Answer to Question 1
The saturated and trans fats do indeed seem mostly bad for the health of the heart. Aside from providing energy, which unsaturated fats can do equally well, saturated and trans fats bring no indispensable benefits to the body. Furthermore, no harm can come from consuming diets low in them. In contrast, the unsaturated fats are mostly good for the health of the heart when consumed in moderation. To date, their one proven fault seems to be that they, like all fats, provide abundant energy to the body and so may promote obesity if they drive kcalorie intakes higher than energy needs. Obesity, in turn, often begets many body ills. When judging foods by their fatty acids, keep in mind that the fat in foods is a mixture of good and bad, providing both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Even predominantly monounsaturated olive oil delivers some saturated fat. Consequently, even when a person chooses foods with mostly unsaturated fats, saturated fat can still add up if total fat is high. For this reason, fat must be kept below 35 percent of total kcalories if the diet is to be moderate in saturated fat. Additionally, food manufacturers may come to the assistance of consumers wishing to avoid the health threats from saturated and trans fats. Some companies now make margarine without trans fats, and many snack manufacturers have reduced the saturated and trans fats in some products and offer snack foods in100-kcalorie packages. Other companies are likely to follow if consumers respond favorably. Eating a balanced diet based on vegetables, fruits, and legumes is a good idea, as is replacing saturated fats such as butter, shortening, and meat fat with unsaturated fats like olive oil and the oils from nuts and fish. These foods provide vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicalsall valuable in protecting the body's health. To further protect health, you may want to reduce fats from convenience foods and fast foods; choose small portions of meats, fish, and poultry; and include fresh foods from all the groups each day. Take care to select portion sizes that will best meet your energy needs. Also, be physically active each day.
Answer to Question 2
b
good to eat
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