"Fat makes fat" - this saying is well known in the vernacular and has indeed been popular for a long time. Perhaps the hype about low-fat foods even originated from this saying. However, it has long been disproved that this is true. Fats have an unjustified bad reputation, because they are not only energy suppliers, but also an integral part of our cells. At the same time, fat serves as an insulating layer under the skin and is a carrier for fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E and K). Along with proteins and carbohydrates, they are among the Macronutrientswhich form the basis for all metabolic processes. According to the German Nutrition Society (DGE), even one third of our diet should consist of fats. Yes, one third! That may sound like a lot, but as we will see here, not all fats are the same and can be quite healthy for our bodies.

Generally, a distinction is made between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. The difference lies not only in their effect on the body, but also in whether the body can produce them itself, as well as in their structure. Both fatty acids occur in varying amounts in food. Nevertheless, it can be observed that saturated fatty acids are increasingly found in processed foods. For example, if you look at a packet of crisps and their contents, you will even see a specific indication for the saturated fatty acids and how much of them is contained in the food.

Saturated fatty acids

This type of fatty acid is mainly found in animal products. Accordingly, saturated fatty acids are found in butter, lard, meat, sausage, milk and much more. However, there are a few plant foods that are the exception. These include coconut oil and palm oil.. However, our body is not dependent on the intake of saturated fatty acids from food, as it can also produce them itself. The DGE recommends no more than 7-10% saturated fatty acid intake in relation to the total daily energy intake. However, Germans consume more than this recommended amount in their daily lives. Saturated fatty acids are said to contribute to the risk of coronary heart disease. Coronary heart disease is caused by narrowed heart vessels due to fat and calcium deposits.

Unsaturated fatty acids

Unsaturated fatty acids, on the other hand, are found in the following foods:

- Walnut oil

- Rapeseed oil

- Soya oil

- Salmon

- Tuna

- Sunflower oil

- Eggs

- Avocado

- Pumpkin seeds

- Hemp Seeds

- Olive(oil)

Consequently, these fatty acids are mainly found in plant foods and fish. Unsaturated fatty acids are said to be the "healthy" fat because, unlike saturated fatty acids, they have a better effect on blood cholesterol levels, which affect our heart and its health. But more on that later.

Also worth mentioning are the so-called Trans fatty acids. These fats have been artificially hardened - mostly for industrially manufactured products. A trans fat is, for example, the fat used for deep-frying processes or margarine. Margarine, a vegetable fat, should naturally be liquid, but it is not, because it has been artificially hardened to give it its spreadability. 

The composition of the fatty acids determines whether the fat has a healthy or unhealthy effect on our body in the long run. Fats generally consist of the alcohol gylcerol and several fatty acid compounds. Whether it is a saturated or unsaturated fatty acid is ultimately determined by the number of double bonds in the fatty acid chain. Saturated fatty acids have no double bonds to the carbon atoms; they only have a single bond to these atoms (C-C). Unsaturated fatty acids have at least one double bond (C=C). The number/existence of these double bonds mainly determines the aggregate state of the fat at room temperature. This is obvious with vegetable oils, as they are mainly in liquid form. The same is true for saturated fatty acids, which are mostly solid due to the absence of double bonds (e.g. lard).

Unsaturated fatty acids are divided into monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Monounsaturated fatty acids have only one double bond, whereas polyunsaturated fatty acids have at least two (or more). Polyunsaturated fatty acids also include the well-known omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These are so-called essential fatty acids. This means that our body cannot produce them itself and we must therefore obtain them from food.

Blood cholesterol levels have already been mentioned above in connection with unsaturated fatty acids. The importance of the connection between fats and cholesterol levels is explained in this section.

What cholesterol actually is is relatively simple: it is a fat molecule that is a component of cell walls and many hormones. ¾ of cholesterol is formed in the liver. The other quarter is absorbed through food. A distinction is made between 3 forms of cholesterol:

LDL cholesterol - stands for Low Density Lipoprotein ("bad cholesterol")

HDL- Cholesterol - stands for High Density Lipoprotein ("good cholesterol")

Total cholesterol - composed of LDL and HDL cholesterol

How is this now connected to the fatty acids?

It is related to fatty acids because they influence the lowering and raising of different cholesterol. Thus, saturated fatty acids and trans fats influence the increase of LDL levels in the blood. An increase in this cholesterol poses a risk for coronary heart disease because it can trigger arteriosclerosis, which is colloquially called hardening of the arteries. These calcifications cause, among other things, strokes and heart attacks. By reducing saturated fatty acids in the diet and increasing unsaturated fatty acids, the risk of coronary heart disease is reduced. This happens because unsaturated fatty acids stabilise the "good" HDL cholesterol level. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are polyunsaturated fatty acids, lower both total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in the blood. For precisely this reason, these two fatty acids are very important.

We have disproved in the previous sections that fat is bad for our body. Ultimately, it depends on the quality of the fat, because the consumption of unsaturated fatty acids definitely has positive effects on our body. Accordingly, it should come as no surprise that unsaturated fatty acids can help with both weight loss and muscle building. The fact that fats make you feel fuller for longer and are therefore especially important in diets (e.g. the low carb or Mediterranean diet) invalidates the argument that fat makes you fat. In recent years, fat-based diets have proved their worth, as can be seen from the fact that they have found far more favour than low fat diets. Not least because they had more efficient results to show. In the long run, these diets reduce the amount of food eaten. At the same time, fat has a lower effect on insulin levels than carbohydrates, for example. And a balanced insulin level, as we know, keeps our cravings in check.

However, unsaturated fatty acids also help build muscle because they improve blood flow properties, which in turn means that the body is supplied with more oxygen. As a result, one achieves an increase in performance during strength training. Unsaturated fatty acids also stimulate the release of the body's own growth and sex hormones, and the sex hormone testosterone is an important factor in building muscles.

As a rule of thumb, the more vegetable fat instead of animal fat, the healthier. So the motto is: replace, replace replace. For example, in future you can make your own salad dressing from oil instead of pre-made yoghurt dressings. Go for a vegan spread rather than liver sausage now and then and fry your food in vegetable oil instead of clarified butter. It is also important to know that there is little advantage in frying a food that contains saturated fatty acids with a food that contains monounsaturated fatty acids. Searing beef in olive oil, for example. Instead, you should really actively substitute and increase your intake of vegetable food. But you don't have to completely give up saturated fatty acids and thus animal products. Everything is in the green zone as long as it is consumed in moderation. Because in moderation, the cholesterol level will not suffer.