Health Medical Homework Help

Back in the 1980s—before most of you were probably born!—low-fat was the big thing. With nutrition being the young science it is, we did not fully realize the different types of fats and repercussions on health. It wasn’t until the mid-1980s that omega-3 fats were as well known and their impact on health. 

We know some fats are healthier than others. Low-fat foods are sometimes good (like with low-fat or fat-free dairy) but other times it’s just marketing (such as with low-fat peanut butter which, when compared to regular peanut butter has the same calories, less good fat and more sugar and sodium).

Note: Like CHO, lipids/fats contain carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O), but in a MUCH greater quantity than CHO.

Harvard Health Publications, Harvard Medical School, The truth about fats: the good, the bad, and the in-between
 

Kahn Academy – saturated fats, unsaturated fats, and trans fats. This Khan Academy video is more sophisticated than the YouTube video in course content but goes into greater detail. There are other excellent Khan videos related to increasing understanding of this topic.

If you’re not familiar with Khan Academy, it’s a terrific resource!

Watch these 3 videos on how to read a label for omega 3s, the best source of omega 3 for vegetarians, and krill oil – is it worth it? Neily’s Omega 3 videos on Neily on Nutrition YouTube channel (These are also in Chapter 1 in MindTap)

1. Center for Science in the Public Interest, Coconut Oil Myths Persist in the Face of Facts

Neily on Nutrition blog post, Coconut Oil: When to use it – when to avoid it.

Harvard Health Publications, Harvard Medical School, Ask the doctor: Coconut Oil

Make olive oil your number one oil by Jennifer Neily, Chicago Tribune

What do you now know about fat that you did not know before?

Were you aware of the distinct types of fats? Saturated, unsaturated, trans and the composition of them?

Have you seen the rise in the use of coconut oil? After reviewing the links above share in your post what you thought of coconut oil before and what you think now? Why do you think it’s so popular? (Feel free to search the internet and see the claims for coconut oil…and then refer to Chapter 1/Highlight 1 – Nutrition Information and Misinformation.)

What are you still confused about regarding fats?