Dietary fats to boost your health

Dietary fats are essential to give your body energy and to support cell function. But deciphering the healthy fats from the not so healthy fats can be a minefield. This is where this blog post comes in!

This blog post is your comprehensive guide to dietary fats, covering:

• The role of fats in the body

• The different types of fats

• Which fats you should look at incorporating into your diet

• How to use these fats in your cooking.

So let’s get into it!

The role of fats in the body?

Fats play a huge role in our bodies. Such as, providing energy for muscles and body processes, insulating and protecting our body, regulating our internal body temperature. Vital organs, such as the kidneys, have a layer of fat around them to protect them from injury.

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid play a central role in cell membranes. They provide stability and allow for vital communication between cells.

Fats are also required for bile production in the liver, which helps us digest fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K). These fats also transport these fat-soluble vitamins from the intestines to the bloodstream. Our body cells then cleverly use these vitamins for a range of functions that keep us healthy.

Cholesterol is a type of lipid needed to produce important hormones in the body, such as oestrogen, testosterone, progesterone and cortisol.

Around 20% of cholesterol in the blood comes from the diet. The rest is formed in the liver and cells.

So we can see why we need fats in our diet but not all fats are born equal.

The different types of fat

Saturated fats

Found in animal products such as milk, cheese, meat and in tropical oils such as coconut and palm oils.We do need to be careful with the amount of these that we consume. High intake is linked with an increase in certain heart disease risk factors e.g., LDL cholesterol. “The government recommends that: men should not eat more than 30g of saturated fat a day. women should not eat more than 20g of saturated fat a day¹.”

Eat saturated fats in moderation and try to source quality products such as organic coconut oil and grass-fed meat.

A quick note on coconut oil:

Coconut oil is high in saturated fat, but the fats are mainly called ‘MCTs’.

MCTs are metabolised differently to most dietary fats, and hence have many benefits.

MCTs in coconut oil are:

Digested more easily.

Transported directly to the liver where they are readily converted to energy.

Converted to ketones — used by brain cells to make energy, and hence are important for brain health incl. Alzheimer’s).

Antimicrobial / antifungal (e.g., anti-candida).

So you may have already heard that coconut oil is a great fat to use in your cooking and you would be right! It also helps that it is delicious.

Unsaturated fats:

Unsaturated fats (which includes both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated), are liquid at room temperature, are considered beneficial fats because they can improve blood cholesterol levels, ease inflammation, stabilise heart rhythms, and play a number of other beneficial roles. Unsaturated fats are predominantly found in foods from plants, such as vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds.

A note on: EFA’s: Essential fatty acids (EFAs):

These are unsaturated fats which are really important to get into our diet as they can’t be made by our bodies. They are:

1. Omega-3 fatty acid

2. Omega-6 fatty acid

Some great sources for each of these below:

Sources of Omega-3 include:

• Flax, chia, hemp seeds, walnuts (ALA). Cold water oily fish — salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines and herring

Sources of Omega-6 include:

• Meat, dairy, eggs, safflower, sunflower, nuts (other than walnuts), evening primrose oil, vegetable oil, borage oil.

We do need to be careful how we balance these EFAs, let me explain why.

Excess omega-6 can inhibit the conversion of omega-3 to the active compounds EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Furthermore, it can increase production of arachidonic acid (AA).

While AA has some important functions in the body, it also promotes inflammation. So a high omega-6 intake promotes inflammation in the body, which could contribute to inflammation anywhere, e.g., the skin and gut.

Many people consume much more omega-6 than omega-3 (average ratio 16:1).

The ideal ratio is suggested at 5:1 or less! And there are some huge benefits for watching this ratio, such as, protection against cardiovascular disease, lower blood pressure, supporting fertility and many more!

Some symptoms of an EFA deficiency are: dry eyes, lips and hair, reproductive issues, chronic inflammation, recurrent infections.

Trans Fats:

Hydrogenation describes the chemical saturation of unsaturated fats. It involves reacting the oil with hydrogen gas using a catalyst such as nickel. This process creates trans fats. The purpose is to harden the fat, prevent rancidity in foods and increase the shelf-life.

Trans fats can also be formed by heating to high temperatures, or heating oil repeatedly (this causes the fat to become more solid).

Health professionals warn that there are no safe level of trans fats.

Some key sources to watch out for are:

Refined vegetable oils, fried, processed, fast food; frozen dinners, margarines, ice cream, biscuits, pastries and crisps.

So which fats should we focus on?

Now that you know the different types of fats you can focus on getting the right ones into your diets. Look for fats from natural and unrefined foods. Fat in the diet should be a mixture of saturated, mono- and polyunsaturated fats, and absent of trans fats. Some great sources are:

Fruit — avocado, olives.

Seeds — chia, flax, sunflower, pumpkin, hemp, seed butters.

Seed oils — flax oil, chia oil, olive oil, avocado oil, hemp oil, sunflower oil, olive oil. Ensure oils are cold pressed*

Nuts — almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, walnuts, nut butter.

Oily fish — salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies.

Other — organic dairy, coconut, eggs.

*Cold pressed oils are healthier than hot pressed oils as they retain their original nutrients. They also contain antioxidants which are usually absent in hot pressed oil because of their exposure to high heat. Most cold pressed oils are rich in vitamin E, which has anti-inflammatory and oleic acid, which boosts your immunity.

How to cook with oils:

You may have heard that some oils are more stable than others when it comes to cooking and you would be right! Below is a quick summary of how to cook with your oils:

Coconut oil, avocado oil, butter and ghee contain saturated fats that can tolerate being heated and are preferable for cooking.

Monounsaturated fats (extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, macadamia) oxidise at higher temperatures, but can be used for low temperature cooking due to the naturally-occurring antioxidants in these oils. Do not use it at temperatures above 180° C.

A little tip: Add oils after cooking the food, to avoid heating them.

To summarise:

Fats are an essential part of your dietary needs but we need to ensure we are getting the right ones! Look for a mixture of saturated, mono- and polyunsaturated fats, focusing on a 5-1 Omega 6 vs Omega 3 ratio. Look out for trans fats and avoid, be sure to read the back of packs as they are often sneaked into foods!

There are so many delicious fats out there for you to enjoy. .

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References:

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/different-fats-nutrition/#:~:text=Saturated%20fat%20guidelines&text=The%20government%20recommends%20that%3A,of%20saturated%20fat%20a%20day