Fats, fatty acids and their functions

1. Fats have a negative connotation, especially in recent years. Many people are concerned with healthy nutrition and losing weight and fats are simply not part of this. Fats are made up of fatty acids and also w.b. fatty acids we are aware: we must avoid saturated fatty acids as much as possible and prefer to switch to unsaturated fatty acids. Either way: fats and fatty acids have important functions for our body. We cannot do without fats and fatty acids.

The functions of fats

1. So fats have important functions, because fats serve as building material, fuel, insulation material, protective material, component of vitamins and hormones, solvent for vitamins.

Fat requirement

1. The percentage of fats in food may not exceed 30-35% of the total amount of energy. Probably 20% is enough, but that depends on our daily portion of exercise.

Fats, the sources

1. Animal fats: we find these in milk and milk products, cream, butter, margarine, low-fat margarine, meat and meat products, fish, game and poultry, eggs, cheese. Vegetable fats: we find these in oils (sunflower oil for example), nuts, peanuts, peanut butter, to a small extent in cereal products.

Fatty acids, the sources

1. Saturated fatty acids: these can be found in margarine, butter, low-fat margarine, milk and milk products, cheese, eggs, meat and meat products, biscuits, pastries, snacks. Unsaturated fatty acids: these can be found in olive oil, corn germ oil, sunflower oil, soy oil, nuts and peanuts, fatty fish (herring and mackerel), various margarines and margarines.

Lots of fats:

1. Many fats can be found in butter, margarine, low-fat margarine, cheese, cream, fatty meat, nuts, salad dressing, mayonnaise, pastry, snacks.