Facts about the Fat in Food

Fat has a bit of a bad reputation. It has an important role in our diet and our health. It’s really misunderstood and that is a problem.

Eating too much fat makes storing fat easier, but too little has consequences too. Let’s clear up some of the misconceptions about fat. Starting with the fat we eat.

Fat in Foods

Fat is one of the three macronutrients that provide calories and we need to consume daily. One gram of fat provides 9 calories of energy. It is very energy-dense, but with fewer nutrients than other whole, plant-based foods.

We need some fat in our diet, but it is easy to eat too much and too much of the wrong kind of fat. The bare minimum we need is 10-15% of our total daily calorie intake. That is pretty hard to achieve since many foods have fat added or naturally occurring fats.

The recommendation of 25-30% of daily calories from fat (commonly called a low-fat diet) is still twice as much as we need.

By contrast, the popular Keto Diet advises a 70-80% fat diet. It also consistently ranks as the worst diet for heart health and sustainability.

The importance of fat

Fat is critical for energy storage, insulation, and is an important component of cell walls.

Not all fat is equal. Some fats are better for us than others.

Fats to avoid

Saturated fats, trans fats and dietary cholesterol should be avoided. Saturated fat increases inflammation and cholesterol levels. It is found mostly found in animal products, but also in coconut and palm oil. Avoid these foods as much as possible.

Trans fats should not be eaten. It can be found in margarine, shortenings, coffee whiteners and processed foods. Canada, the US, Brazil and most European nations have banned trans fats, but food that was manufactured before 2018 it can still be sold.

Trans fats increase your risk of heart disease by increasing bad cholesterol and lowering good cholesterol. Trans fat is a process that takes liquid fats and makes them solid at room temperature. The FDA does not include them in the Generally Recognized as Safe (GSAS) category of food additives.

In the US alone eliminating trans fat will prevent 1 in 5 heart attacks.

Cholesterol is only found in animal products. We make our own cholesterol in our liver so we don’t need to consume any cholesterol. Cholesterol forms layers in our cell membranes and acts as a gatekeeper allowing substances to enter the cell. Cholesterol is made by our liver to make some hormones and Vitamin D.

Having high cholesterol levels in our blood leads to fat accumulation inside our arteries (atherosclerosis) which reduces blood flow and can lead to blood clots.

Better Fats

I am not calling these good fats, because that gives the impression they are healthy. While necessary for health, fats on their own, have little nutritional value. Eating foods with fat is always better than consuming the oils processed from these foods. For example, flax seeds are more nutritious than flax oil, olives are better than olive oil, avocados vs avocado oil.

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are the recommended dietary fats, for example, nuts, seeds, avocados, canola, safflower, sunflower, olives and flax. Learn more about these types of fat here and about Omega Fatty Acids here.

The Vegan vs Plant-Based Diet Fat Debate

When it comes to eating fat it is best to think of it as a continuum. The plant-based folks may encourage eating a very low-fat diet with no added fats. This is important if you have heart disease or diabetes. The vegan folks are okay with eating faux meats, cheeses and processed foods because they have no animal products.

If you are otherwise healthy there are some benefits to these vegan alternatives. They can be fortified with other nutrients like iron and calcium. They make the transition away from animal products easier. When I started eating a vegan diet almost 25 years ago, these did not exist and it was much more challenging than it is today. They are less environmentally costly than the animal-based alternative as well as cruelty-free.

If you have a chronic health condition like heart disease, type 2 diabetes or you are trying to lose body fat then eat more plant-based foods. This can also mean limiting foods like peanut butter or avocados. Foods that are high calorie, high fat will interfere with your health and weight goals.

Keto Diet

Keto followers promote the idea that a high-fat diet “trains your body to burn more fat as fuel” this is not evidence-based, more wishful thinking.

The Keto diet will help you feel satisfied, but like any good weight loss diet, it reduces calories while making you feel full. If your goal is simply weight loss, not fat loss, it can work.

Research on the Keto diet and performance shows that it interferes with anaerobic exercise. This is any type of exercise that is done in short bursts like high-intensity interval training. Which coincidentally is an ideal fat-burning exercise.

High-fat diets, like Keto, are driving the rise of colon cancer in younger adults. Researchers have found that high-fat diets change the digestive acids in the colon that cause cancer cells to thrive.

What about low-carb diets?

Low carb diets such as Keto and Paleo diets are linked with the development of atrial fibrillation. This common heart rhythm disturbance can lead to stroke and heart failure.

Dr Xiaodong Zhuang, MD, PhD, a cardiologist and researcher states,

“Low carbohydrate diets were associated with increased risk of incident AFib regardless of the type of protein or fat used to replace the carbohydrate. The long-term effect of carbohydrate restriction is still controversial, especially with regard to its influence on cardiovascular disease.”

Science Daily

Fat Facts

The best fats come in plants, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Fats are important for health, but a little goes a long way. If your goal is to lose body fat then limiting fat in your diet will help.

Eating fat is a highly efficient way to store body fat which will work against your fat loss goals.

You can learn more about plant-based fats at How to Eat a Healthy Vegan Diet

Change your mind, change your health,

Shayla