Fats101

Fats are needed to maintain healthy body, healthy hormonal levels, protect organs, brain function and also to help the vitamins to absorb because vitamins such as A, D, E and K are fat soluble.

There are two main types of fats which are saturated and unsaturated.

Saturated fats are being referred to as bad fats while unsaturated fats which divide into:

• monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and
• polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Important PUFAs are omega-3 and omega-6 which are essential fatty acids as they can’t be produced by human body and has to be consumed by foods such as fish and nuts. Most of the foods in diet consist more Omega-6 and less Omega-3. One of the best examples being almonds which have 2000 times more Omega-6 than Omega-3.

Saturated fat can lead to high cholesterol levels including heart disease. Dopamine (pleasure chemical), estrogen (has a role in determining what is used for fuel while exercising- carbohydrates or fat) as well as decrease in LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and increase in good cholesterol HDL (high-density lipoprotein). It is important to have low LDL cholesterol as it can block the walls of the arteries. A high HDL can contribute in preventing cardiovascular system problems as studies show it carries cholesterol away from arteries to the liver. The fat sources highest in saturated fat include butter, raw coconut milk and coconut oil. Fat sources highest in monounsaturated fat include sources such as avocado (9.9g carbs per 200g serving and almonds 8.7g per just 1oz/28g serving. Fat sources highest in polyunsaturated fats include whole flaxseeds (2.8g per 14g serving), fish oil (2g per 5g serving).

The RDA for fats is 95g for men and 70g for women further breaking down into 30g of saturated and 60g of unsaturated for men and for women 20g saturated and 50g unsaturated.

For athletes the required amount is calculated by multiplying target body weight by 0.4-0.7. The number you multiply will depend on different factors such as insulin resistance or simply preference (fats over carbs or vice versa).