Impact Of Saturated Fats On Nutrition

Impact of saturated fats on nutrition

Several studies carried out in developing countries and in developing roads, have shown that fast food consumption has increased significantly due to diet modifications, way of life, industrialization of food products, economic development and inappropriate eating habits. For this, it has been necessaryAsia and Pacific and 17% in Europe. Countries like EE. UU, Japan and China are the ones that stand out the most in this regard, since they have a high fast food consumption. While in 2010 in Latin America, specifically in Colombia around 95.2 % of the population consumes fried foods, which reflects that in this country there is a high intake of fats and oils. All this has led to the increase in chronic diseases and therefore the cause of mortality worldwide (Cabezas, Hernández, & Vargas, 2016).

In order to reduce the negative effects that fats and oils cause in health, the food industry currently has the responsibility of developing products free of trans and low fats in saturated fat, as well as it has the obligation to specify in the labelednutritional, the amount of fat that food has and if it is possible to replace them with oils and fats that are healthier (li et al., 2007)

The food industry began using the hydrogenation process to produce various types of food, in order to improve texture in the preparation of industrial products. This process consists of an industrial saturation of certain vegetable fats, in which the formation of trans fatty acids (AGT) occurs, thus achieving that polyunsaturated fatty acids acquire a more solid consistency.

Worldwide, multiple research on trans fatty acids (AGT) and their impact on health have been developed, demonstrating that the consumption of this type of fat causes cardiovascular diseases, obesity and diabetes, even cause greater damage than saturated fats.

That is why several countries have established food policies to reduce and limit their consumption and have forced companies to reduce the amount of AGT in the products they make or in turn replace them with unsaturated fats that come from vegetable oils, in order to ensure thePublic Health (Vásquez, et al, 2012).

On the other hand, oil refining is a procedure that releases the impurities and chemical components that occur during its production, this process combines physical and chemical treatment, being essential for seed oils such as those ofcorn, sunflower among others. However, there are oils such as olive)

Several studies show that high consumption of food of animal origin such as red meat, viscera and derivatives (sausages, butter, bacon), whole dairy, cream, butter and vegetable oils such as coconut and palm cause an increase in LDL bad cholesterol inBlood, since they have a large amount of saturated fat, thus causing disastrous health repercussions because these fats can accumulate on the walls of blood vessels, giving rise to an atherosclerosis, that is, narrowing the arteries or even their complete obstruction thatcould lead to death. However, there is also good cholesterol that is a fundamental element for our well -being, since it participates in the production of hormones, vitamin D and other substances that help us digest food. In addition, the liver uses it for the production of bile, which allows us to assimilate nutrients and fats (Durá, 2019).

Conclusions

All analyzed studies agree that saturated fats along with trans fats are harmful to human health, since, excessive consumption of these substances can cause heart disease, obesity, diabetes, arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease and some types of cancer. A large part of these diseases is due to the consumption of trans fats that are mainly in industrialized products that have suffered hydrogenation, which are consumed due to the lifestyle that people have.

At present, the quality of the fat included in the diet is much more important than the quantity, that is, a fat will be better or worse nutritional quality, depending on the type of food and the fatty acids it contains. That is why, the healthiest is to consume vegetable oils such as olive oil and sunflower oil, avoiding the consumption of palm oil and coconut oil, and in turn reducing the consumption of meats with saturated fat content,It should take into account that all national and international nutritional guidelines and recommendations advise a total percentage of diet between 20 and 35% of the daily energy for the general population.