Body Fats: Their Role In Health And Disease

Fats are not as bad as we think

We may have heard about them. Our doctor may have told us to lower our fats intake because our lipids in blood are too high. Also, it seems that the word “fat” scares everyone and makes us think that we have to get rid of all fats in our diet in order to stay healthy and slim. This is not entirely true, though. Lipids, commonly known as fats, are an essential component of our cells and therefore, they should be in our diet too. Excess and a reduction in our fats intake can derive in dangerous health problems. Learn about the lipids that run through your veins and how they participate in body functions and disease.

Cholesterol: The good and the bad

Cholesterol is an essential component of our cells, specially of the cell membrane.

Our body produces cholesterol in both the liver and the small intestine; however, the food we ingest serves as an external source of cholesterol. Both internal and external cholesterol help in keeping blood cholesterol levels constant and available for cells to use it.

Cholesterol does not travel alone through the bloodstream. It has to be packed together with proteins that in conjunction form what is known as lipoproteins. Depending on their content and function, lipoproteins can be of low density (LDLs) or high density (HDLs).

There, the cholesterol that is attached to LDLs, considered the "bad cholesterol", is released and accumulates, promoting the formation of cholesterol plaques or atheroma. These plaques increase in size over time, reducing the space through which blood passes through and promoting the blockage of bloodstream and other complications.

This is the reason why HDLs are considered to be the “good cholesterol”. When reaching the liver, HDLs release their cholesterol content in order for it to be transformed and excreted in the form of bile acids.

In total, both good and bad cholesterol account for all the cholesterol that you have in blood.

Remember that your LDLs have to be at low levels, because they carry the bad type of cholesterol to your arteries, whereas HDLs levels have to be high in order for them to be enough to carry cholesterol from tissues to the liver, where it would be excreted.

See Also: "Good" And "Bad" Cholesterol: Not As Simple As It Sounds

Triglycerides: The ones that make us fat

Sometimes, we eat more than we need, specially food rich in fats, carbohydrates and starches.

Triglycerides are also packed, just as cholesterol, in very low density lipoproteins (VLDLs) so that they can be transported to other tissues through the bloodstream. The main sites of storage of triglycerides are the muscle and adipose tissue.

Body Lipids And Disease

When the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides fall out from their normal range they can cause severe health problems, which are not only dangerous but can become chronic, affecting us for life.

Atherosclerosis, overweight and obesity

Heart disease is one of the main problems caused by a disruption in cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

This leads to the blockage of the normal bloodstream, which carries oxygen to all organs, including the heart and the brain. The lack of oxygen is what causes organs to fail and to suffer strokes, putting your life at risk. The organs that are most affected by the formation of plaques are both the heart and the brain.

Another common problem related to altered levels of blood lipids are overweight and obesity.

Both overweight and obesity are directly related with high levels of triglycerides in our blood, which promotes the formation of fat tissue, the accumulation of cholesterol in arteries and also cause alterations in the way our body responds to glucose, deriving in other diseases such as insulin resistance and diabetes.

Cholesterol in our diet: How to keep it low

“Low fat”does not necessarily mean “healthy”. Our body needs fats for many of the normal functions our cells carry out every day.

If you remember, both fats and carbs turn into triglycerides and are stored as adipose tissue. What’s the trick then for a healthier diet? You just have to reduce your consumption of saturated fats and increase the intake of unsaturated fats.

In order to keep low cholesterol levels you can replace butter for vegetable oils, eat fish 2 or 3 times a week and include nuts and seed in your diet.

But don’t forget about triglycerides.

See Also: What Is Wrong With Trans Unsaturated Fats?

Reduce your consumption of processed foods such as sodas, white bread and rice, starchy vegetables like potatoes and sugary food, such as sweets and donuts. Instead, increase your intake of fruit and whole wheat bread and rice, use honey instead of sugar and drink plenty of water.

“Trans fats” are another type of fats present in processed foods which have turn out to be very bad for your heart. Margarine is one of the products containing this type of fats and even though it was created as a healthy alternative for butter, it really is not. When you go to the supermarket, make sure to check in the label that what you are buying has 0% trans fats content.