Part II: Fat myths
There are few topics in nutrition that are surrounded by as many myths and half-truths as fats. Even though the content changes over time, new topics are constantly emerging that need to be put into perspective. What are the main ones?
We can eat as much fat as we want, only too much sugar is harmful
This is not true. We can have health problems from both excessive sugar consumption and fat. An excess of fat in the diet leads to serious health problems, most often related to so-called civilization diseases. Fat is a necessary component of our diet, but not in the amount in which Czechs often consume it. Not only the amount of fat plays a role, but also its composition.
We must not eat fats when losing weight
We must limit fats when losing weight, but the energy intake from fats should not fall below approximately 45 g per day. Fats are the carrier of important substances, such as essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins, which are very important for our health.
Lard is the best for frying
Lard is thermally stable, meaning it can withstand high temperatures without burning and forming undesirable substances, but the cholesterol it contains is not thermally stable. At high temperatures, which are typical of frying, cholesterol changes and this has a very negative effect on our health, especially on the cardiovascular system.
Vegetable oils contain less energy than animal fats
This is not the case. For example, a tablespoon of oil has the same energy value as a tablespoon of lard. However, the composition of fatty acids and the cholesterol content, which oils, unlike fats, do not contain, are different, and thus their effect on our health.
Vegetable fats are healthy, animal fats are unhealthy
It cannot be said that simply. Some vegetable fats, especially tropical fats, such as coconut or palm kernel, have an unfavorable composition in terms of the risk of developing cardiovascular and some other diseases. On the contrary, some fats of animal origin, such as fish oils, have a beneficial effect on our health. Last but not least, the amount consumed also depends.
I prefer butter because spreadable vegetable fats are artificial
Natural raw materials are used to produce both foods - milk for butter and vegetable oils for vegetable fats. The choice of raw materials for vegetable fats is very wide, which is why it is possible to produce spreadable fats that have a preventive effect against cardiovascular and some other diseases.
The series was prepared for us by Věra Boháčová, DiS., who is an expert in the field of nutritional counseling. She graduated as a certified nutritional therapist at a higher medical school and has been engaged in nutritional counseling for adults and children for more than 20 years. She also works as a lecturer at a private higher medical school, where she works with future nutritional therapists. You can read about her work on her website.
We can eat as much fat as we want, only too much sugar is harmful
This is not true. We can have health problems from both excessive sugar consumption and fat. An excess of fat in the diet leads to serious health problems, most often related to so-called civilization diseases. Fat is a necessary component of our diet, but not in the amount in which Czechs often consume it. Not only the amount of fat plays a role, but also its composition.
We must not eat fats when losing weight
We must limit fats when losing weight, but the energy intake from fats should not fall below approximately 45 g per day. Fats are the carrier of important substances, such as essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins, which are very important for our health.
Lard is the best for frying
Lard is thermally stable, meaning it can withstand high temperatures without burning and forming undesirable substances, but the cholesterol it contains is not thermally stable. At high temperatures, which are typical of frying, cholesterol changes and this has a very negative effect on our health, especially on the cardiovascular system.
Vegetable oils contain less energy than animal fats
This is not the case. For example, a tablespoon of oil has the same energy value as a tablespoon of lard. However, the composition of fatty acids and the cholesterol content, which oils, unlike fats, do not contain, are different, and thus their effect on our health.
Vegetable fats are healthy, animal fats are unhealthy
It cannot be said that simply. Some vegetable fats, especially tropical fats, such as coconut or palm kernel, have an unfavorable composition in terms of the risk of developing cardiovascular and some other diseases. On the contrary, some fats of animal origin, such as fish oils, have a beneficial effect on our health. Last but not least, the amount consumed also depends.
I prefer butter because spreadable vegetable fats are artificial
Natural raw materials are used to produce both foods - milk for butter and vegetable oils for vegetable fats. The choice of raw materials for vegetable fats is very wide, which is why it is possible to produce spreadable fats that have a preventive effect against cardiovascular and some other diseases.
The series was prepared for us by Věra Boháčová, DiS., who is an expert in the field of nutritional counseling. She graduated as a certified nutritional therapist at a higher medical school and has been engaged in nutritional counseling for adults and children for more than 20 years. She also works as a lecturer at a private higher medical school, where she works with future nutritional therapists. You can read about her work on her website.
