It’s essential to avoid trans-fat, limit saturated fat and instead resort to essential polyunsaturated fats, according to experts. Gerald Luzindana, a health consultant and wellness expert at Amazon Nutrition Cabinet-Kigali says fat itself depending on the type is not bad; and that our body requires fats to function properly as fats help in vitamins and mineral absorption. Besides, he points out that it’s essential to put into consideration that fats act as insulators to veins and cells, balance body temperatures as well help in muscle contraction. Talking of “good and bad fats”, he says we look up to four categories of fat including industrial trans-fat, unsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, monounsaturated fats, and saturated fats. For fat structure, Luzindana notes that all fats have a chain of carbon atoms bound to hydrogen atoms. “What differs is the length and the shape of the carbon chain which makes the fats either solidify at room temperature, and when this happens inside our body, different reactions take place like depositing more fats in arteries,” he explains. Olive oil, peanut oil, sunflower, avocado oil, sesame, pumpkin are examples of good fat He also adds that understanding that trans-fat are the most dangerous fats and the worst for you as far as good health is concerned. According to him, this is a byproduct of a process called “hydrogenation” that is used to turn healthy oils into solid to preserve or purify the oil. “This process changes the chemical composition sending wrong signals to our body in case taken. In fact, trans-fat has no known health benefit and there are no safe levels of consumption. It has been banned from some of the most developed countries,” he adds. What are the dangers of unhealthy fats? Evariste Ntaganda, the cardiovascular diseases officer at Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC) says unhealthy fats increase harmful LDL cholesterol in the blood causing Hypertension and other heart diseases. LDL stands for low-density lipoproteins or simply bad cholesterol He says such fats also create inflammations in your body, and they have been as well linked to cancer, diabetes, and stroke. Besides, unhealthy fats contribute to insulin resistance and harm one’s health in general. Studies have shown that for every two per cent of calories from trans-fat consumed daily, the risk of heart diseases rises by 23 percent. Luzindana notes that for this reason, there is a need to check on the type of fat one consumes. Saturated fat solid at room temperature is another fat category that is bad although not compared to trans-fat. Sources include animals based foods like meat and dairy products like cheese, among others. Good fats mainly come from vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fish they have fewer hydrogen atoms bonded, healthy fats are liquid at room temperature, and have a high smoking point. An example Luzindana says includes olive oil and that when it comes to olive oil, going for extra virgin oil is important. There is also peanut oil, sunflower, avocado oil, sesame, pumpkin among other healthy oils. “It might sound monotonous but eating communicates a big deal in how your body works and it is about choices that we support or ruin our body function. “We need to embrace the need for proper nutrition and consult where necessary so that you make an informed decision on how to go about diet to protect yourself and loved ones, more importantly, the minors because if nothing is done, the next generation will be no more,” advises Luzindana.
