Good and bad fats

Masti predstavljaju koncentrirani izvor energije te služe kao izvor esencijalnih masnih kiselina. Po strukturi, masti su esteri masnih kiselina i alkohola glicerola. Masne kiseline se mogu podijeliti u četiri glavne skupine: zasićene, mononezasićene, polinezasićene i trans masti. Zasićene i trans masne kiseline su „loše masti“ i uzrokuju povećanje LDL-a i smanjenje HDL-a. „Dobre masti“, u koje spadaju mono i polinezasićene masne kiseline, od kojih se ističu ω-3 masne kiseline, snižavaju LDL te protektivno djeluju na kardiovaskularni sustav. U radu su opisane kemijske strukture i vrste masnih kiselina, njihovo djelovanje na zdravlje te prisutnost u hrani.
Fats are a concentrated source of energy and source of essential fatty acids. Taking into account their chemical structure, fats are esters of fatty acids and alcohol glycerol. Fatty acids can be classified into four general categories: saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and trans fats. Saturated and trans fatty acids are "bad fats" and cause a rise of LDL and a decrease of HDL. "Good fats", which include mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, among which the most important are ω-3 fatty acids, lower LDL and have a protective effect on the cardiovascular system. This thesis describes the chemical structures and types of fatty acids, their effect on health and their presence in food.