Foods rich in fat: what are they?

What are fats

Fats or lipids include a variety of insoluble substances in water present in food and in our body. These are smaller molecules than proteins and carbohydrates, which perform numerous functions in our body.

In fact, in the human body we find:

• lipids of storage area which act as an energy reserve (triglycerides);
• lipids with structural function (phospholipids, glycolipids, cholesterol);
• lipids with biological activity, present in small quantities (hormones, pigments, etc.).

Aside from these, they also belong to the category of fats or lipids waxes, steroids, terpenes and other molecules.

The common components in lipids are the fatty acids, more or less long chains of carbon atoms that can be linear, branched, ring-like and have double bonds or not. For example:

• acids saturated fats they have only simple bonds and are mostly represented in fats of animal origin, generally solid at room temperature;
• the mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids they have one or more double bonds and are found mainly in vegetable fats. Based on the position of the double bonds, fatty acids of the series are distinguished omega-9, omega-6 and omega-3: fatty acids that have a double bond at six or three carbon atoms from the end of the chain, are defined as essential, because they cannot be synthesized by our body, unlike the others.

Another distinction concerns the geometry of fatty acids: in nature they prevail cis fatty acids, easily metabolized by our body, while the trans fatty acids they are usually very rare and obtained through rectification, hydrogenation or artificial synthesis.

The lipids are therefore made up of fatty acids with different characteristics that organize themselves to form triglycerides, phospholipids, sphingolipids, glycolipids, waxes and other molecules belonging to the category of fats.

Are they good or bad?

The fats consumed through the diet make foods more palatable or palatable, that is, more palatable, and give a sense of satiety. In addition, they are useful to convey vitamins fat-soluble, i.e. Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin D and Vitamin K.

Within the body, fats represent one energy reserve very important, accumulated in the form of triglycerides in the adipose tissue. Generally, a normal weight and fit person’s body is made up for the 10-15% fat and each kilogram of lipids provides 9000 calories. However, lipids are not only used to provide energy: fats constitute the membranes of our cells, they are precursors of vitamins and hormones, protect and support the organs, thermally isolate us from the external environment and shape the shape of the body.

Fats are therefore essential for our health and for the functioning of the organism e we cannot do without it, not even when we decide to follow a low-calorie diet to lose weight. However, it is important that the fats come introduced in the right quantities and paying attention to their quality.

The recommended daily intake for lipids is equal to 30% of the total daily energy requirement from infancy to adolescence, while in adults and the elderly the share gradually decreases up to 20%. As for the quality, the mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids, while the saturated ones should not exceed 10% of the total calories. A part of the fats introduced, equal to 2.5% of the total calories, must then be represented by essential fatty acids. The finally, trans fatty acids should be avoided since their consumption is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

To insure the fat requirement daily taking into account the quantity and quality of lipids, 2/3 of the lipid content should come from plant sources and 1/3 from animal sources. The diet should include the regular consumption of foods rich in essential fatty acids, for example fish, algae, seeds and linseed oil.

Foods rich in fat

Fats are present in all foods of both animal and vegetable origin, obviously in very variable quantities and qualities. Among plant foods, we find high amounts of fats in vegetable oils and such as olive oil, sunflower oil, cocoa butter, coconut oil, palm oil, etc. Depending on whether the oil is liquid or solid at room temperature, we can understand whether mono and polyunsaturated or saturated fatty acids are more represented.

Other vegetable sources of fat are nuts, seeds, soy beans and olives from which, not surprisingly, we extract vegetable oils such as sesame, sunflower, peanut oil or fat-rich spreads including walnut, hazelnut, peanut and chocolate butter. On the other hand, fruits, vegetables and cereals contain negligible quantities of lipids.

Fats are also well represented in foods of animal origin including butter, aged cheeses, sausages and cured meats, meat and fish, egg yolk, foods that also contain significant amounts of cholesterol. Essential fatty acids are instead present in algae and in fish that feed on algae and in some seeds, in particular flaxseed and chia seeds.

As we have seen, fats are important for our health and should not be excluded from the diet, even when following a diet to lose weight. For include them correctly in the diet, it is sufficient to prefer fats of vegetable origin and essential fats, to limit the consumption of saturated fats, therefore of foods of animal origin and to avoid as much as possible trans and hydrogenated fats, often present in packaged foods. Furthermore, if the correct portions of food are respected, it’s easier not to overdo it with the intake of fats and, consequently, calories: a portion of dried fruit is, for example, only 30 grams, while a portion of dark chocolate or spreads is equivalent to 10 grams.

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