Fats or sugars, what is more harmful?
Fats have always been demonized and they have been considered something from which we have to flee in order to have a healthy diet, but recent research on them is revaluing their nutritional properties, leading us to think that what we really have to eliminate from our diet are the sugars.
We are going to analyze what types of fats exist, which ones we should avoid and why sugar is so harmful.
Once we intend to eat a healthy diet, the first thing we do is reduce the consumption of fat, because such consumption can cause cardiovascular diseases. However, not all fats are created equal, and some are considered healthier and more necessary than others. There are saturated fats (the bad ones) and unsaturated fats (the good ones).
Types of cholesterol and fats
Bad cholesterol or low-density lipoproteins (LDL), tends to form deposits in the arteries causing blockages and lack of elasticity in the arterial wall, which can be very dangerous, and on the other hand, good cholesterol or high-density lipoproteins (HDL) what it does is thin the blood and prevent those harmful fatty deposits from forming , that is, good cholesterol, destroys bad cholesterol.
Therefore, it is very beneficial to consume foods that provide us with unsaturated fats .
Among the unsaturated fats, are the monounsaturated found in nuts, seeds, avocados and in some oils such as olive, sunflower. Polyunsaturated fats are also unsaturated fats and are found in foods such as corn, cotton seeds, flax seeds, legumes and soybeans, also in margarines and shellfish.
Saturated fats are usually those that are solid at room temperature, such as those found in animal meat and in dairy products such as butter, cheese and cream. They are associated with an increase in bad cholesterol and consequently with cardiovascular diseases.
Animal fats are bad?
Recent research has begun to rethink the value of animal fats. In an article recently published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), the cardiologist Aseem Malhotra, one of the most prestigious in the United Kingdom and a specialist at Croydon University Hospital in London , concludes that the saturated fat present in butter, the Cheese and red meat are not as bad for the heart as previously thought. According to this cardiologist, the consumption of low-fat products has paradoxically increased the risk of cardiovascular disease, mainly because fat-free products have less flavor, and when they are made,the industry adds all kinds of flavorings to them, including sugars, which makes them much more harmful than those that do contain fat.
All kinds of sugar
This is why sugar has become public enemy number one, since it is present in a multitude of foods and sauces, causing its consumption to have increased in a very alarming way in the population . On the labels, the composition of processed foods can appear under a multitude of names, among which are:
Sucrose
Glucose
Agave nectar
Dextrose
Evaporated cane juice
Lactose
Malt syrup, syrup or honey
Molasses
Syrup or brown rice syrup
If you knew beforehand that these names refer to sugar, possibly when seeing it in a product that you are going to buy, you would think twice, and maybe you would not buy it … if it contains more than four grams (4%) … do not buy it! .
What are trans fats
Trans fats are also part of the group of unsaturated fats, but they are not healthy like mono or polyunsaturated. This is because these fats increase the risk of developing heart problems . They are found in hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils that contain products made with these oils, such as cookies, cakes, donuts, and fried foods in general.
Many specialists are joining this new suggestion that fats are not so bad, and that what is truly harmful are the “hidden” sugars that many products contain, which when taken in excess, many times, without our knowing it, the
body stores them as fat. However, fats should always be consumed in moderation and always trying to be monounsaturated fats.
It is very important to learn to read the labels of manufactured products that we buy regularly in the supermarket, since it is possible that out there, we are consuming harmful foods, without knowing it.