What are Fats : saturated fats, monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats?

Types of fats and how much fat you should consume? Know your daily fat requirement.

Saturated Fats, Monounsaturated Fats   Polyunsaturated Fats|Fat Word Definitions|Daily Fat Requirement|Percentage fat calculation

Fats : Saturated Fats, Monounsaturated Fats,
  Polyunsaturated Fats

Fats can be classified into four major categories: Saturated fats,
Polyunsaturated fats,
Monounsaturated fat and
Trans fat

Saturated fats are found in fatty meats, butter, cream, cheese, chocolate, coconut, pies, pastries, cakes, most fast foods, biscuits, potato chips, regular milk, regular yogurt (curd), etc.

Polyunsaturated fats are found in seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin), walnuts, vegetable oils, etc.

Monounsaturated fats are found in olives and olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, nuts (peanuts, Brazil), etc.

Trans fats (trans-fatty acids) are formed when vegetable oils are hydrogenated, that makes them as solids or semisolids (in India, it is commonly known as Dalda). Trans fats are used in many snacks, viz. cookies, cakes, microwave popcorn, fried foods, in margarine (stick and tub varieties).

Both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are considered to be better than saturated fats. It is emphasis ed that saturated fat in the diet is more harmful than dietary cholesterol. Trans fats decrease levels of HDL (good cholesterol) and raise LDL (bad cholesterol). Trans fats are therefore more harmful than saturated fats.

Which is the best cooking oil?

Fat Words Definitions

[Taken from an article originally appeared in the May 1994 FDA Consumer and revisions made in November 1994, January 1996, and January 1999.]

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a chemical compound manufactured in the body that helps the body to make steroid hormones and bile acids. The cholesterol is used to build cell membranes and brain and nerve tissues. It is a member of the lipid family

Dietary cholesterol

Cholesterol is found in animal products such as meat cholesterol, cholesterol in egg yolks, some cholesterol in shellfish and cholesterol in whole-milk dairy products.

Fatty acid

Fatty acids are molecules composed mainly of carbon and hydrogen atoms.

Fat

Fat is a chemical compound that contains fatty acids. The energy is stored in the body as fat. Fat is one of the main constituents of food besides protein and carbohydrate. Fat is a member of the lipid family.

Hydrogenated fat

Hydrogenated fat (Trans fatty acid or trans fat) is a fat that has been chemically altered by the addition of hydrogen atoms. Vegetable shortening, margarine, Dalda, etc are hydrogenated fats.

Lipid

Lipid is a chemical compound insoluble in water.

Lipoprotein

Lipoprotein is a chemical compound made of fat and protein. Lipoproteins main function is to carry cholesterol in blood. Lipoprotein having more protein than fat are called high-density lipoproteins (HDLs). Lipoproteins having more fat than protein are called low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) .

Monounsaturated fatty acid

A fatty acid in which one pair of hydrogen atoms is missing in the middle of the molecule. Monounsaturated fatty acids are found mostly in plant and sea foods. Olive oil and canola oil are high in monounsaturated fatty acids. Monounsaturated fatty acids are known to lower LDL-cholesterol in the blood.

Polyunsaturated fatty acid

A fatty acid in which more than one pair of hydrogen atoms are missing. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are mostly found in plant and sea foods. Safflower oil is high in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are known to lower both HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol in the blood.

Saturated fatty acid

Saturated fatty acid is a fatty acid that is "saturated" with hydrogen atoms. i.e. having maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms attached to every carbon atom. Saturated fatty acids are mostly found in animal products, meat and whole milk. Ghee, Butter, coconut oil, corn oil and lard are high in saturated fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids tend to raise LDL-cholesterol in the blood.

Trans fatty acid

In Trans fatty acid some of the missing hydrogen atoms have been put back in polyunsaturated fatty acid by hydrogenation, Trans fatty acids solidify at higher temperatures. Vegetable shortening, margarine, Dalda, Rath, etc are Trans fatty acids.

- Eleanor Mayfield, Writer, Silver Spring, Md.

How much fat to be consumed daily?

1. To improve overall health: No more than 30% of total calories from fat.

2. Overweight with low risk of heart disease: No more than 30% of total calories from fat.

3. Family history of heart disease, or have cardiovascular risk factors: No more than 20% of total calories from fat.

4. If you have heart disease: discuss with your Doctor. No more than 10% of total calories from fat.

The US Department of Agriculture (www.usda.gov) recommends the following Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2005):

1. Consume
   Saturated fats : less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fatty acids
   Trans fatty acids : as low as possible
   Cholesterol : less than 300 mg/day
   Total fat intake (mostly polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats) : 20 to 35 percent of calories
2. Select lean, low-fat or fat-free poultry, dry beans, and milk or milk products.

Fat Calculations

Suppose you want to get 20% of your calories from fat, and your targeted calorie intake is 2000 calories per day.

1. First calculate fat calories.
   20% of 2000 = 2000x0.20 = 400 fat calories
2. Calculate Fat to be consumed.
   Remember that 1g of fat gives you 9 calories.
   Therefore, 400 fat calories = 400/9 = 44.45 g fat

It means that if your total targeted calorie intake is 2000 calories, and you want to eat 20% of calories from fat, you should eat 44.45 g of total fat per day.