Are All Fats Bad?

Are All Fats Unhealthy?

When it comes to weight gain we all always blame the fat for that and to some extent it is true and is surely at fault but to be precise not all fats are bad and unhealthy. 

What are fats?

Fats are also called fatty acids or lipids. Fats are made up of three molecules which are joined together and are called triglycerides. Our body mainly makes fat though not all fat is made up by our body.

They are found in three forms: saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated. Some examples of foods that contain fats are butter, oil, ghee, meat, fish and dairy.

Why do we need fats?

In a balanced diet a small amount of fat is necessary. It is a source of essential fatty acids, which our body cannot make on its own. Fats help our body to absorb various vitamins such as Vitamin A,D and E. Actually these are fat soluble vitamins, which means they really need fats to be absorbed by our bodies. 

Which is the worst fat?

While fats are blamed overall, the major culprit is mainly trans fat. Trans Fat has no health benefits and they are actually not safe to consume. They are mainly prepared by the process called hydrogenation which is used to turn healthy oils into solids and to prevent them from becoming rancid.

Trans fats are also called bad fats because they are actually responsible for unhealthy weight gain, many other diseases and so on. 

As per the guidelines a healthy young individual should include 40-70 grams of fat everyday in their meal through their diet. But, it has to be healthy fat and not the ones from chips,burgers,fries or junk food.

Do I need to get fat from somewhere else?

If you are eating right and looking after your nutritional intake then automatically you are meeting your fat intake too as through cooking oils, dairy products, meats and so on and you don’t need to add fat in any other form.

One thing we all should keep in mind: not all fats are bad and we all know which one is bad and is harmful for us. Don’t overdo anything even though it is good fat doesn’t mean you will have it more than required by your body. Certain small changes can help you go long way.