Science Of Weightloss

The Significance of MUFAs in Weight Loss

For those interested in learning how to lose weight fast, saturation is the key to distinguish whether fats are healthy or bad. For many years, people had been slave to the concept that fats are bad for the health. Well, perhaps, in some ways, they are. Consider the bulges around one’s belly, not only are they unsightly; but they are also unhealthy for that individual as the fats lurking around that portion of the body can be the source of ill health in the future.

TUMMY TROUBLES

Health dangers that may arise from having too many fats around the abdomen include type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and heart diseases. Body fats, indeed are no good for everyone, if they are in excess. Doctors always advise people to reduce the fats on their mid-section by engaging in weight loss programs incorporating diet and physical exercises.

ALL FATS ARE NOT ALIKE!

Also for quite some time, most people hold on to the belief that all fats are the same, and thus, maintain similar impact to the body. The truth however, is that fats are not absolutely bad. Until after hundreds, or even thousands of clinical researches and trials, scientists confirmed that fats, when they are not saturated, are not only harmless. They are also beneficial to the health. Nothing can be better than understanding how they help keep the body fit, without having to discard all of them.

Unsaturated fats, such as the monounsaturated fats or also known by their acronym MUFAs—FA stands for fatty acids because they contain the fatty acids of carbon and hydrogen atoms—technically means that the carbon atom bonds to one hydrogen atom only. Fats have a molecule containing hydrogenated atoms which are attached to carbon atoms in a carbon chain. Within the hydrogenated atoms and carbon atoms are open spaces. If 1 or 2 of these spaces are left unfilled or empty, the fat molecules are considered to be unsaturated.

Therefore, monounsaturated fats have one hydrogen atom attached to the carbon atom, and one double bond to a neighboring carbon atom. Polyunsaturated fats, on the other hand, have one carbon atom attached to one hydrogenated atom, while its double bond is more than 1.

Because they are unsaturated, they maintain a curve molecule having negative charges attached to them. These negative charges are not friends with each other—in spite of having the same negative ion—so, they continue to repel one another. Because of this, it is impossible to see them sticking to each other. One way of proving this structure is how they interact to the surface when applied. Inside the body, they flow straight to the arteries. When used as an ingredient or dressing, they flow or scatter around.

MUFA = PROTECTION AGAINST DIABETES

When it comes to the health, Diabetes Care, a publication maintained and initiated by the American Diabetes Association, stresses that diet abundant in MUFAs, is helpful in reducing the abdominal fat more efficient than a diet high in carbohydrates. On that journal, a clinical study was conducted to know the effect of MUFAs once incorporated in a diet. The participants were divided between 2 groups, one was given meals with carbohydrates, and the other was placed under MUFA-rich diet.

After 2 weeks, participants in group one found to have accumulated fats around their abdomen, while in the second group, the participants had a decrease on concentration of fats on their abdomen, even without exercise.

This being said, the results would be far better if physical exercises are part of the regimen.