Include Healthy Fat In Your Diet, It Helps Build The Body

Scientists and nutritionists have achieved much in ensuring that the word “fat” evokes fear in people. Generally, fat is the popular food to avoid when it comes to healthy eating. But experts now say that having the right amount of fat on your body may not be so bad, after all.

They did not only highlight the benefits of fat to the body, they also state why we should include it in our diet.

Surprised? Yes! Fat serves many purposes in the body; and that is why it is a class of food that should be included in any balanced diet.

Nutritionists say though we so rarely think of fat as our friend, it actually does so much for us.

Dietician and Nutritionist, Dr. James Sanusi, says fat is one of the major sources of energy that we need for daily activities. He says it is available to the body in two forms — liquid forms such as cholesterols, lipids or oils; and solid form called… well, fats.

The expert notes that though the skin covers it such that it is not visible, every individual has more than three per cent of solid fat in their bodies. It is called adipose tissue and it is found in places like the female breasts, hips, thighs, buttocks, and belly; or in the male, abdomen and shoulders.

He says, “A healthy body needs some fat, which contains essential nutrients. The body uses fat from the diet to make tissue and manufacture biochemicals such as hormones. With the exception of cholesterol, fats are high-energy nutrients.

“Fats have more than twice as much energy potential or calories as protein and carbohydrates. The body takes nutrients it gets from the fat in our diet and stores it as energy in the body fat so we can use it later.”

Another research states that fat is a major component of many hormones or chemicals manufactured in the body. Scientists in the ACS’ monthly Journal of Proteome Research note that fat secretes dozens of hormones and other chemical messengers.

Among those hormones is leptin, which controls appetite; and adiponectin, which makes the body more sensitive to insulin and controls blood sugar levels. For example, phospholipids derived from essential fatty acids are precursors of prostaglandins and other hormones used to regulate the body.

They add that most sex hormones like progesterone, estrogen and testosterone and cortisone contain steroids which include cholesterol and fatty acids. Fat is also a source of protein, which is needed for body building and growth.

Based on current information, a woman must have a minimum per cent body fat of 13-17 per cent for regular menstruation.

Abdominal belly fat, they say, increases one’s risk for risk for developing heart disease, high blood pressure, gallstones, Type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, certain cancers and early death.