Willett, and F. Hu, Dietary fats and prevention of type 2 diabetes. Prog Lipid Res , Am J Clin Nutr, Circulation, The contents of this website are for educational purposes and are not intended to offer personal medical advice. You should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The Nutrition Source does not recommend or endorse any products. Skip to content The Nutrition Source. Harvard T. The Nutrition Source Menu. Search for:. Unsaturated fats Unsaturated fats, which are liquid at room temperature, are considered beneficial fats because they can improve blood cholesterol levels, ease inflammation, stabilize heart rhythms, and play a number of other beneficial roles.
Monounsaturated fats are found in high concentrations in: Olive, peanut, and canola oils Avocados Nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans Seeds such as pumpkin and sesame seeds 2. An excellent way to get omega-3 fats is by eating fish times a week.
Good plant sources of omega-3 fats include flax seeds, walnuts, and canola or soybean oil. Higher blood omega-3 fats are associated with lower risk of premature death among older adults, according to a study by HSPH faculty. Read more about omega-3 fats in our Ask the Expert with Dr.
Frank Sacks. In trials in which polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats were eaten in place of carbohydrates, these good fats decreased levels of harmful LDL and increased protective HDL. Saturated Fats All foods containing fat have a mix of specific types of fats.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends getting less than 10 percent of calories each day from saturated fat. Figure 4. Did you know that up to 30 percent of body weight is comprised of fat tissue? Some of this is made up of visceral fat or adipose tissue surrounding delicate organs. Vital organs such as the heart, kidneys, and liver are protected by visceral fat.
The composition of the brain is outstandingly 60 percent fat, demonstrating the major structural role that fat serves within the body. You may be most familiar with subcutaneous fat, or fat underneath the skin.
This blanket layer of tissue insulates the body from extreme temperatures and helps keep the internal climate under control. It pads our hands and buttocks and prevents friction, as these areas frequently come in contact with hard surfaces.
It also gives the body the extra padding required when engaging in physically demanding activities such as ice- or roller skating, horseback riding, or snowboarding. The dietary fats in the foods we eat break down in our digestive systems and begin the transport of precious micronutrients. By carrying fat-soluble nutrients through the digestive process, intestinal absorption is improved.
This improved absorption is also known as increased bioavailability. Fat-soluble nutrients are especially important for good health and exhibit a variety of functions. Vitamins A, D, E, and K—the fat-soluble vitamins—are mainly found in foods containing fat. Some fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A are also found in naturally fat-free foods such as green leafy vegetables, carrots, and broccoli.
These vitamins are best absorbed when combined with foods containing fat. Fats also increase the bioavailability of compounds known as phytochemicals, which are plant constituents such as lycopene found in tomatoes and beta-carotene found in carrots.
Phytochemicals are believed to promote health and well-being. As a result, eating tomatoes with olive oil or salad dressing will facilitate lycopene absorption. Other essential nutrients, such as essential fatty acids, are constituents of the fats themselves and serve as building blocks of a cell. When products such as grain and dairy are processed, these essential nutrients are lost.
Manufacturers replace these nutrients through a process called enrichment. Remember, fat-soluble nutrients require fat for effective absorption. For your next snack, look for foods that contain vitamins A, D, E, and K. Do these foods also contain fat that will help you absorb them? If not, think of ways to add a bit of healthy fat to aid in their absorption. Fat-rich foods naturally have a high caloric density. Foods that are high in fat contain more calories than foods high in protein or carbohydrates.
As a result, high-fat foods are a convenient source of energy. For example, 1 gram of fat or oil provides 9 kilocalories of energy, compared with 4 kilocalories found in 1 gram of carbohydrate or protein. Depending on the level of physical activity and on nutritional needs, fat requirements vary greatly from person to person. When energy needs are high, the body welcomes the high-caloric density of fats. For instance, infants and growing children require proper amounts of fat to support normal growth and development.
If an infant or child is given a low-fat diet for an extended period, growth and development will not progress normally. Other individuals with high-energy needs are athletes, people who have physically demanding jobs, and those recuperating from illness. When the body has used all of its calories from carbohydrates this can occur after just twenty minutes of exercise , it initiates fat usage. A professional swimmer must consume large amounts of food energy to meet the demands of swimming long distances, so eating fat-rich foods makes sense.
In contrast, if a person who leads a sedentary lifestyle eats the same high-density fat foods, they will intake more fat calories than their body requires within just a few bites.
You need fat, or lipids, in your diet to help your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A. Lipids also play a role in helping you maintain strong cell walls and an efficient nervous system. Although most people take in plenty of fat, it is important to get the right kind of fat -- such as polyunsaturated fatty acids -- to meet your daily value for lipids. The Institute of Medicine recommends that 20 to 35 percent of your total caloric intake come from fat.
Taking in too much fat may increase your risk of chronic disease, according to the IOM, but if less than 20 percent of your total caloric intake is from fat, your triglycerides may increase and your HDL cholesterol levels may decrease. If you take in 2, calories per day, to of those calories should come from fat.
The average American takes in 2, calories per day, according to the U.
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