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FATS
Fats is the name given to one of the macro nutrients that includes fats and
oils, both of which are composed of fatty acids. These fatty acids are made
from the chemical elements carbon and hydrogen, and are based around carbon
chains of varying length with hydrogen atoms attached to it. Different fatty
acids have different length chains. Short chain fatty acids such as butyric
acid from butter, have four carbon atoms. Fish oils and the long chain fatty
acids that comprise most of the human brain have 20 - 24 carbon atoms. The fatty
chain of the molecule is a water insoluble (hydrophobic), oil soluble, non-polar
chain of variable length. It dissolves in oil but not water, this is an important
property for fatty acid functions in our body. The acid end of the molecule
is a water soluble (hydrophilic) polar, weak organic acid known as a carboxyl
group which dissolves in water but not oil.
This chemical makeup gives rise to the two groups of fats, saturated and unsaturated.
Saturated fats have all their carbon atoms saturated with hydrogen atoms. Unsaturated
fats have empty spaces where hydrogen atoms are missing, these spaces link up
with molecules of other substances in the body so they make unsaturated fats
much more biologically active. In contrast, saturated fats have no empty links
and are virtually inert, their only biological function is to provide energy.
Athletes carry more energy reserve of fat than they will ever use and therefore
have no need for saturated fats at all.
Athletes do however require special fats for the cell membranes of every cell
in the body, eg, the brain, eyes, adrenal glands, and sex organs. Special fats
are essential for a high level of oxygen use and energy transformation required
for optimum performance.
Processed Oils are Bad Fats
Modern processing changes the chemical structure of fatty acids in such a way
that the human body cannot use them, they are therefore biologically inert and
are simply stored. The very worst type of fat is of course hydrogenated vegetable
oils. These are crucially damaged and processed fats that humans have mutated
in the production of their food chain. Hydrogenated vegetable fats are dangerous
to your health as well as being totally useless and unusable for the human body
- leading to the accumulation of fat stores and adipose tissue.
Nutritionally important fats have a structure known as a cis chemical configuration,
which means that hydrogen atoms on the carbons are all on the same side of the
molecule. Because of the slight electrical charge all of the hydrogen atoms
repel each other and put bends in the carbon chain, these bends are the essential
shape of the molecule that make it possible for all the special biological functions
of fats to take place.
Modern processing totally destroys this cis formation converting fats into
what is known as a trans formation. This basically describes where all the hydrogen
atoms lie on opposite sides of the fat molecule causing it to lose its bends
and straighten out. Such fat molecules lose their ability to perform important
biological functions. They are essentially unusable by the human body and cause
nothing but fat storage and build-up, while being potentially very harmful.
Nearly every food manufactured and processed and changed, that is not grown
or organically produced, free from manipulation, contain these lethal and damaged
fats and trans-fatty acids.
Hard Fats and Saturated Fatty Acids
These are straight chains with no kinks, no double bonds, and are slow to react
with other chemicals and carry no electrical charges.
Saturated fatty acids decrease oxygen supply to our tissues by making red blood
cells stick together, less mobile and less able to deliver oxygen to our cells.
Hard fats are things like butter, lard, and the solid fats on meats. Saturated
fats, are as stated, saturated with hydrogen atoms and so are basically useless
for bodily and brain function. These should generally be avoided where possible.
Hard Fats and Unsaturated Fatty Acids
These contain one or more double bonds between carbon atoms in their fatty carbon
chain and for each double bond they give up two hydrogen atoms.
The cis formation provides the fluidity needed in cell membranes.
Your body has the ability to change the long chain fats of more than 16 carbons
into unsaturated forms by inserting spaces called double bonds, therefore, it
can almost make all of the myriad of different fats it needs. However, there
are two essential fatty acids that your body cannot make itself. These are LINOLEIC
ACID and ALPHA LINOLENIC ACID. It is therefore essential that these fats are
provided by your diet. It is important to note that linoleic acid and alpha
linolenic acid are all the dietary fats an athlete needs. The best vegetable
source of linoleic and linolenic acids is flax or linseed oils, pumpkin seeds,
walnuts and soybeans. Not only are these fats essential but they are required
in certain quantities and ratios. The modern diet although deficient in both
of these highly essential fats, is weighted in the wrong ratios - a double whammy
of trouble. This has been linked to the potentially ever increasing degenerative
diseases throughout the modernised western world.
Functions of Linolleic Acid and Alpha Linolenic Acid
Energy Production
They collect oxygen, electron transport and energy in the process of oxidation
which is the central and most important moment-to-moment living process - it
is the burning of food to produce energy.
Oxygen Transfer
Essential fatty acids hold on to oxygen in our cell membranes. This oxygen acts
as a barrier to viruses, fungi and bacteria that cannot thrive in its presence.
Hemoglobin Production
Involved in the process that makes oxygen available to tissues by activating
oxygen molecules.
Membrane Components
They help hold proteins in the membrane by electrostatic attractive forces of
double bonds. They are therefore involved in the transport of substances in
and out of cells by protein channels and pumps.
Recovery from fatigue
They substantially shorten the time required for fatigued muscles to recover
by facilitating the conversion of lactic acid to water and carbon dioxide.
Linoleic Acid Deficiency Symptoms
-hair loss
-kidney degeneration
-liver degeneration
-infections
-slow wound healing
-sterility
-miscarriage
-heart and circulatory problems
-growth retardation
Alpha Linolenic Deficiency Symptoms
-weakness
-impairment of vision and learning ability
-tingling
-growth retardation
-high triglycerides
-high blood pressure
-sticky platelets
-dry skin
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