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Recently, there are videos on social media where some doctors are recommending to eat butter or ghee instead of edible oil soybean and mustard oil. They say that animal ghee or butter is more beneficial than that oil.
There is also an idea that red meat is very harmful to health. Fat in meat is the cause of this damage.
During Eid-ul-Azha or Eid-ul-Azha, many people think, “One day, eating a little meat (cow or khasi) during Eid does not do much.”
Meat from mammals such as cow, buffalo or goat is called redmeat.
But fat is not only obtained from meat or animals, but also from plants and vegetables.
The question is, are animal fats really harmful – or are vegetable fats healthier?
Exactly how much fat is beneficial or harmful for the body?
Nutritionists say animal fat is considered “bad fat”. And vegetable fats are always proven to be healthy.
Eating more than moderate amounts of red meat is likely to cause various physical complications.
According to nutritionists, its harmful level depends on the exact amount of animal fat a person eats.
Director of Nutrition and Food Science Institute of Dhaka University Professor Md. Saidul Arefin told BBC Bangla, “In one word, vegetable fat or fat is always much better than animal fat. Animal fat should also be eaten but in moderation. This has been proven by all the studies so far.”
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Why is fat or fat necessary for the body?
According to various studies and information from nutritionists, the body needs fat to maintain its functions.
Small amounts are essential in a healthy and balanced diet.
According to a report from the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), fat acts as a source of energy and helps the body absorb vitamins A, D and E and other nutrients.
These vitamins are fat soluble meaning they cannot be absorbed by the body without fat.
At the same time, fat plays an important role in the production of hormones and in the structure and function of the body’s cells.
“Fat is a source of essential fatty acids, which the body cannot produce itself,” says nutritionist Professor Arefin.
Fat that is not used to build body cells or converted into energy is stored as body fat.
For example: unused carbohydrates and proteins are also converted into fat in the body.
Where are animal and vegetable fats found?
Nutritionists say that the amount of fat in the diet and its source directly affect the heart.
There are mainly two types of fats in food. For example, saturated and unsaturated fats.
“Animal fat is very high in saturated or saturated fat. Saturated fat is bad for the body and can be consumed in very small amounts,” said Arefin, a DU professor.
Daily protein needs can easily be met through Reddit. It plays a role in the production of hemoglobin in the body. Overall, red meat can be a healthy food, if eaten in small pieces without the fat from the meat.
Nutritionists say that low-fat readymade is a nutritious food for children, teenagers, young adults and pregnant women.
All types of fat are high in energy.
According to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), one gram of fat, whether saturated or unsaturated, contains nine calories.
And it contains only four calories of carbohydrates and protein.
Several studies have shown that vegetable fats reduce health risks more than animal fats.
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What is saturated fat?
These animal or saturated fats are found in both sweet and salty foods, researchers say.
These fats are mostly found in animal sources such as meat and dairy products.
Foods that are rich in this saturated fat include:
. Meat-based foods such as sausages and pies
. Butter, ghee, animal fat
. Ice cream, cream
. Some salty snacks or meals
. Chocolate sweets
. Biscuits, cakes, pastries
However, according to the NHS, some plant foods such as palm oil and coconut oil also contain this saturated fat.
Eating too much saturated fat raises blood cholesterol levels, which can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Animal protein can increase uric acid and cause gout pain. It also puts pressure on the kidneys. Consuming too much Radmit can cause digestive problems and gastric problems. Nutritionists say that there can be annoying problems like constipation.
According to UK Department of Health guidelines, a man should eat no more than 30 grams of animal or saturated fat a day and a woman should eat no more than 20 grams a day.
Again, trans fats or processed foods are just as harmful as saturated fats.
According to NHS data, no more than five grams of trans fat per day should be consumed at all.
What is un-saturated or unsaturated fat?
DU professor Arefin said that vegetable fats contain more unsaturated or unsaturated fats.
Sources of this unsaturated fat are vegetable oils, fish and fish oils.
Several studies have shown that consuming vegetable fat is better than animal fat in reducing the risk of heart disease.
Professor Arefin, a nutritionist at Dhaka University, said, “Unsaturated fat can be eaten fairly easily. There is no problem, we can fill the rest. This unsaturated fat is again divided into two parts.”
These two fats are: mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fats.
“Among these two, mono-unsaturated fat is better. We get it from olive oil, almonds or peanuts, excellent sources. It helps maintain good cholesterol in the blood. It is very heart friendly, meaning cardiac friendly or health friendly,” said Professor Arefin.
Also, this nutritionist said, “Poly-unsaturated fats or fat sources are available. For example: sunflower oil, poly-unsaturated fats or fatty acids are available from marine fish. It helps reduce bad cholesterol in the blood. It is also good for good health, but mono-unsaturated fats are the best.”
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Animal or vegetable, which fat is more beneficial?
Various studies have shown that using animal fats or saturated fats such as butter or ghee with vegetable fats or unsaturated fats such as olive oil, sunflower oil reduces health risks.
For this reason, the Department of Health in the United Kingdom advises to look at the amount of saturated fat when buying packaged food.
A study was conducted in the United States from 1995 to 2019.
The study was conducted on hundreds of thousands of men and women under the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study.
Data from the study was analyzed from February 2021 to May 2024.
“Higher intakes of vegetable fat, particularly fats from grains and edible oils, slightly reduce the risk of overall mortality and cardiovascular mortality,” the study’s findings, published on the National Library of Medicine’s website, state.
“On the other hand, high intakes of animal fats, such as fats from dairy and eggs, increase the risk of overall and cardiovascular death,” says the US study.
Another study from Harvard Medical School published on the Harvard Health Publishing website reported similar results.
Researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health reviewed the dietary habits of more than 90,000 people over 22 years.
The results of this study showed that a higher intake of vegetable fat reduced the risk of death from any cause by 16 percent.
On the other hand, the study found that high consumption of animal fat increased the risk of death by 21 percent.
https://www.bbc.com/bengali/articles/c1w2pzz3zn4o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
