Why Are Fats Important in a Diet?

Dec 3, 2009 | By Holly L. Roberts

Holly L. Roberts is a regular contributor to eHow.com, where she writes about everything from health and wellness to travel and lifestyle topics. Roberts has a BA in English and an MA in Literature. She has been a professional writer for more than 10 years.

Fat is frequently disparaged as a cause of rising obesity rates and problems associated with extra weight, such as heart disease, high cholesterol and diabetes, making many people think they need to avoid fat. In fact, fats are important in your diet for a number of reasons.

Function

Fats provide your body with energy and provide storage spots for energy in the body. Fat also helps move the vitamins A, D, E and K through your bloodstream and absorb them into your body. Fat also provides insulation for body temperature regulation by filling up your body's adipose tissue. The essential fatty acids in fats also play a role in brain development, blood clotting and managing inflammation.

Significance

Because your body can't make certain essential fatty acids, including linoleic and linolenic acid, it relies on your diet to provide them. Fat is the most powerful food energy source, with 9 calories of energy in every gram of fat---more than twice as much energy as proteins or carbohydrates provide. Because calories from carbohydrates are quickly burned---usually within the first 20 minutes of exercise---your body relies on its fat stores for energy.

Types

Fats can be divided into three classes: saturated fats, trans fats and unsaturated fats. Saturated fats, usually found in animal products, including meat and milk, increase your body's levels of bad cholesterol. Trans fats, which form when vegetable oil hardens, are found in fried foods, processed foods, spreads and baked goods. Saturated fats and trans fats should be limited in a healthy diet. Unsaturated fats, on the other hand, found in fish, nuts, olive oil, canola oil and vegetable oil, are considered "good fats."

Recommendations

Your fat intake should make up no more than 35 percent of your daily calories. For a 2,000-calorie diet, that translates to fewer than 78 grams of fat per day. Choose healthy, unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats or trans fats.

Considerations

While fat is an important part of a healthy diet, it's as important not to get too much as it is not to get too little. Eating too much fat can lead to weight gain and health problems, including high cholesterol. Limiting your daily fat intake to the recommended allowance helps ensure you get fat's benefits without its potential problems.

References

• MedLine: Fat
• Iowa State University Extension: Fat

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/43948-fats-important-diet/#ixzz2SuAzi5KF

One more comment:

            Wild game such as deer, elk and antelope tend to be very lean due to their active lifestyle and natural diet. Their meat, therefore, is lower in total and saturated fat than red meat.

In addition, fat from wild game contains a higher proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Their nutrition statistics are very similar to a skinless chicken breast, with most cuts having around 110 to 130 calories, 2 grams of fat and 25 grams of protein for a 3 oz. serving. Deer, elk and antelope have a vitamin and mineral composition similar to beef, so these meats are good sources of iron (5 mg/4 oz.), B12 (3.6 mcg/4 oz.), B6, niacin and riboflavin.

While no research that I could find looked specifically at game meat in terms of health risks or benefits, based on their nutrition profile, they can be considered a good source of lean protein that can be consumed in moderation as part of a healthy diet along with skinless poultry, fish and trimmed lean meats.

It is not known whether game meat is associated with an increased risk of heart disease or cancer, as red meat and especially processed red meat are. In addition, they do not have the health-promoting benefits associated with fish, especially fatty fish, which is high in omega 3 fatty acids, so it is important to try to consume at least two servings of fish per week, according to the American Heart Association.

Similar to other types of meat, it is probably wise to cook game meats at lower temperatures for a longer period of time to avoid the formation of potentially cancer-causing compounds associated with cooking meats at higher temperatures.

Of note, there has been some research showing increased lead levels in people who consume wild game meat on a regular basis due to lead bullets. This has led some health agencies to recommend that pregnant women and children avoid consumption of game meat harvested with lead bullets.

The intent of all of the above is to help yourself and your Family in whatever situation you are faced with. Generally speaking, the "shelf life" problem arises with most of things we get our "fat" from.
As for me, I choose to keep extra SPAM and virgin olive oil in tins just to help myself and my Family, if times get hard. Now I can hunt and trap, but I don't expect to get much "fat" from the harvest I reap. Even some extra multi-vitamins should help, depending on what you have. You figure it out.