Fats and Carbohydrates

Functions of fat in the body Fat provides energy, keeps us warm, protects internal organs and contains fat soluble vitamins A and D. The word fat describes fats and olis At room temperature fats are solid and oils are liquid. They come from plant and animal sources.

Animal fats and vegetable oils Animal fats are found in Cream Dripping Lard Butter Suet Meat Oily fish Eggs cheese meat. Vegetable fats are found in Seeds Olives Soya beans nuts

Types of fat Saturated fats raise the cholesterol level. This can lead to health problems, so foods containing saturated fats should be eaten sparingly or replaced with healthier options. Foods which contain saturated fats are Meat pies Sausages Hard cheese Coconut and palm oil Butter Ghee Lard Cream.

Hydrogenated fat Hydrogen is bubbled through some oils to improve flavour and shelf life. This type of fat is known as hydrogenated fat. It is used by manufacturers to make margarine, spreads, pastry, cakes, biscuits fast foods. Hydrogenated fat is as harmful as saturated fats.

Unsaturated (polyunsaturated) Unsaturated fats can help to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood. Foods containing unsaturated fats included. Oily fish Avocados Nuts Seeds Sunflower oils and corn oils Walnut and rape seed oils and spreads Vegetable oils Soya beans

Functions of carbohydrates Carbohydrates have several uses in the body They provide energy NSP(non starch polysaccharides) known as fibre which can reduce cholesterol in the blood. They can help eliminate waste products as NSP cannot be digested.

Types of carbohydrate Carbohydrates are sugars and starches. Sugars are sweet and dissolve. Starches are not sweet and do not dissolve. Sugars can be monosaccharides (simple sugars) Or disaccharides(two sugars joined together) Starches are known as polysaccharides(many sugars joined together) NSP is the other type of carbohydrate.

Conversion of carbohydrates Sugars provide instant energy. Starches have to be digested into sugars before the energy can be released. So energy from starches is released more slowly. Athletes such as marathon runners at starchy food like pasta because the energy from that food will be released slowly during the race. If you eat more carbohydrate then you need it will be stored as fat. This can lead to obesity and related health problems. Sugar causes tooth decay and so it is important to have as little as possible and to brush your teeth.