One area of healthy eating that can be confusing is eating fat. You have probably heard that you need to limit fat in your diet. But fat is necessary for your body to function correctly. The Harvard School of Public Health states that you should not be too concerned about how much fat you eat, but you should be concerned about the types of fat that you eat.
Significance
Fats are used by your body for a variety of functions, including vitamin absorption and energy production, according to Medline Plus. The four types of fats that are significant to your diet and health include monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, saturated fat and trans fat. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most of the fat in your diet should come from unsaturated sources, like polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats.
Benefits
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, monounsaturated fats have health benefits that improve your blood cholesterol levels, ease inflammation and stabilize heart rhythms. By lowering cholesterol levels, you decrease your risk for heart disease, stroke and heart attack. The Harvard School of Public Health also states that good fat consumption is linked to improvements in osteoporosis, age-related memory loss, macular degeneration, multiple sclerosis, infertility and other chronic conditions. This research has been limited, and more is needed to confirm these findings.
Sources
Fat is found in almost all types of foods, including vegetables. The CDC states that in general, nuts, vegetable oils and fish are sources of unsaturated fats. The Harvard School of Public Health states that high concentrations of monounsaturated fats are found in canola, peanut and olive oils. It also states that high levels are found in avocados and nuts like almonds, hazelnuts and pecans. Pumpkin and sesame seeds also contain monounsaturated fats and considered good sources for your diet.
Total Fat Recommendations
Medline Plus states that you should increase your intake of unsaturated fat and limit your intake of saturated fat and trans fat. The CDC also states that you should limit your total fat intake to about 20 to 35 percent of your total calories.
Considerations
The Harvard School of Public Health states that most people do not eat the right types of fats and that no strict guidelines have been published regarding the recommended daily intake. It states that good targets are 10 to 25 percent of calories from monounsaturated fats and 8 to 10 percent of calories from polyunsaturated fats. To help determine how much fat is in food, choose unsaturated fats by checking the nutrition labels on packages and stick to plant based foods like fruits, vegetables and nuts.
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