What are they?

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 mostly 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.

Saturated 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?

Saturated fats are most typically found in animal products like meat, cheese, eggs, milk and butter.

Saturated fats are easy to identify as they are solid at room temperature due to the fact that all their chemical bonds are single. One non-animal saturated fat is coconut oil - excellent for cooking with, especially as it does not become toxic when heated.

Trans fats are a man-made saturated fat. These are created by taking a polyunsaturated fat such as vegetable fat and hydrogenating it - bubbling it through hydrogen gas in order to saturate all the double bonds, making them single. Trans fats are used a lot in processed foods as they are extremely cheap to produce and convenient to work with.... No one wants a runny peanut butter.

Beware: trans fats are VERY unhealthy. Avoid any food that contains these. Some examples: margarine, biscuits, chocolate (cheaper ones), creamy frozen drinks, deep fried foods.

How much do I need?

A good ballpark figure for a normal adult is 24g per day. Remember that fats contain nine calories per gram, so the 24 grams of saturated fats add up quickly to 220 calories.

Tips

Cooking with coconut oil and eating some eggs are good ways to get your daily dose of saturated fats. Just remember that trans fats are not the same as normal saturated fats, so read the ingredient list on the foods you buy carefully.

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