What Do Fats Do To Your Body

Does your body need fats? Absolutely! Your body requires dietary fats to provide energy and the functioning of cells. Additionally, fats also help in keeping your body warm. Even though fats are essential to our bodies, they are a health concern if you take too much fat. That is why it is crucial to know how much fat you should take and the impact of fats on our bodies. There are good fats and bad fats that are derived from various food we eat. In this guide, you will learn what is fat, the different types of fats, the functions of fats, and how fats are digested in your body. Let’s dive in!

What is Fat?

Fats refer to the large quantities of nutrients contained in the food that we eat. The complex fat molecules offer efficient and slow energy to our bodies. You can find fats in different animal products like fish, eggs, and meat. Additionally, fats are available in plant foods. You can find dietary fats in seeds, nuts, coconuts, avocados, and olives. Plants like beans and whole grains have low amounts of fats.

Different Types of Fats

To understand the role of fats in our bodies, you should know the different types of fats. Dietary fats are categorized as saturated and unsaturated. Saturated fats are called bad fat which is mainly found in pork, beef, cheese, cream, butter, and dairy foods. Processed foods contain high amounts of saturated fats like cookies, pastries, hamburgers, and pizzas among others.

Unsaturated fats are healthy types of fats. These fats are further categorized as monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Monosaturated fats are in peanut butter, avocados, cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, and peanuts. In seeds, they are in sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin seeds. Polyunsaturated fats are in plant0based oils like corn, soybean, safflower, and much more.

Dietary fats affect the level of cholesterol in our bodies. Taking high amounts of saturated fats leads to bad cholesterol. As a result, they form plaque in the arteries, and this increases your risk of getting a stroke or cardiovascular disease. Processed foods also contain more calories that lead to weight gain hence increasing your risk of heart disease. Unsaturated fats increase good cholesterol levels. They pick the excess bad cholesterol and take it to the liver where it is broken down and then discarded.