5 foods that contain bad fats

The foods we eat contain different types of fats, some are good fats and some are bad fats. Good fats provide health benefits to the body and we need them. While bad fats can harm and complicate some processes that our body carries out every day. Good or unsaturated fats are nutrients that our body needs for energy and help keep our heart healthy. They are found in foods such as avocado, salmon, tuna, some nuts such as walnuts and some oils such as olive oil, among others. Bad fats damage our health because they contribute to raising cholesterol levels and promote the appearance of other types of diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, overweight, obesity, cancer and diabetes, among others. And among the bad fats (saturated and trans), trans fats are the most harmful because in addition to raising bad cholesterol levels, they reduce good cholesterol levels. Here is a list of foods that contain bad “trans” fats.

1. Any fried food

Fried foods are high in unhealthy fats and calories, which increases blood fat and makes us more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease, overweight and obesity.* Fried foods also contain harmful substances, such as acrylamide, which can increase the risk of cancer and nerve damage.** Acrylamide results from frying foods, especially carbohydrates, such as potatoes.** Fast food restaurants and other restaurants often use trans fats to fry foods because they are preserved more and they are cheaper. But these fats are related to heart attacks, obesity, type 2 diabetes and some cancers, such as colon and breast cancer.

2. Cakes and baked goods

These products are packed with calories. In just 100 grams of cake we can find between 250 and almost 800 calories, depending on the type of cake. And there are even worse cases. A slice of carrot cake or cheesecake can contain up to 1,000 calories.* The problem with cakes and baked goods is that they contain several ingredients that are bad for your health such as flour, oil, butter, and sugar. Only sugar increases blood pressure and triglyceride levels.** Eating cakes and baked goods makes a person gain weight very easily due to their high calorie content.

3. Margarine

This product is linked to heart disease, cancer, bone problems, hormonal imbalance, skin diseases, infertility, pregnancy and breastfeeding problems, low birth weight, and growth and learning problems in children.* Margarine has no nutritional elements and it is advisable to remove it from our meals.

4. Cookies and sweet rolls

They are products that have a lot of calories and trigger weight gain because they do not provide fiber and have too much sugar, specifically refined sugar, which can trigger serious diseases such as type 2 diabetes.* In addition, they have very little vitamin and mineral content.** They also provide cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease; sodium, which can cause hypertension; They are poor in protein; they increase the production of free radicals, molecules that are potentially carcinogenic; and its consumption affects brain function, destroying connections between neurons, which deteriorates our learning and memory capacity.** 100 grams of these foods can provide us with an average of 450 calories, which go directly to weight gain.

5. Ice cream

Ice cream is bad for our health because it has a high milk fat content. Which is a saturated fat, harmful to our health.* They also contain high levels of sugar.** Cream ice creams are higher in calories than ice creams. Therefore, be careful when you are going to consume one in hot weather, although it is recommended to eliminate ingredients that are harmful to our health by making them at home. The main thing when it comes to feeding ourselves is to make a correct selection of the fats we need and balance them with the other nutritional groups. If you want more information about nutrition and health or need advice to lose weight, click here.