Some years ago now, dietary fat was blamed as the main culprit of the obesity and other illnesses. A few decades ago many nutritional experts recommended replacing the fats with carbohydrates. To this day there are millions of people who avoid fat at all cost and believe fat is to blame for everything. Well, the statistics show that type 2 diabetes and obesity have grown rapidly in the ensuing years. Fat is no longer the enemy, in fact certain types of fats are considered essential.
The function of fats
Just like carbohydrates and proteins, fats are also essential nutrients which are needed for many functions of the body. The brain itself is about 60% fat and fats are also crucial for learning, memory, fetal brain development during pregnancy and for mood. Fats insulate and protect nerves, keep the lungs working properly, keep the heart beating in a stable rhythm and also cushion the internal organs. Fats also give people energy, slow down digestion and satisfy people`s appetite for longer periods of time. On top of that, fats are also crucial because they aid in the absorption of vitamin D, A, K and E.
Fats that are unhealthy
Not all fats are the same and it is really important to choose the right fats. Saturated fats, such as red meat, butter and full-fat dairy products, clog the arteries. Trans fats must also be avoided as much as possible because they damage the heart. Trans fats can be found in foods such as crackers, chips, fried chicken, doughnuts, cookies, cakes and French fries. For a lot of people these are foods which they eat on a daily basis. If a certain food contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fats per serving, manufacturers are allowed to label that food „trans-fat free.“
Polysaturated and monosaturated fats are both healthy fats and should be part of your diet. Great sources of healthy fats are nuts, canola and olive oils, olives, seeds, nut butter, herring, tuna, mackerel, sardines, salmon and avocados, just to name a few. Healthy fats reduce blood clotting and inflammation, raise protective HDL cholesterol, lower the harmful LDL cholesterol in the blood, reduces the risk f fatal abnormal heart rhythms and also decreases the rate of fat buildup in the arteries.
Basic recommendations
It is suggested that 25-40% of your total daily calories should come from fats. The vast majority of them should of course be healthy fats. Trans fats should be limited to only 1% of your daily calories and saturated fats should be limited to 7%. So if on average you consume around 2,500 calories per day, you should only consume about 2.5 grams of trans fats and no more than 20 grams of saturated fats. These are just basic recommendations and you don`t have to follow them 100%.
Healthy fats are another reason why people should follow a well-balanced diet plan. All kinds of extremes such as a low fat, high carbohydrate diet, are not good in the long-term. Although fats are essential then so are carbohydrates and proteins. If your daily fat intake consists mostly of saturated fats and trans-fats, it might be very hard to reduce these to 7% and 1%. It certainly requires big changes to your diet but there is no choice really.