The Skinny on Fat
There is so much confusion around fat, what it does in the body, the different types of fat, and how to be less fat ourselves, that I thought I’d do a post clarifying the different types of fat and their impact on our health.
Saturated Fat
Solid at room temperature.
Comes primarily from animal products like butter, lard, full-fat dairy, and high fat meat. It can also be found in plant sources like coconut, coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil.
The US Dietary guidelines recommend limiting saturated fat to 10% or less of total calories. The American Heart Association recommends staying under 7%.
Saturated fat raises cholesterol, which is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
Trans Fat is a type of saturated fat that is made when liquid vegetable oils are heated in the presence of hydrogen gas and a catalyst. This process is called hydrogenation. Partially hydrogenated oils were created because they are more shelf-stable. They are used widely in fast food and in packaged baked goods. Some trans fats can also be found naturally in beef and dairy fat. Trans fats are the very worst for heart health, as they raise bad LDL cholesterol, create systemic inflammation, and contribute to insulin resistance. For each additional 2 percent of calories from trans fat consumed daily, the risk of coronary heart disease increases by 23 percent. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1523500/
Unsaturated Fat
Liquid at room temperature.
Mostly found in vegetable oils, fish, nuts, seeds, olives, and avocado.
Improves cholesterol levels and can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
There are sub-types of unsaturated fats, including:
Monounsaturated Fat - This is found in whole plant foods like avocados, nuts, seeds, and nut butters, and in oils like olive, canola, peanut, and safflower oil. Animal fats from chicken, pork, and beef also contain monounsaturated fat.
Polyunsaturated Fat - This is found in whole plant foods, such as walnuts, pine nuts, flaxseeds, and other seeds (sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds), and in oils, such as sunflower, corn, soybean, and cottonseed oils. Omega-3 fats fall in this polyunsaturated category. As we’ve discussed, Omega-3 fats improve heart health by reducing cholesterol and lowering blood pressure. Good sources of Omega-3 fats are algae-oil, fish, fish-oil, flaxseeds, walnuts, chia seeds, and hemp hearts.
How Much?
So, now that we know which types of fat we should be eating and which we should be limiting, what do we know about the quantity of fat we should be optimally consuming each day?
The Institute of Medicine and the American Heart Association recommend a total fat intake of 25-35 percent of calories. That's about 80 grams of fat or less a day if you eat 2,000 calories a day. The World Health Organization recommends 20-35% of calories come from fat, with less than 10% coming from Saturated fats and less than 1% coming from trans fats. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5577766/
For weight loss, remember that a gram of fat has about 9 calories per gram, and carbohydrates and protein have about 4 calories per gram. If weight loss is a goal, getting into a calorie deficit is key. You will be able to eat a greater volume of food if you mostly reach for healthy carbohydrates and proteins, keeping your fat consumption between 20-35% of your calories, with an eye to choosing unsaturated fats, particularly those that are high in Omega-3 fatty acids.
For me personally, I achieve this by eating at least an ounce of nuts a day and a tablespoon or two of flaxseeds and hemp hearts for my omega fats. I also regularly include olives, avocado, and a variety of seeds into my daily diet. I pick these for their health benefits and because they are delicious. When I include these, I easily get 20% of my calories from heart healthy fats. Typically, my fat intake falls around this 20% mark. I don't count fat grams or stress about percentages, though. I just eat fat from whole plant foods as part of my meals, and the percentages take care of themselves. If you are interested in tracking your own fat percentages, Chronometer is a free and easy tool. www.thewell-nourishedbrain.com/blog/chronometer
So, there you have it. The experts recommend that to be optimally healthy:
Lower your consumption of saturated fat, especially trans fat. This means lowering your consumption of red meat, animal fat, high-fat dairy products, and products containing hydrogenated oils, so that they are only a small percentage of calories, or removing them entirely.
Make sure to eat unsaturated fat daily, with a particular focus on omega-3 fats. This means including nuts, seeds, avocado, algae or fish-oil, fish, or non-hydrogenated oil (like olive oil) into your daily diet.
Keep total fat percentages within 20-35% of total calories.
I’m hoping this clears up some of the confusion about fats in our diet. If you would like more information on fat and health, please see the links below.
Cheers! 🌱💕
www.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28526025/
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2843598/
www.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12716665/
www.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16287956/
www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/higher-blood-omega-3s-associated-with-lower-risk-of-dying-among-older-adults/
www.puntocritico.com/ausajpuntocritico/documentos/The_Nutrition_Source.pdf