Fat is essential for good health. Fats provide a ready source of energy and enable the body to absorb, circulate and store the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Fat-containing foods are needed to supply "essential fatty acids" that the body cannot make. For example, oil-rich fish and fish oil supplements are rich sources of the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) alpha linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These, along with omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-6 PUFAs) such as linoleic acid (LA) and arachidonic acid (AA), must be consumed in the diet.
Too much fat however, especially saturated fats, can lead to
adverse health effects such as overweight and high cholesterol and increase the
risk of heart disease and some cancers.
Limiting the amount of fat, especially saturated fat in the diet
-but not cutting it out entirely- is the best advice for a healthy diet. Most
dietary recommendations are that less than 30% of the day's total calories
should come from fat and less than 10% of the day's total calories should come
from saturated fat.
