The Fast Facts About Fat

By: SaRene Brooks

It may be hard to imagine that eating fat can be “good”. However, Fat plays an important role in a well-balanced diet, serving essential functions in the body. Maintaining the right balance of fat alongside protein and carbohydrates is key to overall health and optimal energy levels.

Yup that’s right…the benefits of fat

Having a small amount of fat each day is a necessary part of a healthy diet. It is a vital source of essential fatty acids that the body cannot produce on its own.

Fat is a source of energy, supplying more than two times the calories per gram than protein and carbohydrates.

Fat helps with vitamin absorption. There are certain vitamins that are called fat-soluble meaning they need fat in order to be absorbed. These vitamins are A, D, E, and K.

Fats play a crucial role in hormone production, helping regulate appetite, blood sugar levels, and energy expenditure. These hormones support metabolic balance and overall health.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that circulates through the blood stream.  Even though the liver produces all the cholesterol we need, it is also found in the food we eat. Cholesterol has a significant role in the body. It helps build cell membranes, digest food, and produce certain hormones. It plays a role in metabolism and the production of vitamin D. But too much cholesterol can lead to heart disease.

You often hear of bad cholesterol and good cholesterol. Here is some information to help you understand what the different types of cholesterol are doing in your body so you will be able to make food choices that will promote positive outcomes.

HDL cholesterol:     High-Density Lipoprotein. It is the GOOD or Healthy cholesterol. Think of the “H” in HDL standing for Healthy.

LDL cholesterol:      Low-Density Lipoprotein is the BAD or Lousy cholesterol.

Think of the “L” in LDL as Lousy.

LDL carries cholesterol to the arteries. When levels of LDL are high, plaque can build up and causes and increased risk for heart attack and stroke.

HDL has the role of transporting LDL away from the arteries and back to the liver. The liver then converts it into bile and it is excreted as waist.

Visualize LDL as a car stalling on the freeway. It may cause one lane to shut down but traffic can continue to flow around it until the tow truck (HDL) arrives and moves the car out of the lane of traffic. But, if several cars (excess LDL) stall before the tow-trucks (HDL) arrive, it can block driving lanes and cause all on-coming vehicles to stop. The traffic then builds up making a big traffic jam (heart attack or stroke).

The goal with making choices about what types of fat to include in the diet is to increase HDL and decrease LDL.

 Types of Fat

Unsaturated – Saturated - Trans Fats

Unsaturated fats are also known as healthy fats because of the health benefits they provide.

Unsaturated fats can do the following:

• Promote satiety by keeping you full longer. This will help with weight loss and maintenance

• Improve brain function by supporting memory and cognitive health.

• Lower the risk of heart disease by raising levels of HDL cholesterol also called high-density lipoprotein.

There are two types of unsaturated fats:

1.      Monounsaturated – helps maintain higher levels of HDL cholesterol while lowering levels of LDL cholesterol

Examples of food sources:

Avocados

Almonds, Brazil nuts and peanuts

Olive oil and Rapeseed oil

2.     Polyunsaturated – can help lower levels of HDL cholesterol in the blood.

There are two types of polyunsaturated fats:

    Omega-3

    Omega-6

Some types of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats cannot be made by the body. This means it is necessary to consume a small amount of them in the daily diet. 

Examples of food sources:

          Omega-3     

Sardines                Oysters        Avocados

Salmon                 Clams          Eggs

Herring                Mussels         Chia seeds

Trout                     Flaxseed       Walnuts

Kippers                 Soybeans      Canola oil

Mackerel              Edamame     Avocado oil

Omega-6      found in oil and nuts

Corn oil                 Walnuts       Pumpkin seeds

Sunflower oil         Almonds       Chia seeds

Grapeseed oil       Cashews       Hemp seeds

Poultry                  Fish            Eggs 

Find ways to include unsaturated fats in your diet. One way to start is to swap some of the food you are already eating with foods that contain unsaturated fats.

Here are some ideas:

• Use avocados as a spread on sandwiches rather than mayonnaise

• Sprinkle sunflower seeds on a green salad

• Use canola, olive and avocado oil to cook with rather than butter and vegetable oil

• Include fish in your menu planning

• Serve edamame as a side dish with your other vegetables

Saturated

Saturated fats are solid at room temperature. When consumed in high amounts, they can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Foods containing saturated fats should be eaten in moderation.

Examples of food sources:

          Fatty cuts of meat            Butter          Chocolate

          Sausage                          Lard            Cakes

          Bacon                              Cheese         Pastries

          Meat Pies                        Sour Cream  Ice cream

Trans Fats

Trans fats are naturally occurring in some foods such as meat and dairy products. This is typically not a health concern. The problem comes with excessive consumption of processed food. In 2020 manufacturers were banned from adding trans fats to their food products. Because of the way these foods are made, it is impossible to completely eliminate trans fats. When oils are cooked at high heat during the production pre-packaged food, trans fats are created. Food labels can state that the product is “free of trans fat” if it contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving. Always look for the words partially-hydrogenated oil on the ingredients list to identify if it contains a small amount of trans fat. Then develop a habit to make home-made meals most of the time. This allows you to choose the preparation method along with the types of oil and other ingredients used. 

Daily Intake

Fat is a macronutrient and should be consumed in the proper proportions to proteins and carbohydrates. This amount will differ between individuals depending upon specific needs. The recommended amount of fat per day is 10-35% of total daily intake. It is important to determine what is right for you individually. Tracking food intake and calculating macronutrients within the calories consumed will show if you are getting the correct amount. There are apps available that will help with these calculations.

Remember that fats have more than two times the number of calories per gram than proteins and carbohydrates. Because of this, the calories can add up quickly with the consumption of high fat foods. Fats that are consumed and not used for energy or other bodily functions will be converted to body fat. The same happens with carbohydrates and proteins.

IMPORTANT TAKE-AWAYS

Fat is an important part of a well-balanced diet

Consume fat in moderation as they contain more than 2 times the number of calories

per gram as protein and carbohydrates

Look for ways to consume healthy fats. They will decrease the risk of heart disease

Consult a professional, such as a Registered Dietitian, to determine the appropriate amount of fat intake for your individual needs.

SaRene Brooks is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES). She is a mom of 3 boys who are now married which added 3 girls to her family. 2 of her sons live with type 1 diabetes (T1D). She specializes in helping families who are impacted by type 1 to adjust and make it a part of their everyday life, while enjoying the things they love.

She is the wife of an avid outdoorsman and loves spending time with him in the mountains. She is a grandma, creative cook, educator and loves to help individuals and families meet their health and nutrition goals.