As of: February 10, 2024, 4:56 a.m
By: Natalie Hull-Deichsel
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Fat doesn't have the best reputation.
It is important for the body.
To stay healthy, it is crucial which and how much fat you eat.
Fat comes in second only to sugar when it comes to bad reviews.
In the age of clean eating, vegan food, various diets and methods for losing weight and cholesterol guides, little good is attributed to either.
Fat is necessary for a healthy body, for example for cell structure, so that lipophilic vitamins such as A, D and E are absorbed, to produce hormones and, last but not least, for body heat.
The decisive factor is always the measure, i.e. how much of it is eaten.
Anyone who regularly consumes sugar and the supposedly “harmful” fats through meat, for example, and thus causes their LDL cholesterol to rise, probably has a higher risk of secondary diseases such as diabetes and heart attack than someone who only consumes this every now and then.
People who only eat foods containing unsaturated fatty acids should be at the least risk.
But other factors such as a person's general lifestyle and fitness also play a role.
This means that not everyone who eats an unhealthy diet automatically suffers a heart attack or stroke.
However, diet plays a crucial role.
What is actually the difference between saturated fatty acids and monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids?
High cholesterol can also be reduced by avoiding carbohydrates
According to current findings based on the Federal Association of German Pharmacists Associations, people with genetically caused elevated cholesterol levels (hypercholesterolemia) should
.
V. (ABDA)
refers to avoiding carbohydrates in order not to increase or lower cholesterol levels.
A low-carbohydrate diet could be particularly effective if you have an increased risk of heart disease.
This recommendation applies not only to people with high cholesterol levels, but also to those with obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Cholesterol too high: Difference between unsaturated and saturated fatty acids
Walnut oil is rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids such as Omega-3.
It is particularly suitable for salad dressings and dishes with fish and vegetables and is less suitable for cooking and frying as it is not heat-resistant.
© Marina Saprunova/Imago
Both plant and animal foods contain fat called fatty acids.
A distinction is made between monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids.
Saturated fatty acids are often said to be harmful, but ultimately the amount consumed is also crucial.
The situation is similar with foods that contain so-called trans fats.
The more often you consume larger amounts of these unhealthy fats in your diet, the greater the risk of hardening of the arteries and cardiovascular disease.
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The fatty acids are named by the different chemical connections between their chains of carbon atoms: If there are one or more double bonds, they are commonly referred to as monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids; if there is no chain of carbon atoms, they are saturated fatty acids.
Lower cholesterol: Diet with unsaturated fatty acids is recommended
As part of the guideline “Fat intake and prevention of selected diet-related diseases” of the
German Nutrition Society.
V. (DGE),
on average, men consume around 16 percent and women around 15 percent of saturated fatty acids every day.
This means that both genders are above the recommended guideline value of seven to ten percent of total energy intake.
TIP to lower cholesterol: Eat fish instead of meat
A portion of salmon fillet (125 g) provides 5.5 g of polyunsaturated fatty acids and 4.1 g of saturated fatty acids.
The same portion of roast pork (125 g) contains only 2.5 g of polyunsaturated fatty acids, but 11.7 g of saturated fatty acids, according to the
German Nutrition Society (DGE)
.
According to the
DGE
, it is important to change eating habits - that is, replacing foods with saturated fatty acids with those containing monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids - in order to reduce the possible risk of coronary heart disease due to the high LDL cholesterol concentration in the blood.
According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI),
lipid metabolism disorders are
widespread among adults in Germany.
Around 64.5 percent of men and 65.7 percent of women are affected by a lipid metabolism disorder, so-called dyslipidemia.
TIP to lower cholesterol: Eat nuts instead of chocolate
Approximately eight walnuts (20 g) contain 10.4 g of polyunsaturated fatty acids and 1.3 g of saturated fatty acids.
Approximately one to two chocolate bars (20 g) contain only 0.2 g of polyunsaturated fatty acids and at least 4.1 g of saturated fatty acids, according to
the DGE
.
Lower cholesterol: Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids are what matter
The body produces most of the unsaturated fatty acids itself: the body forms unsaturated fatty acids from glucose and amino acids and converts saturated fatty acids into the essential oleic acid.
Monounsaturated fatty acids are mainly found in olive oil and rapeseed oil as well as in plant-based foods such as avocado and nuts, such as almonds.
The human body cannot produce polyunsaturated fatty acids such as alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3) and linoleic acid (omega-6) itself.
Salmon, herring, flax seeds and walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-6 fatty acids are particularly found in safflower oil, linseed oil and soybean oil.
Eat polyunsaturated fatty acids regularly: the ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 is important
According to the recommendation of the
German Nutrition Society (DGE)
, a healthy level of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids can be achieved by cooking primarily with rapeseed oil, linseed oil and hemp oil and avoiding safflower and sunflower oil.
At the same time, it is recommended to eat fish, such as plaice, salmon, trout, herring or tuna, once or twice a week.
If you focus your diet primarily on foods with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids and reduce carbohydrates, especially if you have hereditary high cholesterol, you can significantly reduce the risk of vascular deposits, arteriosclerosis and, as a result, heart attacks and strokes.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. It in no way replaces a visit to the doctor. Our editorial team is not allowed to answer individual questions about medical conditions.