Contributed by: Healthians Team
Introduction
Did you know that you get overweight due to the excess calories you consume that you don’t need, not because of the fat itself? While it’s quite simple to consume additional calories while eating a fatty diet, it’s also straightforward to consume extra calories when eating a diet high in carbohydrates.
There are some of the most widespread myths about fats, e.g. Consuming fats will make you fat; they’re unhealthy; they’re harmful to your heart health; and so on. But you have come to the correct spot if you have a hazy point of view on fat and want to clear your doubts.
Did you know some fats are good too?
According to health analysts, the type of dietary fat you want on your plate at meals is unsaturated fat. Foods made of plants (vegetables, nuts, and seeds) and fatty fish are the two main sources of this kind of fat.
According to research, eating foods high in unsaturated fat in moderation can:
- Reduce your risk of stroke or heart disease.
- Increase your blood’s healthy cholesterol i.e. HDL while reducing its bad counterpart i.e. LDL.
- Keep your brain and body cells healthy.
- Improve the absorption of several vitamins, including A, D, E, and K.
- Combat inflammation in your body and lessen your chance of dying too soon.
Additionally, unsaturated fats help you feel full and satisfied for extended periods of time, which might reduce your desire for calorie-dense snacks. According to nutritionists, these fats are very concentrated sources of calories. A little bit keeps you from becoming hungry, and it goes a long way.
Due to molecular bonding, there are two different forms of unsaturated fats. The two types are:
Mono-unsaturated fat
The finest sources of mono-unsaturated fat are often whole or unprocessed plant-based foods. Good choices consist of:
- Avocados
- Nuts like pistachios, cashews, pecans, and almonds
- Olive oil and olives
- Nut butter and peanuts
- Seeds such as sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds
Poly-unsaturated fats
Your risk of heart disease and stroke can be decreased by consuming more polyunsaturated fats, which can also help lower levels of bad cholesterol. Additionally, they give your body’s cells the nourishment they need to grow and remain healthy. Polyunsaturated fat-rich oils also provide the diet with vitamin E, an antioxidant that most people have a deficiency of.
Oils high in poly-unsaturated fats also supply omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, which your body needs but cannot make on its own. Essential fats must be obtained from meals. The body needs omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for a variety of functions.
To help balance your diet and benefit from those health advantages, choose more omega-3s and fewer omega-6s. (Omega-6 fatty acids are prevalent in canola, soybean, and sunflower oils.)
What are bad fats?
The foods that typically include unhealthy fat are those that have been processed, refined, or fried. These include inflammatory vegetable oil and trans fats. Increased consumption of these fats can contribute to weight gain and inflammation. Nearly all chronic diseases that you can imagine include inflammation.
Eating food that’s heavy in the saturated fat can:
- Increase your risk of heart-related issues.
- Make your cholesterol levels spike.
- Cause inflammation.
How much fat should be in your diet?
According to nutritionists, you should consume roughly 30% of your daily calories as fat, with unsaturated fat making up the majority of that amount. No more than 5% to 6% of your total calories should be saturated fat.
Overall, moderation and balance are what you should aim for when it comes to your nutrition. We generally believe that fats are always bad, however, there is a place in your diet for them in moderation because our bodies need fat for many functions to perform efficiently.
Importance of healthy fats
- It serves as both your body’s primary energy source and energy storage, providing a lot of calories.
- You need fat to aid in the absorption of certain nutrients, such as antioxidants and fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K) (like lycopene and beta-carotene).
- Fat contributes to the structural integrity of your cells.
- Unsaturated fats like omega-3s are crucial for a healthy heart, nerve, and brain function. Which form of fat do you not require? Oils that have been partly hydrogenated including trans fats, that is an artificial fat.
Final thoughts
Along with improving food’s flavor and increasing satiety, fats perform a variety of crucial tasks.
Thankfully, a broad range of fat consumption is actually regarded as healthy.
Eating the proper types and amounts of fat can significantly lower your risk of disease and improve your general health.
In this blog, we have tried to bust your myths around fats that all fats make you fat, giving you an insight into good and bad fats, and the actual amount of fats that are good for you.
Apart from consuming a balanced diet that constitutes a healthy dose of good fats, it is advised to also get regular health checkups done that screen your various health parameters helping you keep an eye on your health.
