Hey everyone, As a medical student, people's health is something I am very passionate about. When I last was around the hospital making small talk with some patients, I noticed that a lot of people are conscious about their health but are confused by so many warnings and information out there. I decided to put whatever knowledge I have and make small articles about healthy living and stuff like that. The first topic I chose is about fats and cholesterol, which I am sure you've all heard a lot about in the news these days. Many people are confused about the differences and their effects so I will make an article on that. Depending on the response to this article, I might consider making more in the future! So here goes for healthy living! Introduction So what are fats and cholesterols? Without going into too much detail, the mushy part of our body (yes, that mass hiding all of our amazing six packs) is mainly comprised of fats. Fats (made of fatty acids stored in adipose/fat tissues) serve many functions in our body: Not only do they supply energy to our cells for all kinds of reactions, they provide insulation from cold and cushion our tissues from trauma and damage. Cholesterol, on the other hand, are a class of small molecules called steroids (don't be alarmed, these are not what un-ethical athletes dose on). These substances are vital for our body's function too as they are what our cells use to make its membrane and many of our body's hormones. What's the problem then? If you believe statistics, 65% of Americans are overweight and 35% of them are obese. In short, they have too much fat in their body. In addition to social stigma and the annoyance of having to buy an extra seat on an airplane for a person that isn't travelling with you, being overweight has many health implications. The main concerns about being overweight are heart disease (such as heart attacks, strokes and high blood pressure) and diabetes (when your body is unable to properly regulate blood sugar levels). High levels of cholesterol, on the other hand, can lead these substances to be deposited in your arteries (leading to a thickening of the arteries in a condition known as arteriosclerosis). Not only does that lead to an eventual blockage of the arteries, cholesterol tends to oxidize over time (think of rust). When cholesterol oxidizes, your body perceives it as foreign and your immune system is activated, causing inflammation at the site of the blockage. Sometimes, these deposits (known as plaques) can burst, causing even more damage and even death in a heart attack. So in short, high levels of fat and cholesterol in the body is undesirable. Where did I get the fats and cholesterols? Fats are mainly taken in from the diet. Before we go any further, we must clarify the two main types of fat you find in food: - Saturated fats: are fats that are found mainly in land animal products such as meat and butter. Without going into organic chemistry, saturated fats are "saturated" because all of their fatty acid chains are saturated with hydrogens. These fats stack very well together at the molecular level and are very stable. That is why they are usually solid at room temperature (think for example, butter). - Unsaturated fats: are fats that are mainly found in plant oil and fish oil. From an organic chemical point of view, these fats have kinks and bends in their fatty acid chains because not all of their carbons are associated with hydrogens (some have double bonds). As a result, they don't stack as well and tend to be liquid at room temperature (think for example, olive oil). Unsaturated fats are usually good for the health. Still, remember that moderation is key. It is important to watch those nutritional infos they print on the package. Saturated fats, on the other hand, are usually not that good for health mainly because they stimulate the body to produce cholesterol. In fact, the body produces 80% of the cholesterol, with the other 20% coming from the diet. Be aware that some food labels can be misleading when they say CONTAINS 0 CHOLESTEROL but contain quantities of saturated fat; the end result will still be a raise in cholesterol levels. Also note that cholesterol is ONLY found in animal products. Fruits and vegetables will never contain cholesterol (unless they are somehow evilly engineered to do so, God help us all). Now I'm sure you've all heard about trans-fats. These fats are originally unsaturated fats that have undergone some chemical reactions to make them more saturated (and stable) for purposes like frying. The problem with trans fatty acids is that, although they are unsaturated fats, they behave just like saturated fats and also help raise blood cholesterol levels. There are also two kinds of cholesterol out there (actually, there is 1 kind of cholesterol that is imbedded/carried in two types of lipoproteins): - LDL (or Low-Density Lipoproteins): generally considered the "bad" cholesterol. - HDL (or High-Density Lipoproteins): considered the "good" cholesterol. Suppose your cells work like a shipping port that receives shipments of cholesterol from these LDL and HDL carrier ships. LDL usually arrives at the docks, dumps the cholesterol in the cells and moves on. However, when you have too much LDL in your body, all the unloading docks at the port are occupied. Any stray LDL simply dumps their content into surrounding tissue (such as your arteries). HDL, however, salvages those dumped cholesterol and keeps them away from the arteries. When you visit the doctor to get your levels checked, they usually calculate your total cholesterol but also your individual LDL and HDL levels. Doctors will often suggest you to lower your overall cholesterol and raise your HDL levels if possible. However, note that foods that contain cholesterol tend to raise both so avoiding cholesterol in excess is generally the best path. So there you have it folks, a quick guide to the different fats and cholesterol in your food and diet. For healthy living, one must try to limit intakes of fat and avoid saturated fatty foods whenever possible (yes... bye bye steak ). A routine checkup with the doctor is also highly recommended as you do not need to be overweight to have a high cholesterol level and be predisposed to heart attack and strokes. Also, a routine checkup can find tumors early and increase treatment possibilities (not that I wish cancer on anyone! It's just that it's better to find it early than late). So thank you all! And may you all live healthy and happy lives. If you have any comments, suggestions for improvements/future topics or insults about this article and future (possible) articles, please PM me or reply directly to this threat.
