nutrition
May 19, 2024

Which fats are healthy? Our top 7

That with the fats is a little science in itself: it is saturated and unsaturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, they are u.a. in nuts, fish, oils and even berries (!). You have to get through it first. For now, it helps to know: really "bad" fat there is really only one, and that's the trans fatswhich are obtained by industrial hardening. They are found in cheap cooking, baking and frying fats, promote inflammation and increase the risk of heart attack. They are a little better saturated fat, They are mainly found in meat, sausage, cheese, butter and hydrogenated fats such as coconut and palm kernel fat and can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases in high doses. The amount of saturated fat should therefore not exceed ten per cent of the calorie intake per day, that is: with cold cuts, butter, cheese and ready meals you should continue to pay attention.

Unsaturated fatty acids are considered to be healthy without exception

As for the saturated fatty acids that are found in milk fat, they are: they are short- and medium-chain and are used quickly to generate energy from the body - so do not affect the cholesterol balance. And fat from fish or poultry is indeed animal, but predominantly unsaturated and therefore well tolerated. Red meat on the other hand should only come in moderation on the plate and come from grazing, then the proportion of good fats is higher. Which brings us to the unsaturated fatty acids would. They are invariably healthy and even beneficial for the heart vessels. In the simply saturated form, they are contained in vegetable oils such as linseed oil, nuts, avocados and olives. Besides them, there are still those polyunsaturated fatty acids as Omega 3- and Omega-6 fatty acids, The body itself can not produce polyunsaturated fatty acids, so they must be ingested with food. Especially the omega-3 fatty acids inspire the scientists because they protect the heart and circulation, inhibit inflammatory processes and are important for mental performance. The problem is, we do not eat enough of it. A good source are high-fat fish such as herring, mackerel and salmon. But also milk - but only organic milk, since the animals are fed here in contrast to conventional agriculture with plant food.

Vegetable fats such as flax, cowpea, hemp and walnut oil are great omega-3 candidates. Of the omega-6 fatty acids, one thing is vital to us: linoleic acid (in grapeseed, corn germ or sunflower oil). But beware: too much Omega-6 is blamed for inflammatory processes in the body. As I said, the thing with the fats is complicated, so we just picked out the foods that you're doing right.