Why Do We Need Fats In Our Diet?

Why your body needs fat? From nutritional point of view, fats are potentially harmful elements to your body. People who are health conscious always avoid fats as far as possible. While this is true in general, it does not necessary imply that all fats are bad. In fact, fats are the chief form of energy and are necessary for maintaining proper health as long as it is not over consumed. During times of unavailability of food, the fats that stored in the body will provide energy to prevent starvation.

Why fats are the chief form of energy and not carbohydrates?

Glycogen which is the dominant form of the body’s carbohydrates, requires a great deal of water to hold in the body. As the body cannot hold this bulk of water, it can only provide limited energy when needed. Fats, on the other hand, will not require water to bond and stay in the body. Therefore, they can store much more energy than glycogen in a small space.

Depends on the conditions, fats are required to provide energy in the form of heat such as people doing hard physical labor and people in cold climates. Moreover, there are fats surrounded the vital organs of the body that served as shock absorbers. Also, the layer of fat beneath the skin prevents the body from extremes of temperature conditions. Fats also dissolve some essential nutrients like vitamins A, D, E, and K. Without some fats in our diet, we cannot survive.

The fact that weight gaining is often associated with anorexia and other eating disorders, such as binge eating. Fat which is consumed in moderate amounts is actually healthy for your body. A healthy lifestyle should consist of more good fats than bad ones.

Good fats are actually good for your heart such as omega 3, which is found in many foods including fish, seeds, and plants. Theses are polyunsaturated fats. On the contrary, try to avoid fried and oily foods that mostly found in fast food. It consists of large amount of saturated fat that is very bad for your health.

Even bodybuilders who are on strict diet do not completely avoid fats and carbohydrates but only limit its intake to a small percentage for body energy. Remember to eat a small amount of good fats every day so that you can maintain good health