Are They As Bad As We Think? The Difference Between Trans-Fat And Saturated Fat
Saturated fats are often referred to as “bad fats,” but in fact, various studies in recent years have shown that there is no solid basis for this view, as most of the studies showing that saturated fats are harmful are taken from people with unhealthy lifestyle habits.
When we hear about fat, the first thing that comes to mind is a substance that is harmful to the body and causes us to be overweight. However, there are different kinds of fats, and not all of them have adverse effects. Contrary to what you may think, it is clear that fats play an important role in any healthy diet because they are an important source of energy, just like essential fatty acids. There are two main types of fats here: saturated fats and trans fats.
Saturated Fats
Saturated fats are often referred to as “bad fats,” but in fact, various studies in recent years have shown that there is no solid basis for this view, as most of the studies showing that saturated fats are harmful to have been taken from people with unhealthy habits who have suffered health damage from consuming these fats It has been documented that no However, analysis of the role of saturated fats in people who exercise and have healthy habits has shown that in these cases, this type of fat is not harmful to health. Therefore, experts recommend that people should not only worry about saturated fats and cholesterol but also eat good quality “real” food, stop drinking and smoking, think about reducing stress, and participate in regular physical activity.
However, it is not only the type of fat but also the source of fat that matters. In this sense, eating food from animals that are grazing rather than in other cages, or eating food from animals that have undergone a rapid fattening process, does not have the same effect.
In other words, if you are consuming saturated fats but are high in calories, then saturated fats alone are not harmful to your health. On the contrary, a sedentary lifestyle, stress, low-calorie consumption, a diet based on poor quality foods, and a diet high in saturated fats can all increase the likelihood of changes in your condition and damage your health.
Common foods that contain saturated fats include fatty fish, eggs, coconut oil, dairy products, and animal fats.
For healthy fatty acids, which are also part of fats, our bodies are able to control and regulate a variety of important processes.
Trans Fats
On the one hand, trans fats, also known as hydrogenated fats, are added to fatty oils with hydrogen molecules to obtain harder fats and a longer life for the product. These types of fats have been shown to increase bad cholesterol levels, lower good cholesterol, and pose a risk of diabetes, heart attacks, and more. Studies have also shown that these types of fats increase the risk of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and infertility.
Unlike saturated fats, which do not have a double bond, unsaturated fats have at least one double bond. This double bond can be configured as “cis” (same side) or “trans” (opposite side), which refers to the position of the hydrogen atoms around the double bond. The problem arises when these atoms are arranged as “trans”.
Foods that contain TFA are fried foods, processed foods, fast foods, industrial sweets, and all the typical “snack foods” we can imagine. However, we need to distinguish between natural trans fats and artificial trans fats, the latter being the truly harmful ones. The natural ones are found in animals and dairy products.
