Know your nutrients: Unsaturated fats – which ones are healthy?
What are unsaturated fats?
Fats, one of the group of LIPIDS found in the body, are biological compounds made from carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Fats are found in the body in three varieties (due to minor differences in their chemical structures) - saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Although they are very similar, the differences can mean the difference between healthy and unhealthy.
- Saturated fats are fat molecules consisting of only single bonds. This makes the molecule structurally straight.
- Unsaturated (mono and poly) fats have at least one double bond in their structures causing a kink in the chemical chain which has certain physiological implications.
Unsaturated fats are NECESSARY in the diet as they are involved in healthy hormone synthesis and the building of cell membranes.
Where do they come from?
Unsaturated fats are found in healthy, natural plant sources. Nuts, seeds and the cold-pressed oils thereof contain the highest quantities of unsaturated fats. There are also low levels of unsaturated fats in dark leafy vegetables, legumes and other plant foods.
Common vegetable oils like sunflower, canola and olive oil all contain concentrated levels of unsaturated fats. This makes them unsuitable for cooking at high temperatures because the heat destroys the unsaturated chemical bonds making the oil toxic - this is why many cheap cooking oils are hydrogenated and contain trans fats as the process makes them stable to cook with, but dangerously unhealthy.
How much do I need?
As difficult as it is to make a blanket recommendation, most women need around 45g of unsaturated fats per day. Your individual caloric needs and health status could alter this number somewhat, but 45g is appropriate for the general population.
Tips
A handful of nuts and seeds, an olive oil dressing on your salad, a serving of oily fish and some avocado in your diet will have you meeting your unsaturated fat goals pretty comfortably.
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