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Fascinating Facts About FAT

Updated: Jan 28, 2023

Is FAT in diet really harmful? Why we need fat in our bodies?


When it comes to dietary fat, what matters most is the type of fat you eat. Contrary to past dietary advice promoting low-fat diets, newer research shows that healthy fats are necessary and beneficial for health


Senior Nutritionist Khushbu Shah sharing her thoughts about Fat, its different types, and its importance in our diet.



What Are Fats?

Fats are an important Macro-nutrient along with Carbohydrate and Protein. They contain esters of fatty acid and glycerol. Depending on their structure fatty acids can be further classified as Saturated or Unsaturated. (Mono, Poly or Trans)


Types of Fats:

Saturated fats are solid at room temperature, for e.g-Ghee, Butter.

Unsaturated fats are liquids at room temperature for e.g Vegetable oil, Fish oil.


The below-mentioned table gives information on each type of fatty acid present in a particular food.

Saturated, Mono-Unsaturated, Omega-3, Omega-6


Importance of Fats

It is important to eat fats in our daily diet as they are the structural component of our body cells and are a major source of energy for our bodies.

  • Dietary fats are essential to give your body energy and to support cell growth.

  • Fat also helps protect your organs and helps keep your body warm.

  • Fat is required to produce important hormones.

  • A small amount of fat is an essential part of a healthy, balanced diet. Fat is a source of essential fatty acids, which the body cannot make itself.

  • Fat helps the body absorb vitamin A, vitamin D and vitamin E. These vitamins are fat-soluble, which means they can only be absorbed with the help of fats.

  • Fats act as an insulating matter and protect our internal organs. They serve as a reserve source of energy during starvation.

Recommended Intake of fats

An average individual is recommended to have 20-30% of their energy intake from fats. It is generally recommended that less than 10% of total energy intake should come from Saturated and rest from Unsaturated, Monounsaturated, and Polyunsaturated.


Health consequences of eating high-fat diets

High-fat diets can have adverse effects on the body like Obesity, Cardiovascular diseases, Metabolic Syndrome, Type 2 Diabetes, and can also lead to higher levels of Cholesterol and Triglyceride in Blood.


Check your fat levels

There are few tests that can help you check the levels of fats in the body as well as blood.


To check the fat levels in the body it is recommended to do the Body Composition Analysis (BCA) Test which gives the Total Fat % in the body along with the Visceral Fat.


To check the fat levels in the blood it is recommended to do Complete Lipid Profile which helps one to understand in detail the amount Cholesterol (Both good and bad ) present in the blood.

 

Author: Khushbu Shah (Post Graduate in Clinical Nutrition)

KS Nutrition


Disclaimer: Blog is generated for informative purposes. Views expressed in the blog are personal and belong to the author of the blog. Lifetrons is publishing it on behalf of the author.


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