How much fat a day? Healthy fats 101

There is a lot of confusion about fats and whether they are “good or bad”.

There are some people who say that fat makes you fat, while others say that fat should make up the majority of your diet. Who is right?

Well, the answer is somewhere between these two extremes. Body size, weight goals, and medical problems can affect the amount of fat a person should eat, along with the type they should prioritize.

Why do we need fat in our diet?

Fats are our best suppliers of energy. They have the highest caloric value and provide approx. 9 calories per gram – that’s about twice as much protein or carbohydrates (the other 2 macronutrients).

However, if we consume more energy in the form of fat than our body needs, it will be stored in our fat stores.

Although we usually think about fat stores when we want to lose weight, a certain amount of fat is important to keep our body healthy.

What does fat do for us:

• Protects and isolates our organs
• Absorbs liposoluble (fat-soluble) vitamins A, D, E and K.
• Regulates hormone production
• And much more

What are the 3 types of fatty acids and which are healthy?

The fats we eat can contain various types of fatty acids, including saturated fatty acids, unsaturated fatty acids and trans fats.

# 1 Saturated fatty acids

This type of fatty acid can be mainly found in animal products such as butter, cream and cheese, but also in little vegetable fat such as palm or coconut oil.

Are Saturated Fats Healthy?

Saturated fatty acids are also called “unhealthy” fats, but recent research has found that saturated fats play a crucial role in maintaining health.^{(1, 2, 3)}. Our body has an essayfat content, which is maintained by the intake of saturated fats and helps our body to thrive. There is layers of fat around the defenses, fat membranes around the cells to regulate and fats that help produce hormones.

Let’s be clear, however, you don’t need to start eating butter sticks for breakfast to be able to increase your saturated fat intake.

What are the good sources of saturated fat?

If you do not follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, you are most likely getting enough saturated fat from the animal products you already eat. These sources include, but are not limited to, eggs, milk, cheese, butter, ghee, chicken, beef, pork, salmon, and more.

For people who do not eat meat, there are still many ways to consume healthy saturated fats. Avocados, nuts and seeds, coconut, coconut oil, chia seeds and dark chocolate contain saturated fats to support these processes.

# 2 Unsaturated fatty acids

Unsaturated fats can be found mainly in vegetable oilssuch as rapeseed, olives, sunflower and peanuts and avocados, nuts and oily fish.

Are Unsaturated Fats Healthy? fat?

Unsaturated fats provide the most benefits. They help protects the brain, reduces injuries and inflammation, keep the heart healthy, etc.

You can think of these fats as protectors of your body. They struggle to keep your body healthy from negative stress, which can be harmful.

Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids

A distinction is made between omega-6 fatty acids (found in sunflower, corn and soybean oil) and omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3 fatty acids protect the cardiovascular system while preventing heart disease. In addition, they have a positive effect on our cholesterol levels by raising so-called “good” cholesterol (HDL) and also play a vital role in brain development.

The amount that most people eat has begun to focus heavily on omega-6 consumption and away from omega-3, which can promote chronic inflammation in the body. Most of us eat about 17: 1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3, when it should be more about 5: 1.

What are some good sources of omega-3?

There is a variety of sources of omega-3 fats including: oily fish (salmon, tuna, trout, herring), avocado, oils (flax, fish, olive, avocado), nuts (pecans, cashews, almonds, walnuts), seeds (flax seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds ).

The great thing about these fats is that they are incredibly easy to incorporate! Try to add a source of fat to each meal to recharge throughout the day. This can be 1/4 of an avocado, a spoonful of oil, sprinkle nuts or seeds or replace oily fish as a source of protein during a meal.

# 3 Trans fat

This type of fat can be found in highly processed foods, fried foods, pastries and cookies, margarine, frozen dishes, etc.

Are Trans Fats Healthy?

Artificial trans fats are created by an industrial process in which hydrogen is added to the oil to solidify it. High intake of these foods is associated with a higher risk of death for all reasonsgreed.⁽⁵⁾ This is mainly due to the fact that these fats lower good cholesterol, raise bad cholesterol and promote inflammation.

Trans fats can be hidden, but it’s best to look for grams of trans fats on the nutrition label and look for partially hydrogenated oils in the ingredients section. Instead of french fries for fast food, try making french fries at home in the oven.

How much fat a day? Basic rule

Fat should make up about 30% of your caloriesaccept.⁽⁶⁾ Different diets, such as keto diet, can offer different ratios of intake of fats, carbohydrates and proteins. In general, an adult needs approximately 60 to 80 grams of fat per day. When you eat foods high in fat, it is quite easy to reach that amount.

Fat and sports

Just like proteins and carbohydrates, fats also play a vital role in sports nutrition. Athletes should definitely monitor their fat intake. The American-American nutrition researcher Artemis Simopoulos recommends 2 g of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA / DHA) per day.⁽⁷⁾ They afound in oily fish, but also in flaxseed (flaxseed) or chia seeds. One large piece of salmon or one tablespoon of linseed oil already covers your daily needs.

Tips for your everyday life

It is recommended to use 10 to 15 g (= 2 to 3 teaspoons or 1 tbsp) high quality vegetable or nut oil for cold dishes. In general, try to avoid frying to reduce the amount of fat in your diet.

Which oils to use for high temperature cooking, sautéing …

• Sauteing, frying, frying: Avocado oil
• High temperature cooking: Light olive oil, grape seed oil, butter, ghee
• Baking at moderate heat: Coconut oil
• Cold plates (finishing oil, vinaigrette / dressing …): High quality walnut oil, linseed oil, extra virgin olive oil, pumpkin seed oil, grape seed oil, avocado oil

Answer all your questions on how to improve your health with diet changes here.

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