janemarcuspt-blog

[janemarcuspt-blog]

Should we be eating fat?

Ok, so it’s the start of the New Year and a large proportion of the population will be trying to lose some weight and get in shape. Usually, one of the first things people do in order to lose weight is cut out fat. They think this will be one of the most efficient ways to lose weight but neglect the fact that fat has an important role in our diet and our bodies.

First of all, I would like to start off by telling you a little about the basics of fat. Fat is one of the main macronutrients that we require in our diet. The other two main macronutrients are protein and carbohydrates. What does this mean? This means that we require these nutrients in large quantities in our diet. Why is this? We need these nutrients in large amounts as they provide fuel for our body and they contribute to many important functions within our body.

What role does fat play in the function of our body? First of all, consuming fats helps us absorb the vitamins A, D, E and K. This is because all these vitamins are fat soluble which means without fat, our bodies will struggle to absorb these vitamins. Secondly, the function which is probably the most obvious of all is that FAT GIVES US ENGERGY! When we are resting or doing low intensity exercise fat is the predominant fuel source that we use. Why is this? Because our body can easily convert fat into ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) which is what is required to provide energy to our bodies. In order for our body to do this, we also need another macronutrient: carbohydrates. In order for our body to convert fat into ATP, carbohydrate needs to be present as well. As exercise intensity increases, carbohydrates will be required in larger amounts to provide energy for the body.

Ok, so on to some of the less obvious functions of the body to which fat contributes. Fat contributes to the formation of our cell membranes and our nervous system and spinal cord is made of up of a large proportion of fat.  This function also ties in with another important function: fat helps form the myelin sheath which is found in the nervous system. What is this and what does this mean? The myelin sheath is found around the axon of a neuron. The myelin sheath helps to transmit electric impulses down the neuron and healthy myelin sheaths help speed up this transmission. Fat also plays an important function in protecting our internal organs and providing insulation so that we can keep warm. Especially important at this time of year! So hopefully, you can see now some of the reasons why fat is important to our bodies.

Next, I would like to tell you a bit about what fats are and how they can be categorised. I’m sure, as most of you are aware; there is more than one type of fat. Fats are often referred to as lipids. Lipids which are at room temperature are commonly known as oils and those which are solid are known as fats. Lipids are made up of fatty acid chains. The function of lipids is determined by the structure of these fatty acid chains. These fatty acids can be categorised into three groups: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. So let’s find out a little more about the characteristics of these different types of fats. Saturated fats are commonly found as a solid at room temperature. Whereas unsaturated fats such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are commonly found as oils at room temperature.

Which fat should we be eating? Your body gains different benefits from the different types of fat which are consumed in the diet. First of all, let’s start off with saturated fats. Saturated fats have been demonized for decades and we are repeatedly told to cut down on saturated fats. Therefore, you may be asking, do we actually get any benefits from saturated fats? This may surprise you, but actually, yes we do. Saturated fats help improve the function of our immune systems. They also help improve the function of our liver and help to give us some protection against the toxic effects of alcohol and some medications. Yes, too much saturated fat is said to increase the bad cholesterol in our body but it still has a place in our diet. Monounsaturated fats are probably the most familiar to us as we are told these are the fats we need to consume. This has come from studies involving Mediterranean countries, where they traditionally consume high amounts of olive oil, which is rich in monounsaturated fats.  It is true; monounsaturated fats are good for you. They have been shown to decrease the amount of bad cholesterol in the body and reduce fat in blood which, in turn, has been thought to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. So, it is definitely important that we are consuming them in our diet.  

However….and this may surprise you. I know it surprised me. Saturated fats have been shown to be more beneficial than monounsaturated fats when using as a fat to cook with. Why? You may ask.  When heated to a high temperature and exposed to oxygen, saturated fats are chemically a lot more stable than monounsaturated fats. This means that their chemical structure is less likely to change. Therefore, monounsaturated fats are best consumed in their raw state in order to get maximum benefit from them such as using olive oil in salad dressings. So now we move onto polyunsaturated fats. These can be divided into omega 3 and omega 6. These fats are essential as they cannot be produced by our bodies. We often consume plenty of omega 6 in our diets but often lack omega 3 in our diets. This is thought to be a problem as it is thought that a diet high in omega 6’s than omega 3’s can increase the likelihood of diseases such as cancer, autoimmune diseases and cardiovascular diseases. It is thought that by eating a balanced ratio between omega 6 and omega 3 can help lower the risk of developing these diseases. In order to consume more omega 3’s in your diet, it can be found in food sources such as oily fish (salmon, fresh tuna, mackerel, sardines), flax oil, cod liver oil, walnut oil and pastured reared eggs. So what are the benefits of consuming these polyunsaturated fats? They contribute to the functioning of the cell. Omega 3’s are thought to be most highly beneficial in reducing total cholesterol levels in the body and reducing the risk of coronary heart disease.

Lastly, I would like to end this article by emphasising the fact that overconsumption of any nutrient can cause us to put on weight and that by consuming nutrients in the right quantities they all have a place in our diet.

*It is important to note that I am only a nutritional advisor and I’ve written this article in the hope that you will find it both interesting and informative. If you are going to change your diet in any way, it is important to consult a qualified dietician first. *