Saturated Fatty Acids, Is It Good Or Bad For Your Health?

Do you keep a check on what you consume? Well, one must be very careful about the foods that they eat, as this is one of the major factor that plays an important role for one's health.

Consuming good fats is actually necessary for our overall health, however, on the other hand consuming excess of saturated fatty acids can be harmful for your health, according to a new study.

According to the study excess saturated fats, especially those released from lard, are toxic to cells and this can cause a number of lipid-related diseases. Obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are among the major health issues that can be caused by an excess of saturated fats.

Wei Min, Professor at Columbia University in New York, and the principal investigator of the study said ""The behaviour of saturated fatty acids once they've entered cells contributes to major and often deadly diseases."

About The Study:

For the study, the researchers developed a new microscopy technique that allows for the direct tracking of fatty acids after they have been absorbed into living cells.

The technique involves replacing hydrogen atoms on fatty acids with their isotope, deuterium, without changing their physio-chemical properties and behaviour like traditional strategies do.

By making the switch, all molecules made from fatty acids can be observed inside living cells by an advanced imaging technique called stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy.

The researchers found that the cellular process of building the cell membrane from saturated fatty acids results in patches of hardened membrane in which molecules are "frozen."

However, under healthy conditions, this membrane should be flexible and the molecules fluidic.

The researchers explained that the stiff, straight, long chains of saturated fatty acids rigidify the lipid molecules and cause them to separate from the rest of the cell's membrane.

As more saturated fatty acids enter the cell, those islands grow in size, creating increasing inelasticity of the membrane and gradually damaging the entire cell.

"We found that adding unsaturated fatty acids could 'melt' the membrane islands frozen by saturated fatty acids," said first author Yihui Shen, a graduate student in Min's lab.

The study was recently published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Meanwhile, listed here are a few of the best ways to avoid saturated fatty acids. Take a look.

1. Consuming Fruits:
If you want to avoid the cravings for saturated foods it is highly essential to include lot of fresh fruits in your daily diet. Fruits are rich in fibre and essential nutrients which are good for your overall health.

2. Consuming Vegetables:
Rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals and low in calories and fats, including vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables helps to avoiding saturated fats effectively.

3. Consuming Whole-grains:
Whole-grains are rich in fibre content and all the essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals and low in fat. Barley, millets, brown rice and buckwheat are a few of the best known fibre-rich whole grains that are healthy.

(With Agency Inputs)