A few decades ago, dietary fat became the culprit supposedly responsible for obesity and illness. Nutrition experts advised replacing fat in the diet with carbohydrates. In the ensuing years, obesity and type 2 diabetes have become epidemic. Fat isn't considered the enemy any more -- in fact, it's considered essential to good health, as long as you choose the right kind. Include healthy fats in your diet for weight control and chronic disease prevention.
Function
Fat is an essential nutrient required for many bodily functions. The brain is 60 percent fat, and fats are needed for memory, learning, mood and fetal brain development during pregnancy. Fats protect and insulate nerves, help keep the heart beating in a normal rhythm, keep the lungs from collapsing and cushion your internal organs. Fats slow digestion, provide a source of energy and satisfy the appetite for longer periods. Fats also make possible the absorption of vitamins A,D, E and K.
Unhealthy Fats
Choose the fat in your diet carefully. Avoid artery-clogging saturated fats in foods such as butter, red meat, full-fat dairy products and coconut and palm oils to reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. Also avoid trans fats, another type of heart-damaging fat found in foods like chips, crackers, margarine, donuts, fried chicken, French fries, cakes and cookies. Food manufacturers are allowed to label foods "trans-fat free" or exclude listing them on the nutrition label if the item contains less than 0.5 g per serving. Steer clear of food if you find partially hydrogenated oil on the ingredient list.
Healthy Fats
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are healthy fats to include in your diet. Good sources include olive and canola oils, nuts, nut butters, seeds, olives, avocadoes and fatty, cold-water fish like herring, mackerel, tuna, salmon and sardines. Healthy fats reduce inflammation and blood clotting, lower harmful LDL cholesterol in the blood, raise protective HDL cholesterol, reduce the rate of fat buildup in the arteries and lower the risk of fatal abnormal heart rhythms.
Recommendations
Approximately 25 to 40 percent of the calories in your diet should come from fat, with most of that from healthy fats. Limit saturated fats to less than 7 percent of your daily calories and trans fats to less than 1 percent. This means that if your intake is an average of 2,000 calories a day, eat no more than 16 g of saturated fats and 2 g of trans fats.
References
- Harvard School of Public Health: Food Pyramids: What Should You Really Eat?
- HelpGuide.org: Healthy Dietary Fats The Truth About Fat, Nutrition, and Cholesterol
- The Mayo Clinic: Mediterranean Diet: Choose this Heart-Healthy Diet Option
- American Heart Association: Fats and Oils: AHA Recommendation
- ACE: Are All Fats Bad? What Kinds of Fats Are Good to Include In My Diet?
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