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[F126]Fats And Fatty Acids

by Jessica Sanders, Jes

When it comes to making heart healthy choices about which fats you eat, there is a lot more to the story than avoiding saturated fat and trans fat. There are certain fats that seem to make your heart healthier and reduce your risk of heart disease. Monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids are the fats to make room for in your daily diet. Here is why they are heart healthy and how to get them.

Unsaturated Fats

Unlike saturated fats, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are made up of fatty acids that have a chemical structure slightly different than saturated fats. Saturated fats are fully saturated with hydrogen, while the unsaturated fats have at least one double bond between carbon molecules. Trans fat are a unique type of fat. Trans fats are unsaturated fats but the shape of the fat is similar to a saturated fat.

All foods with fat have both saturated and unsaturated fats (http://ezinearticles.com/?Promote-Heart-Health-By-Eliminating-Saturated-Fat-And-Trans-Fat-From-Your-Diet&id=904185). The proportions of the two types of fats vary considerably, though. Foods high in saturated fats will be solid at room temperature. Think of beef fat and other meat fats, butter and coconut oil. Also high in saturated fat are cheese and full fat milk. Foods high in the unsaturated fatty acids, on the other hand, will be more liquid at room temperature. Think of vegetables oils and nut oils.

For a heart healthy diet, choose more foods rich in unsaturated fats and fewer foods rich in saturated fat. The key is replace unhealthy fats with healthy fats instead of simply adding more fat to your diet. Quick replacement ideas include topping your salad with nuts instead of cheese, using avocado spread in place of butter, and using canola oil in place of butter or shortening when baking.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are a special type of polyunsaturated fatty acid. The presence of a specific chemical bond identifies them as omega-3 fatty acids. When large groups of people are studied, those who eat higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids have lower rates of heart disease. Omega-3 fats may improve cardiovascular health by several means including improving blood circulation and improving levels of blood lipids. Other health benefits are also linked to omega-3s such as improved immune function.

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish and fish oil with the best fish sources being oily fish like salmon, herring and mackeral. The omega-3 content of these fish are much greater than the omega-6 content which is important for trying to meet recommendations for the dietary omega-6 to omega-3 ratio to be 4 to 1 or less. Other sources of omega-3 fats are flaxseed and flaxseed oil, meat from grass-fed animals (as opposed to grain-fed animals) and certain nuts including walnuts.

Plant Oils

Most oils from vegetables, nuts and seeds contain heart healthy fats like monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and omega-3 fatty acids. Plus, they are generally low in saturated fat and contain no trans fat.

Some oils are healthier than others, though. One thing to look at is what proportion of the vegetable oil is unsaturated fats. Oils with low levels of saturated fat are canola, corn, olive, safflower, sesame, soybean and sunflower oils. Although not commonly used as cooking oils, palm oil and coconut oil are plant oils with high levels of saturated fat.

When it comes to omega-3 fatty acids, canola oil is the better choice than other common cooking oils. Other good choices are olive oil, walnut oil and soybean oil. Safflower, sunflower and corn oils, no the other hand, have little omega-3 fatty acids.

Lastly, when using plant oils for cooking at high temperatures, as in frying or saut?ing, consider the smoke point. The chemical structure of fats can change when it reaches its smoke point. So using oils with higher smoke points can help avoid those changes. Safflower oil, soybean oil and corn oil have smoke points at around 450 degrees F.

With the complicated chemical structures that are located in the body, it's no wonder that nutritional advice and information is equally as confusing. The good news is that you don't have to be a doctor in order to understand what needs to happen in your body. By learning just a few things about how the body works and how it doesn't work, you can add the proper supplements and foods to your everyday life. In the end, these small steps will add up to a giant leap for your health.

What are Omega Fatty Acids?

The most common buzz word these days is the idea of Omega fatty acids or essential fatty acids. These chemical structures are things that the body needs in order to maintain cellular health as well as to prevent inflammation in the body. They also help to maintain the integrity of the nervous system in addition to making sure the body is free from certain illnesses. Studies have linked Omega fatty acids with prevention of cancer, limiting disease growth, as well as helping with mental health disorders. These EFAs (essential fatty acids) can not be produced by the body, so they need to be ingested through the diet or in a supplement form.

There are three different kinds of Omega fatty acids that you will hear about ? Omega 3, 6, and 9. Each of these numbers designates that chemical structure, with each ascending number as the longer chain that needs to be broken down by the body. But how they are chemically constructed is usually not the most important point for the everyday person. People want to know what these Omega fatty acids will do for their body.

What Does Omega 3 Do for the Body?

Omega 3 fatty acids are those that are found in oily fishes and in fish oil supplements. These fatty acids are responsible for helping the body create developed neural networks ? simply put, they help to build brain power in children as well as adults. Research in the UK has shown that children given EFAs are more likely to score higher on reading tests as well as improve their overall behaviour. Omega 3s are linked with helping those with ADD and ADHD as well, in addition to a variety of other mental health disorders likes OCD and depression. In relation to inflammation in the body, Omega 3 fatty acids can also assist those with arthritis and other autoimmune disorders.

Recent studies from Harvard University have also suggested that Omega 3 fatty acids can also help with high blood pressure and other forms of heart disease. Cancer prevention is another commonly listed benefit of Omega 3 fatty acids.

What Does Omega 6 Do for the Body?

Omega 6 fatty acids are those found in plant sources like nuts and flax seeds. These essential fatty acids have many of the same benefits as Omega 3 fatty acids, but they are not as widely encouraged as those from fish sources.

These fatty acids will still help with inflammation in relation to arthritis and autoimmune diseases, but these EFAs are more commonly referred to in terms of their effect on the skin and hair of the person taking them. Studies have shown that the fatty acids can help to manage acne as well as conditions like psoriasis. Women especially can benefit from Omega 6 fatty acids as they can also help with menstrual disorders and related symptoms.

What Does Omega 9 Do for the Body?

Like its other essential fatty acid family members, Omega 9 fatty acids have a large role to play in relation to the health of the patient. Found in animal fat and vegetable oils, these fatty acids aren't linked as much with health benefits, but still, they should be a part of a healthy diet.

Cancer prevention as well as heart protection are still possible with Omega 9 fatty acids, but these should be a much smaller part of your diet as they can also include saturated fats, which are harmful to the heart in larger quantities.

How to Get More Essential Fatty Acids in Your Diet

It's simple to get more Omega fatty acids in your diet if you simply look to where the greatest sources of essential fatty acids are ? fishes, flaxseed, and animal fats. By simply making sure to have a few servings of these items each week, you will be able to maintain a healthy level of protection for your body and the stresses it goes through each day.

To make things easier, fish oil supplements are a great way to get the right levels and balance of Omega 3, 6, and 9 in your diet. These pills are easy to take, easy to digest and simple to remember.

Article Source : Learn Hypnosis

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Both Jessica Sanders & Brain are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Jessica Sanders has sinced written about articles on various topics from Learn Hypnosis. So remember, not all fats are bad. Freelance health writer Jessica Sanders emphasizes that some fats do the body good, including omega-3 fatty acids and unsatured fats found in nuts. Learn more about heart health on HeartMart.. Jessica Sanders's top article generates over 720 views. to your Favourites.

Brain has sinced written about articles on various topics from Depression Cure, Pregnancy Problems and Abortion. Read out . Also check out for an. Brain's top article generates over 301000 views. to your Favourites.