What are Fats?

Author: Steven Rook

Article source: http://www.goarticles.com/. Used with author's permission.

Fat is fuel. That is basically what it is. A solid concentrated form of fuel. They have more calories than proteins or carbohydrates. Here are the basic forms of fat.

Saturated Fats

This type of fat comes from animals and vegetables. It is only needed as a form of energy and because of its structure it is readily absorbed by our own bodies fat cells.

Monounsaturated Fats

These kinds of fats are found in Olive oil, Peanut Oil, High-oleic safflower oil as well as others.

Polyunsaturated Fats

You can find polyunsaturated fats in cold water fishes, seed oils, and vegetable oils.

Trans Fats

These fats are manufactured fats. You can make these by transofrming unsaturated fats through heat and hydrogenation. These types of fats are thought to cause harm. They can lower your metabolism, decrease your testosterone levels, and raise your bad cholesterol levels among others.

Commercially produced foods contain alot of trans fats. Especially baked foods. To identify if the food you are buying has trans fats, look at the ingrediants and look for the terms hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated.

Avoid trans fats at all cost. These are BAD for you. You should eat saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats in their original state which is to say unrefined or unprocessed.

Essential Fatty Acids

You need fat to live. This is why they are called 'essential fatty acids'. They help with the production of hormones, reduce blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as improve your skin.

They also prevent allergies, help the immune system, and improve your mood.

The types of fatty acids are the omega acids. Omega-3 and Omega-6. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in Salmon as well as other deepwater fish. Omega-6 fatty acids are found in seeds, legumes, raw nuts, oils such as grape seed, primrose, soybean and sesame seed oil.

When you diet make sure to include the Essential Fatty Acids.