Fat plays an essential role in our diets and health, especially polyunsaturated fatty acids. These include the much talked about omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Let's take a look at these essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), what they are and where to find them.
Understanding the roles of fat, and which fats to choose, can help you and your clients avoid a fear of dietary fat, which is essential for our health and serves several important functions within the body. These include:
- Energy (providing 9 calories per gram of fat, energy storage)
- Protection (surrounding vital organs, protecting them and helping to keep in place)
- Thermoregulation (insulating from environmental temperatures)
- Nutrient transport (regulation and excretion of nutrients in the cells– carrying vitamins A,D,E & K)
- Stomach emptying regulation (slows stomach’s hydrochloric acid secretion)
- Hormone synthesis (precursor)
- Satiety and palatability (initiate release of cholecystokinin (CCK) which contributes to satiety)
- Cell membrane (structure and function)
Click on the Source Link below to read the full article. It's a good read when you're not sure about what healthy fats are.