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Fat - Our Energy Store By Mumtaz Khalid Ismail
More Links Types of fats Sources of fatty acids Complications Dietary allowances for Indians Tips to reduce fat intake Fat content in selected food items (per 100 gms) Majority of the questions what I get are related to the fat. With the renewed interest in beauty and fitness in the present world one nutrient which they want to avoid in their daily intake is fat. Eating too much of fats and oils of any kind may prove harm full but excluding them from the diet deprives the body of important nutrients. Energy is stored in the body as fat and it is the most concentrated source of energy. One gram of fat gives 9 kilocalories of energy, which is more than double of carbohydrates and proteins. Ideally, 25 to 30 % of our energy requirement is to be provided from fat.
Fat enhances the taste, flavour, and texture of food and also carries other compounds that impart flavour and smell. It also increases the stomach emptying time and there by reduces hunger. Fat is required for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A, D, E, and K.
The layer of fat just under the skin helps in maintaining the body temperature. Loss of body heat is prevented with the help of this subcutaneous layer of fat. Vital organs like the kidney have a thin layer of fat around them, which protects them from shocks and physical injury. Fats help in lubricating the gastrointestinal tract and a diet rich in fat has a higher satiety value.
Omega 6 fatty acid present in vegetable oils is found to be beneficial against atherosclerosis and its complications but not effective against cancers. Where as omega 3 fatty acid, which is present mainly in fish, is a wonderful nutrient. This fatty acid is beneficial against both artherosclerosis and cancers like breast cancer. It is also very useful remedy for psoriasis and different types of atopic dermatitis. A high fat diet will lead to obesity and related diseases like arteriosclerosis and coronary heart diseases.
Name of acids Rich sources Saturated Palmitic All fats and oils Stearic Lards, tallow Butyric Butter Unsaturated Oleic All fats and oils Linoleic Mostly in vegetable oils like sunflower, safflower, soya bean, corn, cotton seed and walnut Linolenic Linseed oil Arachidonic Fish oils and animal fats When vegetable oils are hydrogenated under optimal temperature and pressure in the presence of a catalyst, the liquid oils are converted into semisolid and solid fats that have consistency and texture close to ghee. The main advantage of hydrogenation is that it can be kept even in hot and humid atmosphere for long. Disadvantage of hydrogenation is that the content of the valuable essential fatty acids present in vegetable oil is drastically reduced. Cooking oils should not be used repeatedly for frying because repeated usage leads to the formation of harmful chemicals. Some of these chemicals are cancer producing.
Particulars Fat gm / day Man 20 Woman 20 Pregnant woman 30 Lactating woman 45 Children 1 - 9 years 25 10 - 18 years 22
Food stuff Fat gms Butter 81 Ghee 100 Cooking oil 100 Buffalo milk 6.5 Cow's milk 4.1 Cheese 25.1 Khoa buffalo milk 31.2 Khoa cow milk 25.9 Egg 13.3 Mutton 13.3 Avocado pear 22.8 Almonds 58.9 Cashew nut 46.9 Coconut fresh 41.6 Coconut dry 62.3 Ground nut 40.1 Pistachio nut 53.5 Soybean 19.5
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Fats such as ghee, butter, oil are known as visible fats and it is very easy to estimate their intake in diet. Visible fats consumption should not be more than 1/3 rd of the total requirement of fats. Fats present in nuts, milk products, meat, and soybean are invisible fats and are difficult to estimate. 
