Fat is an important nutrient source required to function in the human body. The body uses these fats to create hormones, cell membranes, and nerve tissue (especially in the brain). The body stores ingested fats (for later use) in fatty cells if they aren’t converted to energy or used as building blocks. The body prepares for periods when food may be in short supply by storing fats for later use.
About Fat: What Is Fat or Lipids?
‘Fats’, ’Fatty acids’ or ‘lipids’ are nothing but a linkage of three molecules that form a structure called Triglycerides. Our bodies produce the majority of the fat we require, but there are some types of fats that the body cannot and these are essential fats – Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids.
What Are The Functions Of Faty Acids aka Fats?
Energy: Fats are an excellent energy source. It provides 9 calories per gram, whereas protein and carbs each provide 4 calories per gram.
Hormone and gene regulation: Fats regulate the production of reproductive and steroid hormones and genes involved in growth and metabolism.
Brain function: Adequate intake of fats is important for brain health, including mood.
Absorption of fat-soluble vitamins: Vitamins A, D, E and K must be consumed with fats to properly absorb.
Flavour and fullness: Adding fatty acids to foods makes them tastier and more filling.
The fats stored inside your body helps: Adding fat to foods makes them tastier and more filling.
What Happens If There Are Excess Fats?
To function properly and for energy, your body requires healthy fats. However, eating a lot of saturated fat might result in a buildup of cholesterol in your arteries (blood vessels). Your LDL (bad) cholesterol rises as a result of saturated fats. Heart disease and stroke risk are both increased by high LDL cholesterol.
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How Much Fats Do I Need? What Are The Recommended Amounts?
Essential fatty acids, which the body cannot produce on its own, are found in fat. Fat aids in the body’s absorption of vitamins A, D, and E. These vitamins are only absorbed with the aid of lipids because they are fat-soluble. Body fat is created from any fat that is not utilised by your body’s cells or transformed into energy. Similarly, extra proteins and carbohydrates are also turned into body fats.
A total fat intake of 25–35% of calories is advised by the American Heart Association and the Institute of Medicine. If you consume 2,000 calories per day, that translates to 80 grams of fats or fewer.
What Are The Sources Of Faty Acids? What Food Contains Fats?
Vegetable oils (including olive, canola, sunflower, soy, and corn oils), nuts, seeds, and fish are among the foods high in healthy fats.
- Red meat like beef, lamb, and pork.
- Skin-on chicken and other poultry.
- Whole-milk dairy products like milk, cheese, and ice cream.
- Butter.
- Eggs.
- Palm and coconut oils.
Deficiency Of Fat: The Possible Disorders And Their Symptoms
If you don’t consume enough fat in your diet, you could have symptoms including dry skin rashes, hair loss, a weakened immune system, and problems with vitamin deficiencies. Monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats should make up the majority of your diet’s fat intake to help you stay healthy.
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Toxicity Of Fats: The Excess
Poor growth and increased mortality occur when weanling mice are fed diets with high amounts (20 to 40%) of either palmitate or stearate. Although less severely, adult mice are similarly impacted. Linolenic, palmitoleic, and petroselinic acids are far less helpful at preventing toxicity than oleate or linoleate-rich fats, which should make up 4% of the diet.
When lactose is the main dietary carbohydrate, the toxicity is greatly increased. It is marginally increased when cholesterol is included. When compared to the modifications seen when unsaturated fatty acids are administered, the dietary saturated fatty acids depot fat levels only marginally increase. According to digestibility studies, these effects cannot be attributed to inadequate dietary fat absorption.
