Many people believe the myth – eating fat makes you fat, but this isn’t necessarily the case (eating a lot of most things will make you fat with the key being “a lot”).  In fact, fat plays an important role in the diet, even more important that you might think.

Fat as part of a healthy diet is essential for human health, especially due to the fatty acids it provides. Take the Inuit diet (very high in fat) for example, eaten by Eskimo’s and yet has been associated with a very low prevalence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes in this population.

On the other hand, diets too low in fat could actually lead to a number of health problems, in addition to hindering our ability to perform optimally. Unfortunately low fat diets have become more common due to the promotion of low-fat and fat-free foods that line supermarket shelves, so many people aren’t getting enough of the right fats in their diet.

The body needs the right supply of fats to optimise cell structure and function. Fat helps the body to absorb fat-soluble vitamins – A, D, E and K, which are vital for our health. Without an adequate amount of fat in the diet, the body’s ability to absorb these vitamins is reduced.

Fats are also responsible for hormonal function, up regulating hormones such as insulin, growth hormone, and testosterone. These hormones are vital for a number of functions, including building and maintaining muscle mass. Without adequate fat in the diet, hormonal function can be impaired. The function of these hormones are not only vital for optimal health and performance but also promote metabolism and help the body to burn fat. If hormonal function is impaired, metabolism probably is too.

This brings me to my next point; to some extent, the body needs fat to burn fat. Consuming fat in our diet means the body can use fat as a fuel, leading to fat metabolism. When it comes to performance, fat provides the most stable energy source used in the beta-oxidation process. Research has suggested that many athletes lack essential fats in their diet, which can inhibit performance as well as reducing immune function. Reduced fat intake may even compromise maximal aerobic power and exercise endurance. Increasing dietary fat to an appropriate amount could reduce the stress on the immune system associated with overtraining too, so if you train hard you should especially make sure you are getting enough fat in the diet.

So it looks like fat isn’t all so bad, albeit part of a healthy diet. Low and high fat labels on food can certainly be misleading, not all low fat foods are good for us just as foods high in fat aren’t necessarily bad. In fact, low fat and fat free foods often include a ton of chemicals and sweeteners, not to mention the excess of sugar which may be added to improve their taste. However, I can’t stress enough the importance of eating healthy high fat foods – eating greasy burgers, deep fat fried chips and doughnuts won’t have quite the same effect!

Adding the right type of fat to the diet is crucial, by increasing consumption of healthy high fat foods including olive oil, avocados, coconut oil, fish, nuts and seeds. Fat will ideally make up around 30-35% of your daily calorie intake. However, eating too much fat can lead to weight gain due to its high calorific value, and thus it is important to compensate for any increase in fat intake by decreasing other food types in your diet.

Adie Blanchard – Researcher

References

Burr, G. O., & Burr, M. M. (1930). On the nature and role of the fatty acids essential in nutrition. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 86(2), 587-621.

Adler, A. I., Boyko, E. J., Schraer, C. D., & Murphy, N. J. (1994). Lower prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes associated with daily seal oil or salmon consumption among Alaska Natives. Diabetes Care, 17(12), 1498-1501.

Dewailly, E., Blanchet, C., Lemieux, S., Sauvé, L., Gingras, S., Ayotte, P., & Holub, B. J. (2001). n− 3 Fatty acids and cardiovascular disease risk factors among the Inuit of Nunavik. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 74(4), 464-473.

Pendergast, D. R. (2002). Effect of dietary intake on immune function in athletes. Sports Medicine, 32(5), 323-337.

Jeukendrup, A. E. (2003). Modulation of carbohydrate and fat utilization by diet, exercise and environment. Biochemical Society Transactions, 31(6), 1270-1273.