Unit 3 Study Cards Flashcards
Fat
Fat is a substance which is found in almost all foods and can be considered as both healthy and unhealthy. Too much fat or too much of the wrong type of fat can be unhealthy. Fats can be healthy depending on the intake a person takes; having a regular intake of a certain type of one fat (e.g. trans fat) is worse than having a high intake of another fat (saturated fat).
Unsaturated Fat
Unsaturated fats, which are liquid at room temperature, are considered beneficial fats because they can improve blood cholesterol levels, ease inflammation, stabilize heart rhythms, and play a number of other beneficial roles. Unsaturated fats are predominantly found in foods from plants, such as vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds.
Saturated Fat
Saturated fat is a type of dietary fat. It is one of the unhealthy fats, along with trans fat. These fats are most often solid at room temperature. Foods like butter, palm and coconut oils, cheese, and red meat have high amounts of saturated fat.
Monounsaturated Fat
Monounsaturated fat are healthy fats found in olive oil, avocados and certain nuts. In fact, the evidence shows that monounsaturated fats have a number of health benefits. They can help with weight loss, reduce the risk of heart disease and decrease inflammation.
Polyunsaturated Fat
Polyunsaturated fat is found in plant and animal foods, such as salmon, vegetable oils, and some nuts and seeds. Eating moderate amounts of polyunsaturated (and monounsaturated) fat in place of saturated and trans fats can benefit your health. Polyunsaturated fat is different than saturated fat and trans fat; these unhealthy fats can increase your risk for heart disease and other health problems. Polyunsaturated fats can help lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol. Having low LDL cholesterol reduces your risk for heart disease.
Trans Fat
Trans fat is considered the worst type of fat to eat. Most trans fats are formed through an industrial process that adds hydrogen to vegetable oil, which causes the oil to become solid at room temperature. This partially hydrogenated oil is inexpensive and less likely to spoil, so foods made with it have a longer shelf life. Some restaurants use partially hydrogenated vegetable oil in their deep fryers, because it doesn’t have to be changed as often as do other oils. Some meat and dairy products have a small amount of naturally occurring trans fats.
Why is Trans Fat bad for our health?
Unlike other dietary fats, trans fats — also called trans-fatty acids — raise “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and also lowers “good” cholesterol (HDL).
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a type of fat found in food, but also in our blood. Cholesterol has many important functions in the body but having high levels of the wrong type of cholesterol in the blood increases heart disease risk. It was once thought that eating too many cholesterol-containing foods (such as eggs) was the major dietary cause of high blood cholesterol level. But we now know that eating too many foods containing higher amounts of saturated and trans fats is a bigger problem and has a much greater influence on blood cholesterol levels.
What happens to our cholesterol levels after eating too much Trans Fat
Having a higher level of bad cholesterol can clog blood vessels, which causes people to enter cardiac arrest. Thus, having a higher level of bad cholesterol can increase. heart disease.
Omegas 3 and 6
Omega 3 and 6 are essential fatty acids, meaning our body can’t produce them, and are found in polyunsaturated fats. Omega 3 helps maintain cardiovascular health. These are included in salmon and walnuts. omega 6 helps regulate metabolism and are found in eggs and pumpkin seeds.
Preservation technique of fat-based food products
- Addition of antioxidants
- Exclusion of air (air tight)
- Addition of antimicrobial preservatives - such as calcium propionate or sodium nitrate and sulphites
- Refrigeration
Freezing
Preservation techniques and sensory properties. How does this change
Plant-Based Fat
Plant fats are unsaturated fatty acids that tend to remain liquid at room temperature. The plant fats are stored in the fruits and seeds. Higher intake of the plant-based fats was associated with a 16% lower risk of dying from any cause. In contrast, higher intake of the animal-based fats was linked to a 21% higher risk of dying from any cause. Examples of plant fats are coconut oil, avocado, nuts and seeds, extra virgin olive oil, peanut oils, dark chocolate, flax seeds and coconut
Animal-Based Fat
Animal fats are saturated fatty acids which tend to remain solid at room temperature. The fats are stored in the liver and beneath the skin. Solid fats come from animal foods and can also be made from vegetable oils through a process called hydrogenation. Examples of animal fats are dairy, lard, meat, fish, chicken and eggs (mayonnaise)
Coconut Oil vs. Butter
