It appears like more than 3/4th of the world’s population thinks fats (foods full of fats) are bad. If you eat fat-laden stuff, you will become fat or obese even. Everyone is sort of scared and very apprehensive about the fat that is contained in the numerous foods we eat. We tend to think or, at least, are made to think, that the fat we consume lines up on our arterial wall, and/or sticks to our belly, etc., leading to obesity, heart attacks, etc.
But, as you would have guessed, not all of it would be bad.
You are right: There are both, good and bad fats.
Bad fats are triglycerides and Omega-6 fatty acids which come from refined oils, and oils which are heated at higher temperatures for long durations (e.g. oil used for frying snacks and sweets like samosa, jalebi, etc., by eateries) and the same oil is re-used thereafter as well for a long period of time. The fat from such oil — also called trans-fat — is very harmful to our body. Good fats are HDL cholesterol and Omega-3 fatty acids which come from cold-pressed seed oils, nuts, green-grass fed animal’s milk, curd, ghee, and butter.
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What happens when we consume a zero or low-fat diet?
Our body is designed to burn fats for its instant as well as long-term energy needs. However, it becomes a vicious cycle when we eat more refined carbohydrates or low/no-fat diets, as it leads to a rapid increase of sugar levels in the bloodstream which, in turn, signals to our brain to secrete insulin in order to reduce the sugar and store fat. The resultant rapid fall in blood sugar level further leads to more cravings for carbohydrates, and we end up eating more food than is required.
What are the benefits of good fat consumption, then?
Fats are good; eating a diet rich in fat reduces carbohydrate consumption, hence, reducing insulin resistance (in diabetics, pre-diabetics). Fats give us a feeling of fullness and are also important for the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), which get activated in the presence of fats. In fact, if the fats are absent, then the vitamins do not get activated and are, invariably, flushed out of the body through excretion. Fats also act as lubricants for the joints (knee, ankle, hip, elbow, etc.). When we take medicines to lower cholesterol in the blood, they also reduce the good cholesterol (HDL) in the body and even block the enzymes of the liver that produce cholesterol (HDL) besides also increasing inflammation of the liver and the risk of Type-2 Diabetes (vicious cycle, see?).
So, the next time you eat, make sure you also eat fats (food items) as part of your meal.
As a general practice,
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- Use cold-pressed edible oil for cooking – whichever taste you like (peanut/groundnut, coconut, sesame, mustard, etc.) — about 4-5 tsp/day.
- Add ghee to warm rice, or apply it to phulka(s) — about 3-4 tsp/day without any guilt or apprehension.
- Nuts (dried fruits, etc.) about one handful/day – all put together.
- Grass-fed animal’s milk, curd, and buttermilk — about 100-150ml/day in all.
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Author
Dt. Anjali Khandale (M.Sc., Nutrition & Dietetics)
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