Fat-free products. Storage conditions for vegetable oil. The fattest foods are sour cream, cream

Natural trans fatty acids are produced in the rumen of ruminants by microorganisms and are mainly present in milk and meat products. Trans fatty acids, which are formed by the partial solidification of unsaturated fatty acids in vegetable oils, can be found, however, especially in many popular foods such as bakery products, fast food, snacks, biscuits, waffles, fried foods and spreads.

Therefore, no more than 1% of dietary energy should be consumed in the form of trans fatty acids. Fat is the flavor carrier - and has more than twice as many calories as carbohydrates and proteins. That's why you should use it sparingly. Fat is the carrier of aromas and flavors, so fatty foods simply taste good. Fat in moderation is not harmful.

However, fat with 9 kilocalories per gram contains more than twice as many calories as and with a calorific value of 4 kilocalories per gram. Fat has the highest calorific value of all macronutrients, so fatty foods are high in calories even in small amounts. “The fat consumed in the diet consists mainly of triglycerides,” says nutritionist Silke Rememeier of the German Nutrition Society. This means that three molecules of fatty acids are associated with one molecule of glycerol.

"Fat from food is transported in the small intestine through the lymph to the intestine and therefore to the tissues after digestion," explains professor dr honey. Johannes Erdmann, GP and Head of Nutrition at the Wijenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences. Excess fat is stored in fat cells and serves as a reserve for the body for bad times. In evolutionary history, this has been an important survival advantage, says the nutritionist. “Today, overeating leads to large fat deposits that last forever, because, fortunately, in most countries of the world there are no more periods of hunger.”

Saturated, unsaturated and trans fatty acids

Depending on their structure, fatty acids can be saturated, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated. Animal foods such as butter, cream, meat or sausages are rich in saturated fat. Unsaturated fatty acids are also taken with the diet. They are found mainly in vegetable oils and in obese fish such as salmon, herring or mackerel. “Unsaturated fatty acids are required by the body as a precursor to the formation of vital substances that are important, for example, in inflammation and the regulation of blood clotting,” says Erdmann.

Trans fatty acids are produced during industrial processing or chemical hardening of fats and oils rich in unsaturated fatty acids. For example, hydrogenated fats are found in margarine, puff pastry, chips, and fried foods. "Trans fatty acids are considered unhealthy for humans, but the scientific evidence is still pending," says Erdmann.

Recommendations of the German Nutrition Society

But beware: vegetable oils have as many calories as animal fats! rule thumb: the fatter the fat, the higher the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids. In 40 grams of oil there are already 320 kcal, the same amount of vegetable oil contains 360 kilocalories! Cooking methods that do not require additional fat are ideal, such as barbecue or cook cooking.

Not on fat - on calories it depends

• Vegetable fats and oils, as they are rich in unsaturated fatty acids.
• Reduce animal fats because they are high in saturated fatty acids.
• Use visible fats such as butter, margarine or oils sparingly.
• Pay attention to the "hidden" fats in sausages, cheese, cakes and sauces.

His conclusion: Obese people don't necessarily eat more fat than meat. Thus, being overweight and its consequences is not the result of an increase in fat intake, but rather the result of a general overnutrition, in which the energy of carbohydrates and proteins also has great importance. A high-calorie diet - often combined with a sedentary lifestyle - leads to overweight and elevated level blood lipids and is a risk factor for many diseases such as metabolic disorders, lipid metabolism and cardiovascular disease.

Fats are present in every natural food up to a certain percentage, suggesting that they can make a valuable contribution to our diet. Each of our cells is surrounded by fat molecules, the brain and nerve cells contain fats, but all our organs are surrounded by a lipid layer.

This article looks at the importance of healthy fats for us and what foods we should consume on a regular basis. For example, lipids include cholesterol, fat-soluble vitamins, and for our diets, probably the most important group triacylglycerides because they are the main component of our dietary fats and contain one to three fatty acids as their main components.

Fat quality: essential or excess

We distinguish between saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in terms of fat quality, the latter being omega-6 and essential for us.

The difference between fats and oils

Fat is when the product is in solid form at room temperature or lower temperatures; where it can be concluded that they contain predominantly saturated fatty acids. best example is oil, but also coconut fat or cocoa butter differ in their consistency and their fatty acid spectrum of oils. The latter are also liquid at lower temperatures, so unlike fats, they have a high content of unsaturated fatty acids.

The term "fat" is more commonly used in the context of this definition. In the case of fats in our food, we are talking about triacylglycerides in the technical sense, or fat-containing substances are summed up with the general term lipids. We also need to pay attention to the quality of fat, as both the amount and amount of fat can have a significant impact on our health. Due to its very high energy content and increased consumption of unfavorable fats, this so-called macronutrient can not only contribute to overweight, but also to the disease associated with it.

In order to consume healthy fats in accordance with your needs, it is recommended that you first of all use complete plant foods and, if necessary, integrate certain vegetable oils into the diet. Accordingly, not only is the excessive consumption of fat in this country a problem, but also the quality of the fat, because with animal fatty sources, fatty acids make up the bulk of fat intake.

Animal products contain hidden fats, which not only can increase the amount of fat without noticing, but also bring with them a high energy value. On the other hand, if we consume more plant foods, on the one hand, we consume less energy on average, on the other hand, these foods contain a much more favorable spectrum of fatty acids.

In general, it can be said that healthy fats are much more present in the plant kingdom. A healthy diet includes sources of fat from natural products, i.e. from nuts and oilseeds, as well as from fatty fruits such as avocados or olives. Oil seeds are the seeds and seeds of a plant that are commonly used to produce vegetable oil, such as pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, etc.

A moderate amount of certain vegetable oils can optimally complement our diet as they contain valuable fatty acids and therefore healthy fats in a concentrated form. In the case of oils, however, it is an advanced and therefore also processed product compared to healthy eating, so less processed options, e.g. Because cold pressing of oil should be preferred.

For seeds it is even higher, up to 37%. In addition, we find that there are a number of additional vital substances in small power plants, especially minerals such as potassium and magnesium. Studies have shown that regular consumption of nuts and oilseeds can make an active contribution to the prevention of diseases, especially in relation to the cardiovascular system, since it can, in particular, contain healthy fats.

Also, oily fruits, among which we count avocados or olives, are a complete food with a relatively high fat content, but they have a lower fat and protein content compared to nuts and seeds. An oil is an extract of the fat content from a corresponding wholesome food, for example. Like olive, seeds or nuts. Their energy content is thus significantly higher than that of the original plant and is no longer a complete food.

Recommended oils for daily use include cold-pressed linseed oil and unheated walnut oil. However, science shows that the aforementioned sources of total fat are superior to oils and should therefore be used first and foremost to meet our fat needs.

Table 1: Fatty acid spectrum of nuts, oilseeds, oilseeds and vegetable oils. When it comes to fat: less is more and quality is more important than quantity. With the omission of animal food, there is already a waiver of hidden, usually "unhealthy fats" and unwanted fatty acids, so you, as a vegetarian, already live partly on the safe side. Healthy fats, with their unsaturated fatty acids, are found mainly in plants. However, attention should be paid to the choice of sources of fat, in which case we should primarily use whole foods from the nuts, seeds and oil products sector.