The most avoided word in the vocabulary of most dieters is ‘fa’. It isn’t uncommon to listen to a dieter talk about their avoidance of eating fat as if it were something thoroughly unwholesome, and even life-threatening, like an allergen, or a contagious disease. In one way, this impassioned hatred of fat is positive. It reflects a typically understood medical truth that overindulging in fat-rich foods often causes undesirable, and unhealthy, weight gain. On the other hand however, this fear of fat can be potentially dangerous, because being aware of fat is often not sufficient; a deeper understanding regarding the influence of fat on weight gain and overall health can be necessary. Unfortunately, those who dread and keep away from all fat “as a rule” are overlooking an vital difference between saturated fat and unsaturated fat. Saturated fat is commonly the real perpetrator in relation to unwanted, and potentially unhealthy, weight gain. Turning solid at room temperature, these forms of fat facilitates the production of “bad cholesterol”, or LDL. In addition to weight gain, as cholesterol increases, so does the risk of heart disease. In reality, saturated fats increase LDL cholesterol disproportionately more than dietary cholesterol itself; that is how unhealthy it is to the human body [i]. It is only right that this kind of fat should be abhorred and avoided as much as possible. Some persons are more concerned about cosmetic weight gain however, and less about the possibility of high cholesterol and heart disease. This isn’t a criticism; the adverse health effects of extra weight are well documented, as are the emotional traumas and social stigmas that tragically affect tens of millions of overweight individuals, especially children [ii]. Unquestionably, an excess consumption of saturated fat is linked to weight gain. This is because a fat gram contains more than twice the quantity of calories as a protein gram – 9 calories versus 4 calories [iii]. Because of this, dieters can really consume more than twice the amount of protein grams versus fat grams to arrive at the same caloric intake. For dieters who’re zealous about calorie-counting, this 125% differential between calorie ranges brought about by both fat and protein can make an enormous difference. Fat cells, once created, can’t be eliminated [1]; they can only be made smaller via the body’s metabolic calorie-burning process [iv]. Since genetics also contribute greatly to the metabolism rate of a person, individuals with slower than average metabolism rate can spend months or even years longer than those that are gifted with a very efficient metabolism, in their effort to shrink fat cells. It is quite easy to understand, based on the above dialogue, why the very idea of fat is dreaded by dieters; both because of the health hazards it poses, and its capability to create excess fat cells. And it’s just as comprehensible, since they do not know the difference between each kind of fat, that individuals will just try to remove all kinds of fats from their diet altogether. This, nevertheless, is a big nutritional oversight. For numerous necessary functions, fat is a macronutrient which is required by our body. Fat is a source of energy. It helps regulate the proper functioning of the brain and nervous system, aids in the assimilation of certain nutritional vitamins, and keeps the body warm. Hoewever, there seems to be a contradiction somewhere. On the one hand there are health and weight gain hazards associated with fat, and on the other hand, there are confirmed health advantages associated with fat. How is that possible? Differentiating between the two forms of fat: saturated and unsaturated, will assist you to understand this enigma better. The type of fat related to health hazards is the former; the type that the body needs and uses effectively is the latter. Going further, there are two sub-kinds of unsaturated fats: monounsaturated fat, and polyunsaturated fat. Common sources of polyunsaturated fats are safflower oil and corn oil, whereas monounsaturated fat can be present in foods such as peanut oil and olive oil. These unsaturated fats are those that provide the body with the most helpful and efficient sources of fat that lead to the health benefits noted above. It has to be noted nevertheless that even though unsaturated fatshave been confirmed to be better for your health than saturated fat, both types still carry the same 9 calories. Because of this, overeating of fats needs to be avoided at all times. Now that there is widespread consciousness and a deeper understanding that saturated fats aren’t good for health, and that there’s such a thing as “good” fat (unsaturated fat), you would have expected many nutritional dietary supplements available in the market to jump on the bandwagon and come up with products which reflect this profound understanding. This is, regrettably, not the case. Most nutritional supplements include some fat content; many even contain saturated fats for some inexplicable reason [2]. Tragically – and there is no other word – many dieters are deceived into eating self-described nutritionally intelligent foods which may be “low calorie”, and may even have some vitamins and nutrients, however they are adding to the person’s restricted capacity to ingest fat grams. Many people who seek to lose weight by eating nutritional supplements usually gain weight. They erroneously believe it is the result of a slow metabolism, when the perpetrator is the amount of fat grams ingested. Fortunately, there are a number of fat-free food supplements on the market today. Dieters of all sizes stand to receive the numerous necessary benefits that may be derived from this strategy. One clear benefit is that you no longer have to engage in tedious fat calorie-counting whenever you take these nutritional supplements since they are 100% fat-free, and does not add to your daily limit for fat intake. Not so obvious however, is the fact that a nutritional supplement which has zero fat but contains enough proteins can decrease the storage of fat and stimulates the digestive system. This is because the protein content can help regulate the body’s capacity to effectively take in the calories that it derives from carbohydrates and fats. For example, a dieter who eats a sugary, fat-filled cupcake can mitigate fat storage and increase nutrient utilization by eating it with a protein-rich nutritional supplement. The world of nutrition has long since identified the link between dietary fat and weight gain. Unsaturated fat could be a trusted ally in the fight against weight loss. Differentiating it from saturated fat helps enlighten individuals about the stigma unfairly attached to unsaturated fats – a stigma which should only be reserved for its unhealthier kin, saturated fats. [1] Fat cells can be removed externally, through such methods as liposuction and stapling, but these so-called solutions carry their own brand of risks and consequences. [2] Actually, the reason is usually because of taste.
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