Importance Of Fats In Your Diets

Macronutrients What Are They?

The 3 big macronutrients are labelled, carbohydrates, fats and protein!

All 3 of these are needed by the human body everyday for functionality and performance in differing capacities. You will need more of specific macros in comparison to others. Fat's is required the least however has an important role within the human body that should not be taken for granted.

Fats - The Storage Macronutrient

Everyone views fats as the thing you eat that puts on weight or is stored immediately by the body but this is not the case... Fats are involved with many differing processes within the body such as:

1. Hormone production: fats are utilised by the body to produce the hormones of estrogen and testosterone which are critical for regulating normal body function and are needed in different capacities by both men and women. Women tend to have higher estrogen levels while males tend to have higher testosterone levels. However, both men and women have both hormones produced within their system. Having a low fat diet can have an impact on how these are produced and could inhibit production of much needed hormones!

2. Vitamin absorption: fats play a big role in the absorption and transportation of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Without enough fats within your diet these vitamins will not be absorbed and utilised by the body.

3. Cell membrane function: fats make up an important role are a major component in cell membranes. They are necessary in maintaining cell membrane structure and function therefore without enough fats in your diet then cells will not have the adequate nutrients required for normal function.

4. Brain function: did you know that the brain is made up of 60% FAT!!! Just goes to show how important the nutrient is for you!! Fats are critical for proper brain functioning specifically... mood, cognition and memory function

5. Insulation and protection: fats provide the body with insulation and protection of vital organs as they surface and surround the body's vital organs and regulate body temperature.

6. Energy source: I put this last for a reason and that is because fats are the last resort or use of energy that the body utilises!! The body would rather utilise carbohydrates first and finish every last drop before even attempting to break down fats for energy. Yes fats provide 9 calories per gram but that is only used as a last resort and it is not even the most efficient.

Now We Know The Importance Of Fats But How Much Do We

Need?

One thing to note about the human body is that it always looks at things from a survivalist standpoint and also an efficiency standpoint. For these 2 reasons becomes the reality as to when fats are used and why they are used first or last.

How much Fats do we need for life?

This is a pretty broad question and would have to come down to your activity levels, what activities or level of intensity you are training at and how often you are training etc. Fats are your biggest energy source coming with 9 calories per gram however your body has to break down fats into useable cells which is a big process in itself before it can even be used! You will notice that endurance athletes would typically be the population that benefits the most from fats being used for energy due to the need for long lasting, big energy that lasts more than an initial burst you can get from a sugary drink!

I don't know if you have tried keto before but I have and I will tell you exactly how I felt and rope in the science to explain further!

Keto involves the process of cutting out carbs from your diet or bringing them down to under 20% so you can rely on fats for energy instead of carbs. The reasoning this was such a craze was due to people thinking that the body will utilise its fat stores to gain its energy to be burned and used however it does not really work this way unfortunately haha. If you are eating fats why would you be burning from your fat stores? The only way you will utilise your storage or fat storage is if you are in a caloric deficit which still might not be the case no matter what nutrient you cut out from your diet.

Remember also that ingesting fats into your diet once you pass a certain limit is favourited by your body to be placed in storage and saved for a future date. So keto could result in increased fat storage if you are over-consuming fats and also decreased energy levels as your body does not like to rely on fats for energy...

So What Is The Amount We Need?

You actually do not need too much fats in your diet! I like to tell the average person that is relatively active that you only need 20-35% of your daily energy consumption in comparison to protein and carbs it is the smallest level but equates to a similar energy production or level if broken down.

Having too little can inhibit the processes I listed above and having too much will just result in fats being used for storage! However always remember one thing even though they are put in storage it only happens in a caloric surplus so if you are still in a deficit you will not be increasing fat or weight on the scales :)

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