By now you have probably heard that fat is a necessary component of a healthy diet. In fact, our bodies produce fat from carbohydrates and proteins, and then store that fat for energy! The questions are how much fat and what types of fats are acceptable in a healthy diet? Let’s explore fat and identify what it is that makes fats beneficial for health and wellness.
Fat comes from several sources. Fat is found in animal products, such as meat, fish and seafood, eggs, lard, butter, milk, and cheese. Fat also comes from plant sources. This includes fats and oils from nuts, seeds, and vegetables. Some fat sources are healthier than others. It is often thought that plant fats are healthier that animal fats, but this is not always the case. For example, fat from palm oil is high in saturated fat, and should be minimized or eliminated from the diet of an individual with high cholesterol.
So what is fat? In a basic sense, fat is an energy source. Fat contains the same amount of calories, no matter if the fat is good or bad. Fats contain 9 calories per 1 gram. This is in comparison to the 4 calories per 1 gram found in carbohydrates, 4 calories per 1 gram found in proteins, and 7 calories per 1 gram found in alcohol. This means that fat produces more energy than any other food source, followed by alcohol! That may lead to the thinking that eating fat and drinking alcohol should produce the greatest amount of energy, and therefore should be the primary source of food intake for someone who is very active and burns a lot of calories. Sounds good, but things don’t work that way. Alcohol can lead to obvious changes in thinking, balance, and agility. Excess amounts of fat can increase disease risk, and can lead to increases in blood cholesterol, which can lead to heart disease and decreased ease of blood flow (and it is important to have good blood flow, as the blood delivers nutrients to the muscles and brain).
A diet that is high in fat may be low in the nutrients found in fruits, vegetables, and grains. Deficiencies in nutrients can lead to diseases and disorders. One example is that a deficiency in vitamin D can negatively impact the absorption of calcium. In addition, remember that fats have 9 calories per 1 gram and carbohydrates have 4 calories per 1 gram. Imagine you have an equal amount of fats and carbohydrates (in grams) on a plate. When compared to the carbohydrates, the fats will have more than double the amount of calories! This means that a diet high in fats will likely be high in calories. Excess calories can lead to excess weight gain (and we are not talking about weight gain from putting on extra muscle!). Excess weight gain can lead to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
If that doesn’t make the case for limiting the intake of excess and unhealthy fats (remembering that all fats are not unhealthy), then I don’t know what will! I have to admit that I love fat. Fat enhances the flavor of foods. Think of the different forms that fat comes in…dressings, condiments, gravies, and sauces. Sounds delicious to me! A seemingly low fat dish, like steamed vegetables, can be altered in taste, texture, and nutritional value by the addition of fats. This doesn’t mean that the food has to become unhealthy. Remember, fats can be healthy.
It is important to make good choices with the fats that you eat. Most saturated and trans fats are solid at room temperature, except palm and coconut oil (I am not sure if coconut oil is unhealthy in its natural virgin state, but palm oil has been proven to be unhealthy). Saturated fats tend to come from animal products (dairy and meats). Trans fats are fats that have been heated and hydrogenated (had hydrogen atoms added to them), thus changing them from liquid to solid at room temperature. These types of fats (saturated and trans fats) contribute to elevated bad cholesterol and increased heart disease risk. Polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats are both liquid at room temperature. These liquid fats are generally from plant sources. When saturated and trans fats are replaced with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, bad cholesterol tends to lower, and good cholesterol becomes elevated. Also, palm oil and hydrogenated oils are often used in processed foods. They help to increase the shelf life of food, and let’s be honest, they give food a pleasing taste. The problem is that palm oil and hydrogenated oils are unhealthy, again, increasing heart disease risk, risk of diabetes, and other health disorders.
It is also beneficial to incorporate healthy fats from fish, known as omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are believed to slow down the production of triglycerides, decrease the risk for blood clots, decrease inflammation, lower blood pressure, and repair damage to tissues caused by lack of oxygen to the tissue (which can occur with clogging in arteries). This research is still ongoing, but it seems that a moderate amount of fish consumption is beneficial (2-3 servings per week).
Fat should only make up, at maximum, 30% of the calories you eat. Try to limit the intake of saturated and trans fats, as these types of fats can cause elevation in bad cholesterol and lowering of good cholesterol. Try to keep your fat intake in the 20-30% range. This includes good fats!
A few other good things about fats: they provide cushion for the organs and body, they are the main energy source for our bodies and body functions, fat is a prime energy source for endurance tasks (such as distance running), fat is necessary for chemical actions and hormone function within the body, fat is necessary for reproductive function and the function of sex hormones, fat is needed for the absorption of fat soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K).
So, let’s recap with these tips:
1) minimize fats that are solid at room temperature as they tend to cause elevations in blood cholesterol, and increase the risk of health disorders
2) opt for fats that are liquid at room temperature as they tend to lower the cholesterol in the blood
3) minimize processed foods as they tend to be high in saturated fats, trans fats, and palm oil, which, again, increases the risk for health disorders
4) try to eat fish 2-3 times per week to get healthy fish oils
5) try to keep fat calories below 30% of your total calories per day (unless otherwise instructed to do so by your doctor)
Resources:
Total Nutrition: The Only Guide You’ll Ever Need Edited by Victor Herbert, M.D., F.A.C.P. and Genell J. Subak-Sharpe, M.S.
The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno N.D. with Lara Pizzorno M.A., L.M.T.
Tags: disease risk management, fats, fitness, food, fortunes, health, weight loss, weight management
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