Why Consume Dietary Fat
Fat is your bodies secondary fuel source (after carbohydrates). Although can only be used in low to medium intensity exercise due to requiring more oxygen to break down.
Essential to ensure correct functioning of your body
Eating dietary fat also helps by:
- Allowing your cell membranes to function correctly
- Aids the absorption and transportation of vitamins A, D, E and K
- Source of Omega 3 and Omega 6
How much should you consume?
There is no specific recommendations but rather a guideline of 20-35% of energy from fats.
The link between total fat and heart disease is weak. Instead it is down to the type of fat you eat that can lead to issues.
Types of Fat
Saturated (no double bonds)
Aid the structure and function of cell membranes. Used as a source of energy. Helps bones taking up calcium, functioning of the immune system and protects liver from effects of alcohol.
Sources include:
Meat, Butter, Milk, Cheese, Coconut oil, Cakes, Biscuits
Mono-Unsaturated (one double bond)
Lower harmful low density lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol without affecting good high density lipoprotein (HDL) level. Therefore cutting heart disease and cancer risk.
Sources include:
Olive oil, Rapeseed oil, Nuts, Seeds, Avocados
Poly-Unsaturated (two or more double bonds)
Examples include Omega 3 and Omega 6. Your body cannot produce these so needed to ingest. They help maintain the correct structure of cell membranes.
Sources Include:
Sunflower oil, Corn oil, Safflower oil, Nuts, Seeds
Cooking and Trans-Fat
Trans-Fat
These are the harmful fats! Tiny amounts occur naturally in meat and dairy products- most are made artificially during a process called hydrogenation. Hydrogen is added to oil to make it hard like lard. This is done in some takeaways and fast foods, pastries, biscuits, cakes. They increase harmful LDL cholesterol and decrease good HDL cholesterol. You want to minimise the intake of trans fats to achieve optimum nutrition. Instead look to eat the correct types of dietary fat.
What to cook with
Avoid polyunsaturated oils (such as corn and sunflower oil) due to their instability at high temperatures. Opt instead for light olive oil and rapeseed oil, which are rich in monounsaturated fats and therefore more stable.
Coconut oil has potential to raise HDL cholesterol, however is high in saturated fat so will also raise LDL levels – not enough research into overall effect on the heart as of yet.