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Are Unsaturated Fats Really Good For You ?

As we’ve talked before, polyunsaturated fats are consisting of long hydrocarbon chains of fatty acids that has double or triple bonds. The differences in geometry between the various types of unsaturated fatty acids, as well as between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, play an important role in biological processes. Our body can produce fatty acids from carbohydrates and proteins but they can’t produce double or triple bond in it. That’s why polyunsaturated fatty acids are called essential fatty acids. They were originally designated as Vitamin F when they were discovered as essential nutrients in 1923.

In the body, essential fatty acids are primarily used to produce hormone-like substances that regulate a wide range of functions, including blood pressure, blood clotting, blood lipid levels, the immune response, and the inflammation response to injury infection. The essential fatty acids are important in several human body systems, including the immune system and in blood pressure regulation, since they are used to make compounds such as prostaglandins.

The brain has increased amounts of linolenic and alpha-linoleic acid derivatives. Some researchers believe changes in the levels and balance of these fatty acids to be associated with depression and behavioral change, including violence. Some invention shows that consuming omega – 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids during pregnancy, lactation and growing of infants increasing the amount of brain cells.

Fats are distributed in the body by converting into triglycerides and cholesterols. Saturated fats have a profound hypercholesterolemic (increase blood cholesterol levels) effect and tend to increase plasma LDL (low density lipoproteins). On contrary, it is believed that polyunsaturated fatty acids lower blood cholesterol level, lower plasma LDL and increase HDL (high density lipoproteins). High polyunsaturated fatty acids diets contribute to lower the risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease.

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