News Our Company Let's Talk About Nutrition Certifications Distribution Quality Control Our brands Contact Us Home > Let's Talk About Nutrition > Food Fats LET'S TALK ABOUT NUTRITION: FATTY ACIDS Dear customers, provided that in nature there is no perfect, fat or oil, all oils have important nutritional characteristics that are so different from each other but everyone needs to know what to choose. We can say that in a well-balanced diet one should introduce the oils from a variety of foods that one by one will bring important nutritional elements. Ever since the majority of our families had abundant food on their tables we learnt that oils and fats had to be considered as something to watch out for, to avoid to get fatter and to prevent other health problems. We would like to give you clear information and try to make you better know what fatty acids are. Let's begin by saying that fats are found in almost all foods that are assimilated daily and are also called lipids. The human body can synthesize all but two fatty acids: alpha-linoleic acid (or linolenic acid) (C18:2, w6) of omega 6, and linolenic acid (C18:3, w3) of the omega 3. From these fats, commonly referred to as EFA (Essential Fatty Acid), human beings can synthesize all the other polyunsaturated, through enzymes that provide long carbon chain, resulting in two series of compounds: the family of polyunsaturated fatty acids those of the omega 6 and omega 3. OMEGA 3 OMEGA 6 Alpha-linolenic acid (LNA) C18:3 w3 Linoleic Acid (LA) C18:2 w6 Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) C20:5 w3 Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) C18:3 w6 Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) C22:6 w3 These molecules are essential for the health of the organism, since they play important functions: growth; energy production; the health of the cell membrane as constituents of phospholipids and that of mitochondria; the synthesis of hemoglobin; sexual function and reproduction; and some skin diseases; a better tolerance of carbohydrates in diabetes; a reduction in total cholesterol and the harmful (LDL) as a precursor of eicosanoids; chemical messengers in the cellular system. The fatty acids are divided into two large families: Satured (generally of animal origin) Unsatured (usually of vegetable origin) These in turn are divided into: Monounsaturated (one double bond Carbon-Carbon) Polyunsaturated (more double Carbon-Carbon bonds) Fatty acids have an important role in human nutrition and together with carbohydrates and proteins play a structural function and above all they are fundamental from the energy-giving point of view. In a healthy and balanced diet we should assimilate food fats of the three different species in equal parts, namely: 1/3 satured fats, 1/3 of monounsatured and finally a 1/3 of polyunsatured We assume daily: saturated fats (palmitic, palmitoleic, stearic …) by eating dairy products (cheese-mozzarella-Yogurt etc..), cured meats (ham-salami etc..) , meat; i monounsaturated when we use the extra virgin olive oil that is rich in oleic acid (C18: 1), rapeseed oil, sunflower oil high in oleic acid, the oleins palm ... etc… ; and polyunsaturated (linoleic acid C18:2, linolenic C18:3) when we eat bakery products (biscuits, snacks, desserts, etc. ..), mayonnaise, dressings, and pickles, because they are generally preserved using the seed oils (sunflower oil, corn, soybean, peanut, etc ...). But how many and which fats we ingest every day? What is the calorie intake? First of all let's say that every gram of oil (of any type and species) brings an energy value of 9.2 kcal. In a healthy, balanced diet depending on body weight and physical activity it is believed that a woman should take about 1500 calories, while a man about 2000. Nutritionists are divided between those who favor a diet rich in carbohydrates (the famous food pyramid): where carbohydrates make up 60%, protein 30%, and fat only 10%. Others, like Dr. Berry Sears the scientist and developer of the ZONE diet, recommend a dietary approach with a 40% of carbohydrates, and 30% each of proteins and fats. Basically to reach a good compromise we should say that fats should represent 20% of our daily caloric intake, that is to say that males with a dietary system of 2,000 kcal per day of which 20% from fat, shall get 400 kcal from oils that are equal to approximately 45 grams of oil per day. Hence as we said above, dividing this amount of fat into thirds for each one of its three different kinds, we will take 15 grams of saturated fat coming from cheese, yoghurt, cold meats, meat, etc., 15 g of monounsaturated from extra virgin olive oil or canola oil or others, and 15 grams of polyunsaturated will be the last and among them we have the omega-3-alpha-linolenic acid C18: 3 (linseed oil) and omega 6-linoleic acid C18: 2, (sunflower oil and seeds in general). These fats should each have a ratio of 1 to 5. So 3 grams of linseed oil and 12 grams of vegetable oils (sunflower, sesame, corn, etc. ..) Let's illustrate this theory graphically: NOur range of products CRUDOLIO will always show in the nutrition facts the percentage of the omega-3 of course for those items containing them like (linseed oil, canola oil, etc. ..). Feel free to contact our Quality Control Department for any further query or doubt you may havequality@joeandco.it. 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