Eating the right amounts and right types of fat can go a long way toward reducing the disease risks and enhancing our overall health…Today we will be discussing the ideal Fat requirements of an individual and how much of each type to Fats needs to be consumed to stay HALE AND HEARTY.
Last week, we were introduced to the TRUTH regarding Fats – We have been avoiding Fats all this while, buts Fats truly deserve a SPOT in our Healthy Lifestyle as they serve a number of important functions. Fats are the secret to making foods taste better and also it is fats that help us deal with “fake hunger” – Triggers that compels us to eat more than required by the body.
Having said that, it also holds TRUE that Fats needs to be Consumed in Specific Amounts just alike any other macronutrient. Now that we have the Facts that certify that Fats are GOOD, the need of the hour is to do some Math.
The Fat Mathematics, when done right leads us to not only LIVE HEALTHY but also aids in eating Foods without GUILT. Coming to numbers, the Total Dietary Fat requirement fat in adults is 20% to 35% of total calories.
But this is just the Basic Information – If we wish to stay Heart Healthy, we need to know, how much of each Fat Type must be consumed.
Time for some “Math Calculations” ❤
As we discussed in our previous articles that Fats have been qualified as a Macronutrient & the negative tag associated with them has been removed.
Fats, though earlier labelled “BAD” have been given a CLEAN CHIT and now enjoy the Title of “GOOD” because not all Fats are EQUAL – Indeed certain types of fat give protective benefits to the heart when consumed rightly. This brings us to yet another Learnings – One must know how much of each type of Fat, needs to taken to stay HEALTHY.
Saturated Fats
Saturated Fats as we discussed in our Previous article are to be consumed with caution as they linked with raising levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol in the blood and increasing internal inflammation.
Healthy adults should limit their saturated fat intake to no more than 10% of total calories. However, if one has elevated LDL cholesterol levels, it is recommended to reduce saturated fat intake to no more than 7% of total calories.
Trans Fats
Trans fatty acids are commercially processed fats – Liquid fat is changed into a solid fat through a process called hydrogenation. The reason why these fats gained popularity some years back was because these fats extend the shelf life and consistency of foods, however, extensive research proved that Trans-fat, too like saturated Fats, raise levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and decrease levels of “good” HDL cholesterol…hence not good for the HEART.
There are no safe levels of trans fat to eat each day, one must totally avoid them…It is important that we read Food Labels carefully during our grocery shopping.
Unsaturated Fats
These fats are usually liquid at room temperature and are known to help lower cholesterol levels. We learnt that there are two Types – Both are Important and must be consumed in right amounts.
- MUFA – Monounsaturated – 15% to 20%
- PUFA – Polyunsaturated – 5% to 10%
Now that we have the NUMBERS, let’s further comprehend the Calculations with an example – As we know that calories from fat should be 25-35 percent of total calories for the day, if we were to take an example of a person consuming 2000 kcals – Fat intake must be somewhere between 55 to 77 grams of fat/day because Fats provide us with 9 grams of fat per calorie.
Now let us do the BREAK UP of Fat with respect to Types of Fats – as you can see, though Trans fats are to be totally avoided, they do tend to get sneaked into our meal…hence we take them to be less than 1%.
Total fat 25-35% calories ( 55-77 grams)
- Saturated Fat <7% calories (<15 grams)
- Trans Fat <1% calories (0-2 grams)
- PUFA Up to 10% calories (<22 grams)
- MUFA Up to 20% calories (<44 grams)
Last but not the least is a question that often bothers us – and the Words that confuse us are Cholesterol & Omega 3 Fats – we often are recommended to avoid ONE & embrace the other – However, both are important for the Body and also must be consumed in Right Amounts…Let’s get to know them.
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is important and YES, you heard me RIGHT – We have once again been misguided – Cholesterol is not an enemy, but a Friend – Body needs it in small amounts to keep us fit…So what is Cholesterol ???
Cholesterol is a sterol made by the liver and therefore, only animal-based foods contain cholesterol. The main function of Cholesterol is to maintain the integrity and fluidity of cell membranes and to serve as a precursor for the synthesis of substances that are vital for the organism including steroid hormones, bile acids, and vitamin D. Our body makes all the cholesterol it needs…almost about 80% of the cholesterol we need to stay healthy is produced in the body – the remaining 20% comes from the foods we eat.
The intake of cholesterol is fixed at 300 mg per day, but Doctors often warn us and prefer that we limit our intake to less than 200 mg per day simply because, we tend to eat large amounts of Saturated Fats.
You must be wondering what has Cholesterol to do with Saturated Fats – It is seen that Saturated fats affect how the liver handles cholesterol – Allow me to explain 🙂
Cholesterol is made and broken down in the liver. Our liver cells have LDL receptors on them. When LDL cholesterol passes by in the blood, the receptor takes the cholesterol out of the blood and into the liver to be broken down. Point to be noted – Our body need LDL receptors to keep the cholesterol levels under control. Research shows that that eating too much saturated fat stops the receptors from working so well – The consequences – Cholesterol builds up in the blood…and so technically speaking it is these Saturated Fats that tend to shoot up the Cholesterol numbers on the scale.
Eating saturated fats is the Culprit, raising our blood cholesterol and putting us to danger. Best strategy is to replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats which are better for our heart (Read more on this in our article on Fat Facts.)
Foods low in saturated fat but high in cholesterol include Lean meat, liver. Kidney, eggs, some shell fish (Prawns, crab, lobster, squid, octopus and cuttlefish)
And this brings us to a fabulous conclusion, foods do contain cholesterol, but surprisingly they don’t make a big difference to the cholesterol levels in our blood. We don’t need to cut down on the cholesterol that’s found in foods but we must cut down on foods which contain saturated fats...and the Happy News is that we can still enjoy eggs and shellfish when eaten in moderation.…
Let your Mantra in LIFE be – Eat Healthy ! Stay Happy
Doctors believe “Inflammation” is the root cause of many diseases…It is seen that inflammation in the body can damage our blood vessels, thereby increasing the risk of heart disease and strokes…and so if we wish to reduce the inflammation, Omega -3 Fats must be a part of our diet...Time to get introduced to Omega-3 Fats
Omega -3 Fats
Essential fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids that the human body needs for metabolic functioning but cannot produce, and therefore has to be acquired from food. Omega-3 fats belong to this class of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids and hence must be a part of our DIET.
Omega 3 Fats are known to have heart protective benefit and they also help lower inflammation in the Body – This function is achieved by…
- Decreasing Triglycerides
- Lowering Blood pressure slightly
- Reducing Blood clotting
- Reducing irregular heartbeats
When planning our Meals, let us make sure to have Omega 3 Fats for they are the secret to decreasing our risk of strokes and heart failure risk. We can incorporate omega-3 fatty acids by eating Cold-water fish (Salmon, tuna, herring, and anchovies) flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts.
It is true that a fat can lead to weight gain because a gram of fat has about twice as many calories per gram as carbohydrates and proteins, but also TRUE it is that Fats are not Bad – It is upon us to do the Math and carefully monitor our Fat Intake not only in terms of AMOUNTS but also TYPE of FAT.
It is our responsibility to become familiar with appropriate fat types and their appropriate portion sizes that are must for the Body to be Healthy...
Fat Requirements at a Glance…
- Saturated fat : less than 10%
- Monounsaturated Fat : 15 – 20%
- Polyunsaturated Fat :5 – 10%
- Trans fat: 0%
- Cholesterol : less than 300 mg per day
Do the Math & Stay Healthy ❤
Journeys & Reflections 