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Of Good and Bad Fats

Fat doesn’t have the best reputation and is still commonly considered the number one fattening food. Not all fats are inherently unhealthy. Some can even help you lose weight! We explain the differences and reveal which fats are better to avoid – and which foods you can safely enjoy.

1. Our bodies need fat

Fats are not only vital for us as a source of energy. The body cannot utilize many important vitamins (including A, D, E, and carotene) without fat.

2. A maximum of 80 grams of fat per day

The German Society for Nutrition recommends a maximum of 80 g of fat per day. If you want to lose weight, reduce the amount to a maximum of 30 g per day.

3. It is best to reduce saturated fat

Saturated fatty acids (e.g. from butter, lard, meat, and ready meals) should only be consumed rarely. Because they can u. increase cholesterol levels.

4. Saturated fat makes you fat

Another problem: Our body stores the energy from saturated fatty acids directly in adipose tissue. This is how unwanted love handles accumulate.

5. Unsaturated fats are important

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids are generally considered much healthier. They are essential, our body needs them but cannot produce them.

6. The character is happy about canola oil

The monounsaturated fatty acid oleic acid (e.g. from olive or rapeseed oil, avocados, and nuts) can lower cholesterol levels and support the metabolism.

7. Omega-3 fatty acids for weight loss

The polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids have a beneficial effect on lipid metabolism. They break down neutral fats and promote good HDL cholesterol.

8. Omega-6 fatty acid: Pay attention to the ratio

Omega-6 fatty acids such as linoleic acid are also healthy, but we consume too many of them these days. A ratio of 4:1 (omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids) is ideal.

9. Fish and oils are top suppliers

Omega-3 fatty acids are mainly found in fatty fish such as salmon and mackerel, but also in linseed oil. Omega-6 fatty acids are mainly in vegetable oils (e.g. safflower oil).

10. Unhealthy trans fats

During the industrial hardening of vegetable oils (e.g. for pastries, fried foods, or crisps), trans fats can arise, which e.g. increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

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Fitmacher Fat: Which Fats Are Good For The Body

Fat contained in food initially has a negative connotation for many. But a generalization is not possible here: There are also a large number of healthy fats.

Things to know about fats

Fats are not automatically unhealthy: they can have a variety of positive effects on our body and our health. For your body, they sometimes even play a vital role: They not only contribute to the natural energy supply, but are also the building blocks of the cell walls and protect them from harmful external influences. Fats are classified according to their composition of fatty acids.

Healthy fats help stabilize blood sugar levels and fulfill a satiety function. If you eat healthy fats, vitamins A, D, E and K can be absorbed by your body. The reason for this is that these vitamins have fat-soluble properties.

According to the German Society for Nutrition, adults should cover 30 percent of their daily energy requirements with fats: It is therefore important that you also consume healthy fats every day. This is around 60 to 100 grams per day. Depending on physical activity and weight, however, this information can also vary. However, the high calorie density of around 9 kcal per gram should not be ignored either. If you eat too much fat over a long period of time and only burn a few calories, this can lead to obesity, high blood pressure or arteriosclerosis. In the end, it all comes down to the right, balanced measure.

Fatty acids: There are

Fatty acids are essential for many bodily processes. These are also called essential fatty acids. A basic distinction is made between saturated fatty acids, monosaturated and polysaturated fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids are considered unhealthy in larger amounts. The reason for this is the taste-enhancing and appetizing properties of these fatty acids, which is why overconsumption of foods containing them can quickly occur. Consequently, this can lead to cardiovascular disease, dementia, diabetes, high cholesterol and narrowing of blood vessels. However, these effects are only to be expected in the long term and in excess: You should still consume a healthy amount of saturated fat, as these are important for the natural functioning of the nervous system.

In contrast, the unsaturated fatty acids are considered to be the healthier fats. They have anti-inflammatory properties and play a significant role in regulating normal blood clotting and cholesterol levels. Fats, which are composed of unsaturated fatty acids, also guarantee the absorption of the important vitamins A, D, E and K.

In this context, a distinction is also made between polyunsaturated and monosaturated fatty acids. Here you have to take a look at the chemical structure of the acids: While monounsaturated fatty acids have only one double bond in the hydrocarbon chain, polysaturated fatty acids have at least two double bonds. Depending on where the double bond is located, the polysaturated fatty acids can also be divided into subgroups. The best known are the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. It is also important with these to eat a balanced amount so that all bodily functions are maintained ideally. According to the German Society for Nutrition, the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 in the diet should be 5:1.

Overview of foods with healthy fats

Healthy fats are found in many foods, both plant and animal. This makes it possible for you to cover your daily fat requirements through a varied integration of these foods into your diet. A particularly high fat content can be found in nuts in particular. These include, for example, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, peanuts, Brazil nuts and cashew nuts. Natural yoghurt can also convince with a digestive property and a content of about 1.16 grams of monounsaturated fatty acids per 100 grams.

The avocado also has a particularly high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids with around 87% and olive oil with around 86%. If you incorporate these regularly into your diet, you can easily cover your fat requirements. Flaxseed*, cheese, eggs, rapeseed oil and dark chocolate are also known for being rich in unsaturated fatty acids.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids are mainly found in fish. A good example of this is salmon: it has a content of around 77% unsaturated fatty acids. But not only salmon contains a lot of vegetable fats: mackerel, herring or tuna can also be ideally integrated into a healthy and balanced diet* to cover the fat requirement.

Ghee and coconut oil: trend products can really do that

The trend products coconut oil and ghee are intended to be a healthier alternative to classic oil and butter. For a direct comparison, it is important to take a look at the nutrients and not to ignore the fat content.

Ghee is also commonly referred to as concentrated butter. During the production of ghee, the water and milk protein contained in the milk are removed, resulting in a product with a fat content of almost 100 percent. According to the Butter Ordinance, butter only has a fat content of at least 82%. In addition to the fats it contains, an advantage of ghee is that it is almost free of lactose and milk protein: this is a great alternative for people with an intolerance. Comparing ghee to butter, ghee contains about 8g saturated, 4g monounsaturated and 0.5g polyunsaturated fat per tablespoon. Butter, on the other hand, has only 7g of saturated fat, 3g of monounsaturated fat and, like ghee, 0.5g of polyunsaturated fat.

Coconut oil has also been a trend for a long time, as it is said to be particularly healthy. However, this claim has not held up: studies that prove a particularly healthy effect of coconut oil cannot be found. Compared to canola, walnut or olive oil, coconut oil has no proven advantage. It should also be noted that coconut oil consists of over 90% saturated fatty acids. Although these are not generally harmful, they should only be enjoyed in moderation. In general, coconut oil can be classified as healthy if you use it occasionally. For regular use, however, you can also ideally use conventional oils, which contain a high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids.

Cooking fats: These are particularly healthy

Many oils are particularly rich in healthy fats. The vegetable fats in the oils have a positive effect on your health. When frying, it is particularly important that you use a heat-resistant oil: The oil should have a so-called high smoke point so that it does not decompose so quickly at the high temperatures.

The more saturated fat and oleic acid (an unsaturated fatty acid) the fat contains, the higher the smoke point. So if you are looking for an oil for frying, coconut oil can be an ideal alternative here. It is heat resistant to temperatures up to 200°C. When choosing coconut oil*, it is important that you pay attention to organic quality and a fair trade logo. The oil often comes from exotic countries, which is why it is classified as rather critical in terms of environmental aspects.

Rapeseed oil* and sunflower oil are also ideal for frying due to their heat stability. These have a high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, which is why you should make sure that the oils in the pan do not get too hot when heating them up: this is the only way to preserve them.

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Everything You Should Know About Cooking Oils and Fats

Contradictory statements are often heard when it comes to oil and fat: “Fat makes you heart ill and fat”, “Coconut oil makes you slim” or “vegetable oils are healthy”. What is correct now? And what should you consider from an ecological point of view?

We looked at which oils are really healthy, which ones you would rather avoid and what you can look out for when buying.

You can’t do without fat

Dietary fats have the highest calorie density of any nutrient. With 9 kilocalories (kcal) per gram, they have more than twice as many calories as a gram of carbohydrates or protein. Fats and oils are therefore often demonized and decried as “fat food”.

It’s true that “eating too much fat” can make you fat, but you can’t do without fat entirely. Dietary fats are suppliers of essential fatty acids, they are vitamin carriers and vitamin suppliers and as flavor carriers they also ensure that a dish tastes “round”.

All fat is made up of different fatty acids. Basically, you have to distinguish between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Saturated fats are easy to recognize: They are solid at room temperature. This includes all animal fats, palm kernel fat and coconut fat.

Saturated fatty acids are not essential to life and are even harmful to health, since they are responsible, among other things, for the cholesterol level in the blood to rise.

With unsaturated fatty acids, things get more complicated. There are monounsaturated, diunsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. What they all have in common is that they are liquid at room temperature.

Monounsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid are found in olive oil, rapeseed oil and many nuts and seeds. The body is able to form these monounsaturated fatty acids such as omega 9 itself; they are therefore not essential.

Essential Fatty Acids

The body, on the other hand, cannot produce polyunsaturated fatty acids itself, so they are essential. A lack of essential fatty acids leads to various deficiency symptoms such as skin changes, susceptibility to infections, growth disorders, hair loss and a lack of blood platelets. Polyunsaturated fatty acids can be found in fish, corn oil, but also in safflower oil or nuts. The doubly unsaturated (omega 6) fatty acids include, for example, linoleic acid, which is contained in thistle or sunflower oil.

Well-known essential fatty acids are “Omega 3” and “Omega 6”, which are now literally “on everyone’s lips” due to advertising: The healthy Omega 3 (for example alpha-linoleic acid) is contained in all vegetable oils and improves the flow properties of the blood. It also lowers blood pressure and blood lipids, which is why it can prevent hardening of the arteries. There is a lot of omega 3 in fish (the cooler the water, the fatter the fish, the richer in omega 3) and in local oils such as rapeseed oil, soybean oil, walnut oil and linseed.

The fatty acid ratio is important

Now it gets a bit complicated: It is not only the intake of such essential fatty acids through our food that is decisive, but also that the ratio of these fatty acids to one another is optimal. The higher the proportion of omega 3 fatty acids and the lower the proportion of omega 6 fatty acids, the more optimal the oil is.

The “healthy olive oil” praised by good marketing comes off surprisingly badly: it has an unfavorable ratio of these two fatty acids, but a healthy proportion of oleic acid.

Local linseed oil has the highest content of omega 3. If you don’t like the intense taste, you can also use rapeseed oil, walnut oil or soybean oil, which are much healthier in their fatty acid ratios than the widespread sunflower oil, corn oil or peanut oil – oils that are often used in gastronomy because they are cheap and can be heated to high temperatures .

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Saturated vs. Unsaturated Fats: Which is Healthier?

What is behind saturated and unsaturated fatty acids? We will show you briefly and concisely where they are contained, what is better and what effect the fatty acids have on your body.

Difference between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids

Fat is important for our body – along with proteins and carbohydrates, it is one of the basic nutrients. Every fat contains saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.

Fat isn’t clearly healthy or unhealthy – it depends on how much you’re eating and where it’s coming from. Unsaturated fatty acids are healthier. But saturated fats also have their place and don’t always have to be bad in moderation.

Which fatty acids are contained in which and what do they do?
Saturated fatty acids are mainly found in hydrogenated edible fats (e.g. margarine, palm fat, all animal fats, coconut fat) and in most finished products. You can tell they’re firm (or spreadable) at room temperature. Saturated fats provide a lot of energy.
Unsaturated fatty acids are mainly found in vegetable oils and are very sensitive to heat, which is why you should not use olive oil for frying, for example. Unsaturated fatty acids are divided into monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The monounsaturated fatty acids help build the cell membrane, polyunsaturated (also called essential fatty acids) are important for the development of the body. You can find them in meat, grains and potatoes, but also in vegetable oils, nuts, fish and avocados.

Saturated vs. Unsaturated Fats: How Much is Healthy?

Society for Nutrition (DGE) recommends that no more than seven to ten percent of the total energy intake should consist of saturated fatty acids. Too many such fats can increase cholesterol and blood pressure. This, in turn, often leads to heart disease and obesity.

Monounsaturated fatty acids, on the other hand, have a positive effect on fat metabolism. Polyunsaturated fatty acids even lower cholesterol levels.

In the production of edible fat such as butter or margarine, but also if you heat fats too much, trans fats can be formed from unsaturated fatty acids. These also increase the “bad” LDL cholesterol level and lower the “good” HDL cholesterol level.

The Federal Office for Risk Assessment (BfR) recommends no more than one percent trans fatty acids for a healthy diet – however, trans fats are contained in many processed foods. They are currently not subject to declaration in Germany, so you cannot tell from the packaging whether a product contains them. For example, avoid them by cutting out fried foods, shortening, margarine, and baked goods made with them.

Coconut oil consists almost exclusively of saturated fatty acids, but is not harmful – provided it is “virgin coconut oil”.

Attention: Coconut products have been transported a long way and the cultivation is often not very sustainable either: In order to meet the increasing demand, coconuts are often grown in monocultures and treated with pesticides.

Summary: Which is better?

Even if fat is generally discredited, it is important and very healthy in moderation – it all depends on which fat you eat.

Saturated fats are found in many foods, especially processed ones. It therefore makes sense to avoid such products as far as possible. If possible, switch to unsaturated fatty acids in vegetable oils.

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