Nutrition: Fat, Fiber and Carbohydrates Essay

Submitted By lakeshiaf87
Words: 441
Pages: 2

Fat has always been looked at as bad, but it is only bad if one doesn’t understand the different types of fat and how they work or the importance of keeping your fat intake at a moderate level. Fat contains a certain amount of calories, which we need. But an excessive amount of fat or calorie intake can lead to weight gain or obesity. Fats are categorized as the “bad fats” which include saturated and trans-fats. Then there are the “better fats”, which are unsaturated fats, monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats fall under the unsaturated category. The “bad fats” are not good for the body but are found in most foods like meat and dairy products. A large amount of these fats could result in high cholesterol levels. Saturated fats have a chemical makeup in which the carbon atoms are saturated with hydrogen atoms. Saturated fats are typically solid at room temperature. Unsaturated fats most of the fat that you eat should come from unsaturated sources: polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats. In general, nuts, vegetable oils, and fish are sources of unsaturated fats(http://www.cdc.gov). Trans fatty acids is also found in many foods, trans fatty acids cam be very harmful to the body increasing cardiovascular health problems. Fiber is another substance that is needed to help the body maintain a certain balance and that helps promote a healthy lifestyle . Fiber initially helps with digestion and regulation of the digestive system and it also helps with lowering cholesterol. There are two types of fiber, soluble(dissolves in water) and insoluble(doesn’t dissolve in water) fiber, both are good for the body in their own way. Soluble fiber helps with lowering