Fats and Fibre  

This page covers the subjects of fats and fibre which in most scientific and clinical explanations tend to become too complicated for most of us mere mortals to understand. Hopefully this simple explanation will be helpful.

Fats

The body needs fats in small amounts so every healthy diet must contain some. They help the body absorb fat soluble vitamins which are easily stored by the body such as A, D, E & K. They also have an important role in the structure of cells and form a protective layer around certain organs and beneath the skin.

The fats in our food come in four main categories – saturated fats, polyunsaturated fats (of which there are two), monounsaturated and unsaturated fats.

Saturated fats

These fats are relatively solid at room temperature.

They are found in meat and animal derived products, such as lard, butter, hard cheese, milk, cream and yoghurt.

These  can be the bad guys because too much saturated fats form cholesterol, which in excess can cause high blood pressure, also heart attacks and strokes by furring up the arteries which in turn affects the circulation of blood.

A bad diet and excess fat also causes obesity both in adults and children. which is now a major problem in the some parts of the Western world.

On the other hand, and this can cause confusion, some of these foods, eaten in moderation, can actually be healthier than over processed and chemically treated ones. For example, using butter in moderation, especially organic, provides calcium, protein and some vitamins and is a natural unprocessed food. All dairy products, especially organic ones, which are unprocessed, provide essential calcium and vitamins and need to be included in a healthy diet.

The key is moderation and balance

Polyunsaturated fats

There are two types of polyunsaturated fats - cis fats and trans fats.

Cis fats are essential for health and are usually from plant sources. They occur  naturally in peas, pomegranates and cabbage and are found in oils such as corn, soybean, sunflower and safflower. 

Trans fats are found in processed and manufactured foods such as, biscuits, cakes, doughnuts, fried fast food, margarine and hydrogenated vegetable oils and are not so healthy.

Trans fats are manufactured by using a hydrogenation process which destroys the linolenic acid content of the oils. These fats can be damaged by excess heat air and light and then can tend to become rancid. They should be avoided wherever possible

Unsaturated fats

These are good fats and are found in avocados, nuts, seeds, oily fish, olive oil and first cold pressed oils.
Most weight loss diets condemn nuts and seeds for their fat content, again causing confusion. In fact, they are rich in important nutrients such as zinc, selenium, potassium and vitamins. One Brazil nut supplies the daily adult requirement of selenium and a handful of nuts and seeds makes a healthy snack.
Salted and processed nuts are not so healthy and should be eaten as occasional treats. 

Monounsaturated fats

These are also good fats and contain oleic acid one of the three fatty acids that make up fat. A major source is olive oil which is more stable when heated and is less likely than other oils to become rancid.

It makes sense to obtain the natural fats that we need from natural sources as previous generations have before us

By limiting the intake of fats in our diet and eating more vegetables grains and fruits we can reduce the risk of heart disease.

Fibre

Fibre keeps the digestive tract healthy and  helps to eliminate waste from our bodies faster by bulking up our food.

We also need fibre for a healthy heart, to prevent constipation and to reduce the risk of bowel cancer.

Fibre comes from plant foods - rice, bread and cereals, such as bran and oats, especially unrefined ones, such as brown rice, wholemeal pastas and  wholegrain bread (See wholegrains).
It is also found in leafy and root vegetables and in raw and dried fruits.
Fibre is particularly high in beans and pulses and because of this, it is almost impossible for a vegetarian diet to lack fibre.

There is no fibre in meat.

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