A sufficient amount of fat is about 30% of the total amount of food per day. With heavy physical work, in the cold season, during pregnancy, the need for fats increases. In the presence of diseases of the heart and blood vessels, in a hot climate, the rate of fat consumption, on the contrary, decreases.
The Benefits of Fats
Fats are involved in many important processes in the body: the synthesis of hormones, the construction of cell membranes, they are responsible for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins – A, D, E, K. With a lack of fat in food, a lack of these vitamins develops, and, as a result, beriberi. With a long-term shortage, there is a risk of rickets, skin diseases, since these vitamins are responsible for the skeletal system, epidermis, hair, and nails. Therefore, products containing these vitamins are more useful to use with fats: vegetable oil, sour cream and others.
Also, fat protects the body from the effects of cold, serves as a reserve of energy during a forced hunger strike or stress. With a lack of fat, the nervous system is depleted, the work of the hormonal apparatus is disrupted, resistance to infections decreases.
Fats are used both in cooking and in medicine. They are divided into vegetable and animal. Vegetable – various oils – are absorbed faster and easier by animals. Various fats and oils based on animal products give a longer feeling of satiety, as they take longer to digest, but the assimilation process is more difficult.
In medicine, ointments, suppositories are made from fats, they are produced in the form of capsules for oral administration, as a massage tool and in cosmetology.
The harm of fat
Too much fat can also cause problems. Sometimes the norm is observed, however, a sedentary lifestyle, stress, lipid metabolism disorders, still leads to the accumulation of excess in reserves, which leads to obesity.
Obesity increases the risk of atherosclerosis, heart disease, increases blood pressure and increases the burden on the liver and kidneys. The condition of the skin may worsen – increased fat content causes clogging of pores and inflammation.
Conditionally, fats are divided into “useful” and “harmful”. The “healthy” include poly- and monounsaturated fatty acids found in vegetable oils, fish and egg yolk. “Bad” fats are considered fatty acids that are subjected to prolonged heating, obtained using GMOs. They are added mainly to margarine, mayonnaise, cooking oil, deep-fried products are cooked on such oil.
It is important to know that in the process of heat treatment, useful omega-3, omega-6, omega-9 and other components are oxidized, becoming quite dangerous for the body. They can cause atherosclerosis, increase the risk of vascular rupture, diabetes. Therefore, it is better to add oils in raw form to fresh salads, and use such a method as frying as little as possible and reduce the processing time of products.
How to choose and store fats
Depending on the type, different fats have different storage conditions and appearance. Solid animal fats (such as lard or butter) are always stored in a cool place. And vegetable oils, on the contrary, should not be put in the refrigerator, but kept at room temperature away from sunlight.
Any fat should not show signs of oxidation – that is, not bitter and not have a rancid smell.
When choosing, pay attention to the expiration date, whether there are any foreign components in the composition (such as dyes, preservatives, flavors).