Literature data from the last three decades indicate that saturated fats are the main cause of cardiovascular disease. But today, scientists have proved that this is far from the case. Studies have shown that young people do not need to exclude fats from their diet. If we talk about older people, then the restrictions on their admission are still scientifically sound.
Some scientists believe that saturated fats are closely related to human genetics, take part in metabolic processes, are structural components of biomembranes, etc. Cardiff University staff has proven that milk fat reduces the risk of heart and vascular disease. Therefore, doctors advise nevertheless to consume whole milk, and not skim. The use of such a product by children and young people does more harm than good. In your diet you need to limit the amount of "harmful" trans fats, sugar and salt.
Today it is known that saturated fats are not the cause of weight gain. Typically, this process occurs due to the consumption of a significant amount of carbohydrates. Eating a minimum amount of fat provokes the development of many diseases. First of all, this is due to the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K, F. These elements simply will not be absorbed by the body without a sufficient amount of lipids. As a result, hypo- and vitamin deficiencies occur. It should not be forgotten that both steroid hormones and bile acids are derivatives of lipids. Fats are an excellent thermal insulation material, an important source of energy, endogenous water and a substrate for the synthesis of a number of bioactive compounds for the body.
Nevertheless, it is necessary to understand what fats are. Chemistry of fats (lipids)
All of them are divided into three huge groups: simple, complex and derivatives. The first include those that consist of glycerol (trihydric alcohol) and higher fatty acids. This group includes triacylglycerols, sterols and waxes. The complex lipid molecule contains glycerol, higher fatty acids, phosphate and sulfate acids, nitrogenous substances, carbohydrates and many other compounds. Derivatives of lipids include carotene, fatty acids, higher alcohols, some fat-soluble vitamins , etc.
As for the higher fatty acids in fats, they are mainly represented by saturated and unsaturated acyclic fatty acids. Some fats include cyclic carboxylic acids and hydroxy acids. Saturated fats contain high levels of palmitic, stearic, myristic acids. It is well known that some unsaturated fatty acids do not form in our body or are synthesized in insufficient, minimal amounts. In this regard, they are called essential or indispensable. This group includes arachidonic, linoleic, linolenic acid. There is a sufficient amount of essential fatty acids in vegetable oils. Milk fat contains a large amount of arachidonic acid. Monounsaturated fats contain a huge amount of oleic acid.
In the human body, saturated fats (triacylglycerides) are used as energy material. These include those of animal origin, as well as solid vegetable. There are many triacylglycerides in meat products from fatty meat, as well as in dairy products, chocolate, and confectionery. Excessive consumption of such fats can cause an increase in the concentration of cholesterol in the body. The so-called "pathological" cholesterol is deposited on the walls of blood vessels, which, in turn, causes the development of a disease such as atherosclerosis, vascular elasticity is violated, hemorrhages form.
Nutritionists recommend consuming a small amount of saturated fat. The most harmful to the body are trans fats. Such isomers are formed due to the action of physicochemical factors on vegetable fats, which change their state of aggregation from liquid to solid. These include margarine, as well as confectionery and cooking fats. They can produce a carcinogenic effect.