My Science School

Did you know that a balanced diet must include fat? Why? Read on to find out.

Not all fats are unhealthy. A balanced diet must include fat as it is a source of energy and helps our body to absorb other nutrients.

Healthy fats like monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids help to lower cholesterol. The richest sources of unsaturated fats are cooking oils like olive, soybean and peanut oils, nuts and tofu.

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in oily fish, nuts, seeds and leafy green vegetables. They are essential nutrients not produced by our body, but vital for normal growth in young children. Bad fats like saturated fats raise our cholesterol levels, clog our arteries and increase our risk of heart disease in addition to making us obese. We get saturated fats from animal products: red meat and whole-milk dairy products like cheese, ice cream and butter. However, they are also an important source of vitamins and minerals. Hence, we should limit, not eliminate our consumption of saturated fats.

Trans fats, also known as hydrogenated fats, are found in processed foods, like French fries and cookies. They raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol. Next time you buy snacks, check for the term partially-hydrogenated oil in the list of ingredients - those are the items you must avoid.

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Research has proved that irradiated food does not retain any radioactive property. Absolutely. The process of food irradiation involves exposing the food to the energy from short-wave radiations like gamma rays, x-rays or electrons. But research over the last 40 years has proved that irradiated food does not retain any radioactive property and hence is completely safe. Moreover, irradiation does not diminish the nutritive value of the food.

This technology is used to destroy the bacterial, fungal or viral growth in food that can spoil it or cause diseases. Irradiated food thus has a longer shelf life. As irradiation is a cold process it causes no change in the freshness or texture of the food unlike certain other procedures that involve heat. In fact, it is difficult to tell an irradiated apple from a normal one as it remains as juicy and crisp. Presently over 40 food items such as fruits, vegetables, spices, seafood, grains, meat and poultry are available in irradiated form. Many specially-marked irradiated fruits and vegetables are commercially sold in the U.S., France, China, South Africa and the Netherlands.

Although the process of irradiation greatly reduces the growth of bacteria it does not completely eliminate it. Hence irradiated poultry needs refrigeration. As for irradiated fruits, refrigeration is not essential though they will last much longer in a refrigerator.

Around 20,000 million tonnes of food and allied products are irradiated in India annually. These include agricultural produce such as onion, potato, mango, grains and other products such as onion powder, garlic powder, spices, Ayurvedic products and animal feed.

DID YOU KNOW?

*The Radura logo is an international symbol that indicates a food product has been irradiated. The logo, usually green in colour, depicts a flower represented by a dot and two leaves within a half-broken circle.

 * Around 20,000 million tonnes of food are irradiated in India annually.

Picture Credit : Google