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Fats
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Day 5 - Fats & Oils
Day 5 - Why we need some fat.
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A small amount of fat is an essential part of a healthy, balanced diet. Fat is a source of essential fatty acids, which the body cannot make itself.
Fat helps the body absorb vitamin A, vitamin D and vitamin E. These vitamins are fat-soluble, meaning they can only be absorbed with the help of fats.Any fat not used by your body's cells or to create energy is converted into body fat. Likewise, unused carbohydrate and protein are also converted into body fat.
The main types of fat found in food are:
- Saturated fats
- Unsaturated fats
As part of a healthy diet, we should try to cut down on foods and drinks high in saturated fats and trans fats, and replace some of them with unsaturated fats.
Saturated fats
Saturated fats are found in many foods, both sweet and savoury. Most of them come from animal sources, including meat and dairy products, as well as some plant foods, like palm oil and coconut oil.
Foods high in saturated fats
fatty cuts of meat
meat products, including sausages and pies
butter, ghee and lard
cheese, especially hard cheese like cheddar
cream, soured cream and ice cream
some savoury snacks, like cheese crackers and some popcorns
chocolate confectionery
biscuits, cakes and pastries
palm oil
coconut oil and coconut cream
Cholesterol and saturated fats
Cholesterol is mostly made by the body in the liver. Too much saturated fats in your diet can cholesterol in the blood, which can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
The government recommends that:
men should not have more than 30g of saturated fat a day
women should not have more than 20g of saturated fat a day
Trans fats
Trans fats are found naturally at low levels in some foods, such as meat and dairy products. Trans fats can also be found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Hydrogenated vegetable oil must be declared on a food's ingredients list if present. Like saturated fats, trans fats can raise cholesterol levels in the blood.
The government recommends that:
adults should not have more than about 5g of trans fats a day
Unsaturated fats
If you want to cut your risk of heart disease, it's best to reduce your overall fat intake and swap saturated fats for unsaturated fats. There's good evidence that replacing saturated fats with some unsaturated fats can help lower cholesterol. Found primarily in oils from plants and fish, unsaturated fats can be either polyunsaturated or monounsaturated.
Monounsaturated fats
Monounsaturated fats help protect our hearts by maintaining levels of good HDL cholesterol while reducing levels of bad LDL cholesterol.
Monounsaturated fats are found in:
olive oil, rapeseed oil and their spreads
avocados
some nuts, such as almonds, brazils and peanuts
Polyunsaturated fats
can help lower the level of LDL cholesterol.
There are 2 main types of polyunsaturated fats: omega-3 and omega-6. Some types of omega-3 and omega-6 fats cannot be made by the body and are therefore essential in small amounts in the diet.
Omega-6 fats are found in vegetable oils, such as:
rapeseed
corn
sunflower
some nuts
Omega-3 fats are found in oily fish, such as:
kippers
herring
trout
sardines
salmon
mackerel
Aim to eat 2 portions of fish a week, including 1 portion of oily fish. Cutting down on fat is only 1 aspect of achieving a healthy diet, its all about balance.
If you need help with your diet, why don't you book a discovery call with The Dietologist.
