The importance of the right fat for the health

What is a fatty acid and what is fat?

In the molecules of a fatty acid, there is a chain of carbon atoms. At one end of the chain, there is a carboxylic group -c=o(oh). There can be single or double bonds between the carbon atoms. Each carbon atoms has 4 bonds, and those bonds not used to chain the carbon atoms together, have a hydrogen atom attached.

A fatty acid with only single bonds are called saturated or alifatic. If there are bouble bonds, they are called unsaturated. Unsaturated fatty acids also has fewer hydrigen atoms than saturated, since there are not so many bonds to bind hydrogen atoms.

The carbon atom at the end opposite to the carboxyl group is called the omega (W) carbon atom.


The fat types and the effects they have on your health

High consumption of  fat or of the combination fat and carbohydrates causes obesity. However the different types of fat have very different effects on the health. Here is a survey of the different fat cathegories and their effects:


Mono-unsaturated fat

This type of fat has one double bond in the fatty acid molecules, usually at the carbon atom 9 (W9).

This fat cathegory helps to avoid heart disease and circulatory problems, and may be of help to cure cardiovascular problems. It is also good for the skin health. This type of fat also reduces inflamatory reactions. Therefore it reduces the risk of cancer, intestinal inflammations and rheumatism. Oils containing this type of fat, for example olive oil, also have a high amount of vitamin E that have an anti-aging effect.


Omega-6-poly-unsaturated fat

This fat type has the first double bond  at carbon atom 6 (W6), and has usually 2 double bonds.

This fat type helps to avoid heart disease if you do not consume too much of it. However it causes inflamatory reactions. These types of reactions are useful when they are moderate and when they are provoked to fight disease. But a constant high inflammatory response is dangerous, and can cause rheumatism, heart trouble and cancer. A very high consumption of this type of fat is therefor dangerous.

By many skin problems, inflammation often produces distinct symptoms. These types of fatty acids therefore can worsen skin problems by a too high consume. However, you need omega-6-acid. It is the very common exagerated consume that is dangerous. Also special omega-6-acids have special beneficial effects on the skin and on inflammatory  conditions.

Gama-linoleic acid helps for many inflamatory conditions, including rheumatic conditions and cardiovascular problems. It helps especially against dry skin irritations with itching as a prominent symptom, since it helps to prevent water loss from the skin. Blackcurrant seed oil, Evening primrose oil and borage oil contain much of this acid.


Omega-3-poly-unsaturated fat

This fat type contain fatty acid molecules with the first double bond at the carbon atom 3(W3) and has usually 3 double bonds.

This type of fat prevents disease in the heart and blood circulation, and reduces inflammation. Therefore it reduces the risk of cancer, inflammatory diseases of the digestive tract and rheumatism.

By many skin problems, inflammation often produces distinct symptoms. Omega-3 fatty acids therefore can help to improve the skin health.

The following beneficial effects are among those found:

Fish containing the omega-3 acid eicosapentaenoic acid has shown to help the skin protect itself against sun damage.

Eicosapentaenoic acid supplements also seem to help against outbursts of psoriasis.

Flaxseed oil seems to help against acne. This oil contain most of the omega-3  acid alfalinoleic acid


Saturated fat

Saturated fat is probably not dangerous in moderate amounts. In higher amounts, saturated fat gives high cholesterole levels, causes clogging of the blood vessels, increases the risk of coronary heart disease,  infarctation of the heart, brain stroke and thrombosis of other organs.


Trans-fat

This type of fat is chemically altered by processing to yield specific mechanical properties. Margarine often contains this type of fat. This type of fat is dangerous, and is a probably a causal component for heart disease and cancer.


What is wrong with the fat intake of the averidge European and American diet?

The average American and European diet genereally contains too much fat and carbohydrates combined. The fat consumed is generally a mixture of trans fat, saturated fat and omega-6-poly.usaturated fat.  This fat misconsume causes overweight and is probably a major contributing component for the incidence of heart disease, cancer, intestinal inflammatory diseases, rheumatism and other inflammatory conditions.


How much fat should be consumed in the dayly diet?

A common recomandation is to let 25-30 % of the energy need be covered by fat, and the rest by carbohydrates. However, experts do not agree at his point. Some recomand a low carbohydrate diet with much fat, and others recomand high carbohydrate diets with low fat amount.


In either case, the combined intake of fat and carbohydrates should not be much higher than your daily energy consumption if you have a normal or wanted weight. If you want to loose weight, this combined amount must be lower. If you want to gain weight, it should be higher.


The most healthy combination of fat types in the daily diet

The right mixture of different fat types is as important as the amount of fat in the diet to keep good health. However, you must not take the percent ratios given here too literally, since there is much unagreement about the exact ratios that should be recomanded. Forthermore, if you have an active lifestyle that demands much energy, this is best achieved by increasing the amount of charbohydrates and mono-unsaturated fat.


Mono-unsaturated fat

Ideally as much as 35% of the fat consumption should be from this type of fat. You can find this fat in olive oil, raps oil and walnut oil.


Omega-6-poly-unsaturated fat

30 % of the fat consumption should be from this fat type. You find it in soya oil and corn oil.


Omega-3-poly-unsaturated

20 % of the fat consumption should be this type. You find it in fish oil and in fat fish.


Saturated fat


Not more than 15 % of the fat consumption should be saturated fat.


Trans-fat

This type of fat should ideally not be a part of the diet at all. There is however one exeption, conjugated linoleic acid, a trans fat acid  that is naturally occuring in milk and diary products, seems to be beneficial for maintaining normal weight and for the skin health. This fat oil can be bought as a nutritional supplement, and it may be useful to consume a small dayly dose of conjugated linoleic acix.


Conjugated linoleic acid

This is actually a trans fat acid, but it has still  been proven to be good for the health in small quantities. It has specially beneficial effects upon the skin, it supports skin regeneration from damage, and hence supports beauty.  It also helps in a slimming process and helps to prevent some types of cancers.

Bacteria in cows' digestive tract produce this acid from lineoleic acid, and CLA is blended into the milk from the cow. Therefore fat diery products and milk with full fat content contain CLA. The production is most effective in cows having fed on pastures, and less effective in cows fed on processed food.