Fats - Recommended Daily Allowance 30%

 

Fatty food sources - Chocolate, biscuits, butter, margarine, meats, nuts, seeds, oily fish, dairy products, eggs, fried foods and foods that are made or cooked with fats.

 

Structure - There are two types of fat: 1. Saturated - generally solid as room temperature, mainly from animal sources (exempt cocunut and palm oils). 2. Unsaturated (poly and mono) - generally liquid at room temperature, mainly from vegetable sources (exempt fish and wild game).

 

Purpose

• Fats help to Protect the internal organs.

• A good source of insulation to the body.

• Stores fat soluble vitamins.

• Provides essential fatty acids (which cannot be made by the body).

• Energy store.

• A good source of energy (the aerobic energy system can utilise fat as a fuel.

• Provides raw materials for cell structures.

 

Health Issues

 

• Fat free diets - Fat is crucial for life and should be included in the diet, prefferably at a healthy level.

 

• A diet high in fat - Fat is a very concentrated energy source so it can easily lead to excess calories being consumed. There are lots of health problems related to being overweight or obese.

 

• A diet in high saturated fats - Even if being overweight is not a problem, a lot of saturated fat in the diet can lead to bad cholesterol and heart disease. Alot of saturate fat is associated with high levels of LDLs (Low Density Lipoproteins).

 

• Cholesterol - High blood cholesterol can lead to health problems, including high blood pressure & coronary heart disease.

 

• Energy - We are recommended to consume around 30% of our energy from fat sources.