Fat performs necessary functions in the body from facilitating the absorption of vitamins A, E, D and K to providing structure to cell membranes. Although necessary, consuming too much fat contributes to weight gain and medical conditions such as high blood cholesterol. To control your fat intake you must understand the types of fat, how each type affects your body and how much to consume. The number of appropriate fat grams to consume each day depends upon the number of overall calories you intake.
Recommended Fat Intake
The National Institute of Medicine Food and Nutrition Board provides the recommendations for macronutrient distribution and vitamin and mineral intake. It sets a range that provides adequate essential nutrients that also reduces the risk for chronic diseases based on gender and age. Adults over the age of 19 should consume 20 to 35 percent of their daily calories in fat. To determine the number of fat grams you can consume each day, you must know the number of calories you consume in a day. An adult consuming 2,000 calories daily should eat between 40 and 70 g of fat per day.
Types of Fat
Although 40 to 70 grams of fat sounds like a lot, you should not consume all the cookies, cakes and ice cream you desire. Foods contain different types of fat, classified by their structure and how they impact the body. Not all fats are bad. Unsaturated fats improve blood cholesterol and may help Type 2 diabetics improve blood sugar and insulin levels, according to MayoClinic.com. Eat fatty fish and olive oil. Avoid saturated and trans fats -- they harm your health when eaten in excess. Most processed foods contain harmful fat.
Unsaturated Fat
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats should make up the majority of fat grams you consume each day. The American Heart Association describes these fats as "healthy" fats since they help to reduce blood cholesterol levels especially when eaten in place of saturated fats. Foods that contain unsaturated fats include fish, nuts, seeds and plant oils such as soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil and olive oil.
Saturated Fat
Saturated fats increase blood cholesterol levels. Since high blood cholesterol, defined as a total cholesterol greater than 240 mg/dL or a low-density lipoprotein cholesterol greater than 160 mg/dL, contributes to an increased risk for heart disease restrict your intake of saturated fats to help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. The American Heart Association recommends limiting your saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of your total calorie intake. For a 2,000 calorie diet you should consume no more than 14 g of saturated fat.
Trans Fat
The body does not need trans fat. In fact, the majority of trans fats are man-made through the process of hydrogenation, which adds hydrogen atoms to unsaturated fats to increase stability and shelf-life.Trans fat increases LDL, the "bad" cholesterol and lowers the "good" HDL cholesterol. Avoid all trans fats. The American Heart Association recommends limiting your trans fat intake to less than 1 percent of the total calorie intake, which translates to 2 g for every 2,000 calories.
References
- American Heart Association: Know Your Fats; January 2011
- U.S Department of Agriculture: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 -- Chapter 3; February 2011
- Institute of Medicine: Dietary Reference Intakes; 2005
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention: Dietary Fat; February 2011
- MayoClinic.com: Dietary Fats - Know Which Ones to Choose
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