Food Levels And Misleading
March 17, 2009
We often come across certain labels pasted on packaged food items. The common point on the labels is that manufacturers of those items claim their products to be “100 per cent trans fat free”. But the fact remains that the general content (of nutrient) can be unhealthy.
Secondly, such labeled food usually contains saturated fats. Ultimately, consumption of such items like baked ones can raise the levels of bad cholesterol in your bodies.
Health experts recommend the polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats in the place of the trans fats or saturated fats. At the same time they advice limitation on the consumption of fats.
Calorie: Proteins, Carbohydrates & Fats
Compared to carbohydrates and proteins, fats have more calories.
Each single gram of proteins and carbohydrates consists of four calories while the same amount of fats contains nine calories which is quite high.
ARE OIL, FATS & LIPIDS SAME?
Fats are chemical compounds. They are chemical combinations of fatty acids and glycerol. Fats are insoluble in water but soluble in solvents that are organic in nature.
Oils, fats and lipids are actually not the same even though they are all used to refer to the same item – fats.
While oils remain liquids at normal room temperature, fats turn solid at that temperature. Oils generally do not mix with water. It floats on the water surface, and has a typical feel that is greasy. Mention may be made of heating oil or petroleum.
‘Lipids’ refers to solid and liquid fats. It also points to other related substances.
The Dietary Fats Types
Fats contain a high amount of calories which generally remain in a densely coagulated form.
Our bodies gain fats from the food that we consume. Broadly divided according to their physical properties and chemical compositions, fats are divided into four types: polyunsaturated fats, trans fats, saturated fats, and monounsaturated fats.
Among them, the two bad fats are the trans fats, saturated fats. Both turn solid, similar to a butter stick, in room temperature.
The bad fats raise the levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) in our body. They can cause Consumption of the bad fats over a longer period of time can cause weight gain. This also leads to overweight.
The other two fats, namely polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats stay in the liquid form. Mention may be made of vegetable or refined cooking oil. Contrary to the bad fats, Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats can be consumed, but in moderation. Then, they cut down the LDL levels.
Fats & Muscles: Energy Storehouses
Fats along with muscles make up our body. Both are necessary for us to survive. All of us need a required amount of fat and some extra percentage to preserve energy. An average young adult man has six to nine per cent of his body as fat. The percentage in the body of an adult young woman is 12 to 16 per cent.
Fats Can’t Be Turned Into Muscles!
Remember, it is physically impossible to turn fat into muscle. When a person starts a physical training schedule his muscle mass increases, thereby increasing his weight.
This leads to an increased metabolism rate which eats into the fat and thereby brings down its inches as well.
Fats stored in adipose tissues
On the other hand, fats are veritable storehouses of energy. The required fat is stored in the adipose tissues. But the adipose tissues too have a limit. If the input (fat consumed) is more than the output (fat metamorphosed by the body to create energy), and the adipose tissues too become overstressed, then the extra fat gets accumulated elsewhere in the body.
Fats Accumulation Points
The arteries and the joints are the most vulnerable accumulation points. When the arteries or the joints get covered by the saddlebags, their normal functioning is stunted. With time, these vital organs of the body fail to function.
This gives rise to various types of life-debilitating diseases. When blood stops flowing into them, the joints and arteries get gardened and become quite brittle.
With even a slight impact, they get fractured. Excruciating pain results at those areas.
