The human body is created from living tissues, which during the life process not only perform their functions, but also recover from damage, while maintaining their performance and strength. Of course, for this they need nutrients.
Human nutritional balance
Food supplies the body with energy, which is necessary to maintain all body processes, especially muscle function, growth and tissue renewal. It should be remembered that the main thing in proper nutrition is balance. Balance is the optimal combination of products from the five groups necessary for human nutrition:
- dairy;
- fortified foods;
- cereals and potatoes;
- vegetables and fruits;
- protein food.
Types of Fatty Acids
Separate saturated and unsaturated fatty acids . The latter are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. Saturated fatty acids are present in butter and hard margarines, polyunsaturated in vegetable oil, fish products and some soft margarines. Monounsaturated acids are found in rapeseed, linseed and olive oil. The most necessary and healthy among them are the latter.
Health effects of unsaturated fatty acids
They have antioxidant properties and protect blood cholesterol from oxidation. The recommended consumption of polyunsaturated acids is about 7% of a daily portion and monounsaturated acids - 10-15%.
Unsaturated fatty acids are essential for the normal functioning of the whole body. The most valuable of them are Omega-3 and Omega-6 complexes. They are not synthesized independently in the human body, but are vital for it. Therefore, you should definitely include them in the diet, choosing the most optimal foods rich in these substances.
Omega Acid Properties
Nutritionists have long been interested in the functions of omega-3 acids and their derivatives - prostaglandins. They tend to turn into mediating molecules that stimulate or suppress inflammation, and are very useful for swelling of joints, muscle pain, bone pain, which is often observed in older people. Unsaturated fatty acids strengthen the immune system, soften the manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
They improve bone mineralization, while increasing their density and strength. In addition, omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids are extremely beneficial for the heart and blood vessels. Even complexes of omega-unsaturated acids are successfully used for cosmetic purposes as a dietary supplement, they have a positive effect on skin health. Saturated and unsaturated fatty acids differ in their dietary properties: unsaturated fats have fewer calories than a similar amount of saturated fats. The chemical molecules of Omega-3 consist of a pair of 3 carbon atoms with methyl carbon, and Omega-6 are connected by a pair of six carbon atoms with methyl carbon. Omega-6 fatty acids are most found in vegetable oils, as well as in all varieties of nuts.
Foods High in Unsaturated Fatty Acids
Sea fish such as tuna, salmon and mackerel are generous with omega-unsaturated fatty acids. Flaxseed and rapeseed oil, pumpkin seeds, and nuts of various types are among their plant counterparts. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish oil. Flaxseed oil can completely replace it.
The best source of these substances is oily fish such as mackerel, but unsaturated fatty acids can be added to your diet in many ways.
- Buy fortified omega-3 foods. Now they are often added to bread, milk and cereal bars.
- Use linseed oil, replacing sunflower and butter. Add ground flaxseed to baking flour, salads, soups, cereals, yogurts and mousses.
- Include nuts in your diet, in particular, walnuts, Brazil, cedar and others.
- Add unrefined olive oil to any food. It not only saturates the body with essential acids, but also helps to absorb food.
Caution should be taken in unsaturated fatty acids for patients with diabetes or taking anticoagulants. May affect blood coagulation and sugar regulation. Pregnant fish oil should not be taken, because it contains a lot of vitamin A, which is dangerous for fetal development.
Unsaturated fatty acids in foods
Monounsaturated acids are generous:
- fish fat;
- olives;
- avocado;
- vegetable oils.
Polyunsaturated fats:
- nuts
- pumpkin, sunflower, flax, sesame seeds;
- soybeans;
- fatty fish;
- corn, cottonseed, sunflower, soybean and linseed oils.
Saturated fats are not as bad as people think of them, and you should not completely abandon them. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats should be essential in a daily portion of fat, and from time to time are necessary for the body, as they help the absorption of proteins, fiber, improve the functioning of sex hormones. If fats are completely removed from their diet, memory functions are weakened.
Trans isomers in food
During the preparation of margarine, a modification of unsaturated vegetable fats is performed under the influence of high temperatures, causing transisomerization of molecules. All organic substances have a specific geometric structure. When margarine solidifies, the cis isomers transform into transisomers, which affect the metabolism of linolenic acid and provoke an increase in the level of bad cholesterol, causing heart and vascular diseases. Oncologists claim that transisomers of unsaturated fatty acids provoke cancer.
Which products contain the most transisomers?
Of course, there are a lot of them in fast food, cooked in large amounts of fat. For example, chips contain about 30%, and fries - more than 40%.
In confectionery products, transisomers of unsaturated fatty acids range from 30 to 50%. In margarines, their amount reaches 25-30%. In mixed fats, 33% of mutation molecules are formed during the frying process, since during reheating, molecules are transformed, which accelerates the formation of transisomers. If margarine contains about 24% of trans isomers, then in the process of frying their level increases significantly. In crude oils of vegetable origin, up to 1% of transisomers are found, in butter they are about 4-8%. In animal fats, transisomers range from 2% to 10%. It should be remembered that trans fats are garbage and must be completely avoided.
The effect on the human body of polyunsaturated fatty acids has not yet been fully studied, but it is now clear that for a healthy active life, a person must enter products that include fatty unsaturated acids in his diet.