Dietary Fat

Many people think of dietary fats as an agent for weight gain and/or obesity. However, fats are vital for human functioning. This importance is understanding the difference between fats and ingesting those which are necessary for healthy functioning, while limiting those which can have a negative affect on the body.

Three Types of Fats

Fats can basically be divided into three groups, which differ in the number of carbon atoms in the fat and the way they are arranged.

Monounsaturated fats are fatty acids which have one double or triple bond (thus the term ‘mono’). These are considered ‘good’ fats and are useful for certain cell functions. Monounsaturated fats can be found in foods such as fowl, almonds, pecans, cashew nuts, peanuts, avocados and olive oil.

Polyunsaturated fats are fatty acids which have more than one double or triple bond. The ‘essential fatty acids’ fall in this category and must be consumed through diet as the body cannot produce them. Food sources for polyunsaturated fats include fish such as salmon, mackerel and herring, flaxseed and flaxseed oil, corn, walnuts, sunflower seeds, soybeans and safflower oil.

Saturated fats are the third group. They are termed as such due to the fact that all the carbon molecules are filled (saturated) with hydrogen molecules. This causes them to be solid or semisolid at room temperature. These can be easily recognized as the fat in red meat and pork, many dairy products, lard, cocoa butter, coconut oil and palm oil. While some are needed for optimum daily function, most people consume far too much of this type of fat.

Hydrogenated and trans-fatty acids also fall into the saturated fat category. These are fats that are made from vegetables oils, by adding hydrogen molecules, producing unnatural fats that are now solid or semisolid at room temperature. These are found in margarine, salad dressings and many commercial baked goods. These tend to give products a long shelf-life, however, with the recent studies linking them to harmful effects on the body, manufacturers have been replacing them in their products.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFA)

There are three types of fatty acids, two being essential, omega-3 and omega-6. The third, omega-9 is less understood and though important, is not considered to be ‘essential’ because given adequate amount of the other essential fatty acids, omega-9 can be produced by the body in modest amounts.

The Body’s Use of EFAs

The use of the EFAs is vast. EFAs are used for cell membrane manufacturing, maintenance and repair. Proper cell membrane functioning is essential to allow nutrients and oxygen to enter the cells and wastes to be expelled. Essential fatty acids are also used to create prostaglandins which are used by the body in significant roles such as the regulation of blood pressure, heart rate, blood clotting, hormone production, and play roles in the autonomic and central nervous system to name a few. EFAs play roles in brain and retina development, immune function, the regulation of pain and inflammation, kidney function, proper circulation, skin, nail and hair health. And the list goes on.

The Right Balance

For the body to be healthy, the essential fatty acids need to be consumed in balance. A 1:1 to 4:1 ratio of omega-6:omega-3 is what you want to be giving your body. However in our Western Society, people consume 10 to 25 times more omega-6 than omega-3. This imbalance can lead to health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, asthma, heart attach and stroke, cancer, depression, hypertension, lupus and schizophrenia, to name a few.

The human body needs a minimum of 1.5 grams of each of the essential fatty acids per day. This requirement can be satisfied with one tablespoon of flaxseed oil a day or more of the other foods. Note however that heat destroys the EFAs so that factor has to be taken into account when consuming EFA-rich foods.

So, find a store in your area that carries EFA-rich salad or dipping sauces, bring out the sushi and guacamole and eat your way to health, in moderation that is!