Dietary Fats

Dietary Fats are what really make food delicious, right? They come in varied forms: butter, nuts, avocados, salmon, oils, and sprays, and each of them is a huge part of what makes food taste so good.

We NEED dietary fats. They perform a variety of essential processes in the body, including forming parts of cells and cell membranes and helping the body process much-needed vitamins. Many vitamins are only fat soluble. They keep hormones like testosterone balanced and transport lipids from the liver to body tissues. 

What you need to know about dietary fats and weight loss:

Here’s what you need to know about fat and weight loss. All fats equal nine calories per gram. So they’re very caloric-dense. Regardless of the type of fat, it’s nine calories per gram. So, it doesn’t matter what fat you select for weight loss (not health, but weight loss). You can have butter, you can have olive oil, you can have walnuts, avocados, whatever. 

In comparison, protein and carbs are only four calories per gram. So fat is more than double the calorie cost. Right? 

What about Dietary Fats and Health?

For general health, there’s some more information that you probably will be interested in:

There are four important fat “types”:

1. Trans Fat
2. Unsaturated and Polyunsaturated Fats
3. Saturated Fats
4. Omega-3s and Omega-6s

Let’s quickly tell you what you need to know about each of the four types.

Trans Fats:

Let’s start with what could be considered to be probably the least healthy, which is trans fat. Trans fats are found essentially in man-made and processed foods. It’s worse than just eating natural fat. What happens is that trans fats increase your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes more than any other fats. So try to minimize trans fats as much as possible, especially if you have a family history of heart disease or diabetes.

Examples of trans fats are margarine, fried foods, shortening for baking, cereals, bread, and bakery products, and some processed and microwave foods like frozen pizza, popcorn, and snack foods.

Unsaturated and Polyunsaturated Fats:

Unsaturated fats generally tend to be liquid at room temperature. Based on what we have and what science has to offer, unsaturated fats, particularly polyunsaturated fats, are the best option. These fats tend to offer the most cardioprotective properties

Examples of unsaturated fats are olive oil, vegetable oil, avocados, nuts, fatty fish, seeds, and the like. 

Saturated Fats:

Saturated Fats tend to be solid at room temperature and have more potent risk factors for heart disease since they raise cholesterol. However, they’re better than we previously thought. So, if you don’t have heart disease or diabetes that runs in your family, as long as you’re eating them in moderation—that’s the key—then you’re probably fine.

Examples would be coconut oil, butter, some fattier cuts of meat, and fattier dairy products. 

Omega-3s and Omega-6s:

Technically, fatty acids, Omega-3s, and Omega-6s are fats your body cannot produce independently. You have to eat them to get the benefits of fatty acids. They play a crucial role in heart health, brain function, and inflammatory regulation.

Examples would be fatty fish, flax seeds, chia seeds, and walnuts. 

Fats and Hormone Health:

Keeping fats at an optimal level is very important for hormone balance. 

Studies show that lowering your fat to account for less than 20% of your daily caloric intake will decrease your testosterone. Yes, females have testosterone, you’re supposed to. It’s not just a male hormone, but the issue is that keeping fat in that low range is not ideal for keeping lean body mass and strength.

This is even more important if you are menopausal or perimenopausal since you’re already losing lean body mass due to hormonal changes and age-related issues like sarcopenia.

Fats and Vitamins:

Four fat-soluble vitamins can only be absorbed in the presence of dietary fat: vitamins A, D, E, and K. All vitamins are important for bodily functions, but vitamin D is especially important for women at this stage of life because it supports bone health. 

Fats and Heart Health:

Finally, heart health becomes a concern as hormones, like estrogen, decline. As estrogen declines, body composition for middle-aged women can change. This usually leads to a higher body fat-to-muscle ratio. Women also tend to accumulate more fat in the abdominal area compared to the hips and thighs. This leads to an increase in cardiovascular disease, which women in middle age need to be more concerned with since they are now as likely as men to die of cardiovascular dysfunction. 

Conclusion:

You need dietary fats, but they cost more calorie-wise. Although fats play a very important role in your diet, it can be a slippery slope for many women. Especially when most women aren’t familiar with what a real serving size looks like.