Saturated fats - benefit and harm to the human body

To strengthen health and protect yourself from diseases that develop through the use of harmful food, it is worthwhile to think about proper nutrition, detail and balance the daily diet. A large effect on the living organism is provided by saturated fats and trans fats, which are consumed in a significant amount by proponents of fast food.

What is saturated fat?

Saturated fats are a group of fats that contain only saturated fatty acids. These acids exclude the possibility of having double or triple bonds, in which the carbon atoms consist of single bonds. The minimum number of carbon atoms is only 3, and the maximum reaches 36 atoms. The peculiarity is that their melting temperature increases in direct proportion to the number of carbon atoms.

On the basis of origin, they are divided into:

Saturated fats - benefit and harm

If you analyze products containing saturated fats, you can conclude that they are in any menu. The benefits or harm that will be provided to the body, directly depends on the amount of consumption of such substances. In order to see the whole picture, it is important to analyze the useful properties of saturated fats and harmful ones, which, unfortunately, are many.

Saturated fats - benefit

The benefits of saturated fat is as follows:

Saturated fats - harm

Another common and dangerous species are trans fats, which are formed as a result of processing with the use of oil. These are modified molecules formed in unsaturated oils as a result of heat treatment. It is necessary to understand that they are in a small amount, are present in almost all foodstuffs. At heat treatment of fats their concentration can increase up to 50%. Trans fats are common in the production of fast foods, baked goods and other products, which when cooked are heat treated with oils.

With systematic overuse, saturated fats and trans fats have a negative impact on human health, which can manifest not in specific symptoms, but in exacerbation of chronic diseases. The health disorders that causes food with a high content of saturated fats are reasonably considered:

Saturated fats - the norm per day

Having determined the effect of such substances on the body of a healthy person, you need to determine exactly how much saturated fat per day the body needs. Here, as in any other case, the key role is played by quantity and concentration. It is established that the optimal amount of consumption is about 15-20 g per day. This indicator is the same for adult men and women, regardless of weight and age. Exceeding the consumption threshold will do more harm than good.

As for trans fats, for them the optimal intake rate, which does not have a negative effect on the body, is 3-4 grams (or 2% of total calories) per day. It should be taken into account that they belong to carcinogens, can accumulate in the body for years and at the same time do not show obvious signs of deterioration of health for a long time.

To avoid a significant excess of the optimal daily portion of saturated fat, it is worth paying attention to the labeling of food. On some products, manufacturers indicate the value of saturated fats. If there is no such indicator, then the indicator of nutritional value should be taken into account. Greater fat content is considered to be more than 17.5% fat in the product mass.

Where are saturated fats?

The use of such compounds on an industrial scale is advantageous in that the melting point is often above atmospheric, which means that the temperature and shelf life significantly increase. Therefore, the use of fats and trans fats is often common in the production of food, which must quickly deteriorate, but has long storage lines. Analyzing in which products contain saturated fats, you can form such major groups: