Fats
Fats or lipids are one of the seven classes
in our diet..
Importance of Fats
l Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble, meaning they can only be digested, absorbed, and
transported in conjunction with fats. Fats are also an important dietary
requirement.
l Fats play a vital role in maintaining healthy skin and hair, insulating body organs against shock, maintaining body temperature,
and promoting healthy cell function.
l Fats also serve as energy stores for the body, containing about 37.8 kilojoules (9 calories) per gram of fat. They are broken down in the body to release glycerol and free fatty acids. The glycerol can be converted to glucose by the liver and thus used as a source of energy.
l Fat also serves as a useful buffer towards a host of diseases. When a
particular substance reaches unsafe levels in the bloodstream, the body can
effectively dilute or maintain equilibrium of the offending substances by
storing it in new fat tissue. This helps to protect vital organs.
l Some fatty acids are essential nutrients which cannot produced in our
body. It would be unhealthy to do remove all the fats in diet.
How
much total dietary fat do we need?
The Dietary Guidelines for
Americans 2010 recommend that Americans:
·
Consume less than 10% of
calories from saturated fats.
·
Replace solid fats with
oils when possible.
·
Limit foods that contain
synthetic sources of trans fatty
acids (such as hydrogenated oils), and keep total trans fatty acid consumption as low as possible.
·
Eat fewer than 300 mg of
dietary cholesterol per day.
·
Reduce intake of calories
from solid fats.
|
Age Group
|
Total Fat Limits
|
|
Children ages 2 to 3
|
30% to 40% of total calories
|
|
Children and adolescents
ages 4 to 18
|
25% to 35% of total calories
|
|
Adults, ages 19 and older
|
20% to 35% of total calories
|
