DIFFERENT TYPS OF FATS
AND WHY THE BODY NEEDS THEM
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Eating too many fats and oils of any kind may prove harmful, but excluding them from the diet deprives the body of important nutrients. Dietary fats from oily fish, fish oil, vegetable oils and full-fat dairy procucts, between them, supply the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K and are also required to absorb them.
The body needs at least 25g (1oz) of fat a day to absorb these fat-soluble vintamins and also beta carotene (found in leafy green and also orange vegetables, and orange and yellow fruits) which the body can convert into vitamin A.
When fats are removed from dairy products, the foods lose much of their vitamin A content. Low-fat yogurts, skimmed milk and cottage cheese are poor sources of vitamin A; the vitamin is added to margarines to make them more nutritious.
While fat intake can often be sensibly reduced in adults, the diets of children under five should not be similarly restrricted. from weaning onwards, children's likes and dislikes are developing and changing quite frequently. They need a wide choice of foods to make sure they obtain enough calories and vitamins, as well as all the essential fatty acids; these are vital for healthy growth and development.
THE ESSENTIALFATTY ACIDS
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Fats are made up of fatty acids. there are two main types - saturated and unsaaturated. Fats rich in saturated fatty acids, such as butter and lard, tend to be solid at room temperature; fats rich in unsaturated fatty acids, such as vegetable oils, tend to be liquid. The unsaturated fatty acids can be subdivided into monounsaturated and polyunsaturated.
Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids are not strictly required in the diet because the body can make its own from carbohydrates, alcohol or proteins. However, it cannot make certain polyunsaturated fatty acids (essential fatty acids) which must be supplied by foods that contain them.
There are two families of these essential polyunsaturates: the omega-6 family derived from linoleic acid and found in vegetable oils such as olive and sunflower oil, and the omega-3 family derived from linoleic acid and found in some vegetable oils such as soya bean and rapeseed oil, in walnuts and in oily fish such as sardines, herring, mackerel and salmon.
Omega-6 fatty acids are needeed as part of the make-up of all cells in the body and to produce hormone-like substances called eicosanoids which help to control a wide range of functions including inflammation and blood flow. Deficiency in omega-6 fatty acids (sometimes found in babies fed onskimmed mild and patients unabel to absob fats). can lead to poor growth, skin problems, blood clots, and an impaired immune system.
An adult requires about 4g (1/8oz) omega-6 fatty acids a day (equivalent to two teaspoons of sunflower oil or a handful of almonds or walnuts); more may offer some protection from heart disease. An upper daily limit of 25g (1oz) is suggested as very high intakes may be harmful because they increase the production of Free Radicals. Linoleic acid has also been shown to promote tumour growth in animals.
Omega-3 fatty acids are needed in smaller amounts (about 1-2g) per day which can be obtained from a 100g (31/2oz) portion of herring, one to two teaspoons of rapeseed oil or a handful of walnuts. they are requited as structural components of the brain and the retina of the eye during early development. They reduce inflammation and the tendency of blood to clot, and have also been shown to be helpful in the treatment of heart disease, psoriasis and ARTHRITIS.
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FIGS
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Since fresh figs bruise easly and do not travelwell, around 90 per cent are dried for export from the southern European conties where they grow. Nevertheless, fresh figs - both the black and green varieties - are increasingly available in UK supermarkets. Weight for weight dried figs provide roughly six times as many calories asfrsh figs. Drying also concentrates the nutrients to make them a rich source of potassium and a useful source of calciium, iron and magnesium.
Dried figs contain pectin - a form of souble Fibre which cand help to reduce blood cholesterol levels - and also insoluble fibre, which helps the movment of food through the gut, so preventing constipation and other bowel disoorders. A handful of dried figs will usually have a laxative effect while syrup of figs is a traditional remedy of constipation.
However, dried figs are also high in sugar, and if eaten too frequently can cause tooth decay. They are also proneto mould contaimnationand may contain mould toxins such as aflatoxiotentially carcinogenic.ns,which are potentially carcinogenic.
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BENFITS:
- Dries figs are high in fibre, which helps to prevent consitpation.
- Dried figs are rich in potassium.
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DRAWBACKS
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- Dried figs are high in sugar and can contribute to tooth decay.
- Dried figs may be contaminated with toxins from mould.
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