You hear so much (nonsense) about fats, which, as is well known, go straight to the hips when you eat them. But “thanks” to the industry, which has created such wonderful fat-free/reduced products. Yay.
Fat is not a substance that is basically bad and makes you fat and sick, but it is essential for life.
There would be no hormones, no cells, no nerves and no bile acid without fat.
Also we would not be able to absorb the important, fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
Fat protects our internal organs from injury, stabilises them and provides a thick protective coat against the cold.
But not only that, fat provides better taste and consistency in any food.
So maybe we will reconsider our judgements. Fat really has a lot more to offer than the deterrent advertisements would have us believe.
I have collected the most important facts and information for you, in order to shed some light on the dark tangle of fat. No matter how many times I’ve learned it, I still get mixed up with all the fatty acids. Whether short or long chain, whether saturated or unsaturated, I hope this article will help you to get a clearer picture of the situation, just like myself. 🙂
One more thing: based on my quiz on Instagram, which you all participated in so diligently, I numbered the answers accordingly.
- The different types:
There are basically two different types of fats:
Saturated and unsaturated. For a healthy life, BOTH fats are important, but we must pay attention to the ratio.
A. SATURATED FATTY ACIDS:
They are found in all dietary fats. Animal products such as butter, lard, cheese, eggs and meat, as well as some plants such as cocoa or coconut fat, have a particularly high proportion of saturated fats.
According to their length, fats are divided into short, medium and long chain fats.
- Short chain fats:
For example, in butter (lard).
This type of saturated fat is perhaps our favourite, because our body needs it primarily for energy production. So they don’t settle on our hips. They are easily digestible and increase performance. - Medium-chain fats:
For example: in breast milk, coconut oil.
They have antimicrobial, antiviral and fungicidal effects. They are also easily digestible, stimulate the metabolism and are preferentially converted into ketones, which is ideal for our brain. They can be stored well and are heat-resistant, and are therefore good for frying and baking.
Coconut oil: improves Alzheimer’s disease, reduces gum inflammation and plaque formation. - Long chain fats:
In beef, lard, fatty meats, butter and nuts, for example.
They ensure the stability of the cell membrane and are also stored as body fat. They have a high melting point and are solid at room temperature.
B. UNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS:
They are divided into mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
“Unsaturated” means that two carbon atoms in the chemical structure of fats form one or more double bonds.
- Omega-9 fatty acids:
Monounsaturated.
They are found in olive and sunflower oil. - Omega-6 fatty acids:
Polyunsaturated, essential.
They are found in sunflower, safflower, soybean, corn germ, sesame and pumpkin seed oil. They are also found in cereals (especially wheat germ), meat, milk and cheese.
–> They have a positive effect on the skin (for psoriasis and neurodermatitis), on the blood and wound healing. - Omega-3 fatty acids:
Polyunsaturated, essential, VALUED!
They are found in marine fish, but also in native fish, in game, in grazing animals, in the intestines, brain and bone marrow of all animals. Vegetable sources are: flaxseed, walnuts, derived oils and dark green vegetables.
–> Essential for brain development and maintenance. (30% of the fat mass of the brain consists of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA).
Omega-3 is also a component of the cell wall. They have an anti-inflammatory effect, dilate the blood vessels and thereby lower blood pressure. They improve blood circulation and help in depression.
2. The ratio
Omega-3 and omega-6 are essential, which means that our body cannot produce them itself, unlike omega-9 fatty acids, and we have to supply them through our food.
The recommended ratio of omega 6 to 3 is 2:1 to 5:1.
So we should consume 2 to 5 times as much omega-6 as omega-3.
Nowadays, however, we have a ratio of 25:1! This excess is one of the main causes of all the diseases of civilisation!
! Just because we should be careful to ingest more omega-3 in order to approach the correct ratio, however, does not mean that omega-6 is bad.
Both are vital; it is only the ratio that matters!
3. Storage & consumption
Vegetable oils that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as linseed oil, are very sensitive to heat, light and oxygen and must not be heated. If we pay too little attention to that, they quickly become rancid, as the fatty acids oxidise (combine with oxygen), resulting in the formation of free radicals.
A correct storage of unsaturated fatty acids means
– In the refrigerator
– Air-tight seal
– Dark bottle + dark place (Only a dark bottle is not enough!)
– Opened use for a maximum of 3 weeks (smaller bottles are an advantage)
4. The trans fats:
Trans fats can lead to obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and inflammation. They are very harmful. Unfortunately, they are nowadays contained in almost all finished products that don’t carry the BIO label.
So make sure that when you get finished products, you definitely choose ORGANIC.
! “With partially hardened or hardened vegetable fats and oils” means translated that they contain trans fats!
Choose organic products.
5. Cooking:
Fat must not smoke when heated, otherwise it decomposes and trans fats and other harmful substances are produced.
! Heated oil should not be used a second time.
- For frying and baking:
Ghee (resolidified butter), organic butter or organic coconut oil.
They are highly heatable. - For light frying and cooking:
Organic virgin olive oil, rapeseed oil - For the cold kitchen:
Organic virgin olive oil, rapeseed oil, hemp oil, linseed oil, walnut oil and pumpkin seed oil
6. If healthy, eat a lot of it:
We have often internalized the belief that if something is healthy, we must eat a lot of it. That is not true and certainly doesn’t apply to the unsaturated essential fatty acids, because free radicals can emerge from them, which damage the body cells or even destroy them.
Free radicals are molecules that are dangerously unstable because they lack an electron. Since they are incomplete, they steal the desired electron from healthy molecules
(called oxidation), which in turn mutates the healthy molecules into free radicals.
This dangerous chain reaction can cause significant damage:
– Cells are damaged or die…
– Enzymes are deactivated (Here you can find the functions of enzymes)
– It can lead to DNA damage and uncontrolled cell division (cancer develops)
– There are fewer of the body’s own proteins present
This is why it’s so important to use natural oils and fats* and to ensure that they are stored and used correctly (see above).
*Natural oils and fats:
– Linseed oil:
Omega 6:3 ratio = 1:3
– Rapeseed oil:
Omega 6:3 ratio = 2:1
– Coconut oil:
Omega 6:3 ratio = 2:1
– Hemp seed oil:
Omega 6:3 ratio = 3:1
– Olive oil:
Omega 6:3 ratio = 11:1
7. Fulfill the demand
! Omega-6-rich oils/fats:
Omega-6 should rather be avoided, otherwise we will fall much more easily into an imbalance with the above mentioned effects.
Their ratio of Omega 6 to 3 is much higher and can therefore cause inflammation and other diseases.
– Corn oil:
Omega 6:3 ratio = 57:1
– Pumpkin seed oil:
Omega 6:3 ratio = 89:1
– Sunflower oil:
Omega 6:3 ratio = 128:1
– Soybean oil:
Omega 6:3 ratio = 128:1
– Grape seed oil:
Omega 6:3 ratio = 145:1
– Safflower oil:
Omega 6:3 ratio = 155:1
! Pumpkin seed oil is an exception, as it has many health benefits.
Omega 6 acids are also contained in almost ALL finished products.
If we take care to consume less than usual, we will still easily meet our omega-6 needs. So we don’t have to worry about that. Let’s concentrate on our omega-3 intake instead:
Omega-3 fatty acids:
The requirement can be covered with 1-2 portions of ORGANIC fish per week and omega-3 algae oil. Linseed oil is an ideal source. Take 1 tablespoon of linseed oil or 2 tablespoons of freshly ground linseed daily. In addition, a handful of nuts, especially walnuts, because they are rich in healthy fatty acids.
I hope that some of it has become a little bit more understandable and a good overview has been created.
If there are still unresolved issues, don’t hesitate to contact me 🙂
Best,Tara
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Sources: Zentrum d. Gesundheit; Buch “Jungbrunneneffekt”