Dietary Science to Add to Your Happiness : Learn about lipids and trans fats

Our bodies are made up of the food we eat. To ensure that your body receives the nutrients it needs, it is helpful to have knowledge about foods and nutrients so that you can enjoy your meals while treating your body with care.

It is said that our body needs protein, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, and minerals. In this issue, I would like to write about lipids.

Lipids, one of the building blocks of cell membranes in the body, are essential nutrients for our body. It can be divided into cholesterol and triglycerides, and the main component of triglycerides is fatty acids. Fatty acids are divided into omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 based on structural differences.

Typical omega-3 fatty acids include alpha-linolenic acid, DHA, and EPA, which are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. Next, omega-6 fatty acids include linoleic acid and arachidonic acid, which are known to induce inflammation. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids cannot be synthesized in the body and must be obtained from the diet and are called essential fatty acids.

Omega-9 fatty acid is oleic acid, represented by olive oil, and is said to have antioxidant properties.

They can be further divided into saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, depending on whether they are solid or liquid at room temperature. Saturated fatty acids, which are solid at room temperature, are found in cattle and pork fat and butter. Unsaturated fatty acids, which are liquid at room temperature, are found in vegetable oils.

Saturated fatty acids are not easily oxidized, but they begin to dissolve at high temperatures, so they are not easily digested by the body. Unsaturated fatty acids are structurally susceptible to oxidation and should be consumed fresh.

When too much lipid is consumed, it is stored in the body as body fat. Hyperlipidemia (dyslipidemia) is a condition in which the blood is flooded with large amounts of lipids. It is said to cause arteriosclerosis and increase the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke.

Salad oil, which is sold in large bottles containing large amounts of oil in supermarkets, contains trans fatty acids in its production process. Trans fatty acids are produced when salad oil is processed to make margarine and shortening, and when salad oil is deodorized in the refining process and treated at high temperatures.

The WHO has also issued a warning about trans fatty acids under the title "REPLACE TRANCE FAT" (https://www.who.int/teams/nutrition-and-food-safety/replace-trans-fat).

Fat is an important nutrient for the body, so it is important to consume fat from food. On the other hand, I also place importance on discerning which oils are necessary for the body and which are unnecessary.

That's all for this article. Thank you for reading to the end. ^^ Thank you very much for reading this article.