our body? Which I think is the question we generally ask ourselves when thinking about them. Which are good and bad? Let’s see:

• Saturated – These are mainly found when we eat animal products, such as meat, sausages, dairy products and derivatives. Other plant products also have a very high content of this type of fat, such as coconut or palm oil, for example.
• Unsaturated – We find these types of fats mainly in foods of plant origin. Oils of this type (excluding those in the previous example) such as olive, corn, nuts and seeds. In turn, these are classified as: Monounsaturated – Avocado and olive oil, for example.
• Polyunsaturated – These are again divided into 2 families (how complicated the chemistry is) which are Omega 3 (soybean oil and blue fish like salmon) and 6 (walnuts, whole wheat bread).
• Trans Fats – Unsaturated fats that are formed when some elements go through a process called hydrogenation. This means that from one type of unsaturated fat it becomes nothing more than saturated. We may also find you in beef or sheep or some dairy products. OK, so far it’s been a mini science class, now what do we do? Saturated fats are a good source of energy, but they also help raise (bad) cholesterol in the blood. The unsaturated ones, on the contrary, help to regulate cholesterol levels. Even the polyunsaturated ones cannot be produced by the body and are great for the metabolism. And trans ones raise blood cholesterol levels much more than saturated ones. The interesting thing is that these types of fats are the most common in terms of food options today. Many of these fats are going to be in many of the foods we eat and it is not about avoiding them or avoiding a certain type. Yes, there are some that help more than others, but we should not omit any. The problem is that we are used to eating a certain way that leans more toward one type of fat. And as we already know, everything in excess is bad. We will always fall to the same conclusion. You have to learn to eat, which means to vary it and not stick to just one type of diet.