Why Does Your Body Need Fat?

Why does your body need fat?

Your body needs fat for energy and for several important everyday functions.

Dietary fat helps your body absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. It also provides essential fatty acids that your body cannot make on its own.

Fat is therefore not something your body should completely avoid. The type and amount of fat in your diet both matter.

What does fat do in the body?

Fat has several roles in the body.

It provides energy, helps support cells and tissues, and helps the body absorb certain vitamins.

Body fat also helps insulate the body and stores energy that can be used later.

Fat provides more energy per gram than protein or carbohydrates. Fat provides about 9 calories per gram, while protein and carbohydrates provide about 4 calories per gram.

What are essential fatty acids?

Some fatty acids are called essential because your body cannot make enough of them on its own.

They need to come from your diet.

Essential fatty acids are involved in normal body functions, including processes related to cells, the brain, inflammation, and blood clotting.

This is another reason that completely eliminating dietary fat is not appropriate for most people.

What are the main types of dietary fat?

Dietary fats contain different combinations of fatty acids.

They are commonly discussed as:

Unsaturated fats

Unsaturated fats include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

They are found in foods such as vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, avocados, and many types of fish.

Saturated fats

Saturated fats are found in foods such as butter, high-fat dairy products, fatty meats, coconut oil, and palm oil.

Eating patterns that replace some saturated fat with unsaturated fat are generally preferred for cardiovascular health.

Trans fats

Trans fats can occur naturally in small amounts in some foods, while partially hydrogenated oils were historically an important source of industrial trans fat.

Industrial trans fats have been restricted or removed from many food supplies because of their effects on cardiovascular health.

Which foods contain fat?

Fat occurs naturally in many foods.

Common sources include:

• Vegetable oils
• Nuts and seeds
• Avocados
• Fish
• Eggs
• Dairy foods
• Meat and poultry

Some processed foods, fried foods, baked goods, snacks, and desserts can also contain substantial amounts of fat.

Looking at the type of fat can be more useful than treating all dietary fat as the same.

Is eating fat the same as gaining body fat?

Not exactly.

Body weight changes over time are influenced by overall energy intake and energy use, not by a single nutrient alone.

However, fat is energy-dense because it provides about 9 calories per gram. Foods that contain a lot of fat can therefore contribute a substantial amount of energy in relatively small portions.

This does not mean that dietary fat should be eliminated.

How much fat do you need?

There is no single amount of fat that is appropriate for every person.

Needs can vary with age, energy needs, health conditions, and the overall eating pattern.

It is also important to consider the types of fat you eat, not only total fat.

Eat Ate Here tracks Total Fat as one of its 7 Core Nutrition Areas because total intake provides a useful overview, while individual fatty acids provide additional detail.

How does fat fit into overall nutrition?

Fat is one part of a balanced eating pattern.

Your body also needs protein, carbohydrates, water, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Rather than viewing fat as simply good or bad, it is more useful to look at:

• How much you eat
• The types of fat you eat
• The foods providing that fat
• How those foods fit into your overall diet

Practical takeaway

Your body needs some dietary fat.

Fat provides energy, essential fatty acids, and helps your body absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K.

The goal is not to remove fat completely, but to understand how much you are eating and where that fat comes from.