Most people  think of  fat  as dietary villain, one that caused a rise in obesity and increased our chance of cancer and heart disease.

We need fat to keep our bodies functioning property.

Fat contains 9 calories per  gram, more than twice the number of calories found in carbs and proteins, but fat is not all bad. Fat is energy stored in the body in its most concentrated form, and it’s made of fatty acids. These acids can be saturated or  unsaturated. Saturated fat come mainly from animal sources such as meat and dairy, and they are typically solid at room temperature. Unsaturated fats come  mostly from veg sources  are liquid.

Unsaturated fats can be either monounsaturated or polyunsaturated, and are  often called good fats because our livers produce more of the good HDL cholesterol when we eat them.  Saturated fats are generally thought of as bad because they cause the liver to produce more of the harmful LDL cholesterol, which can lead to heart disease. The other bad fats are trans fats. These are normally a by-product of  the hydrogenation process that transforms liquid veg oil into solid fat. They are commonly found in cakes, biscuits, pastries and you usually see them as hydrogenated veg oils.

Some fatty acids such as Omega 3 and 6, are known as essential fatty acids because these can only come from our diet. Omega 3, found in fish oil and seeds controls many key  functions such as regulating blood flow, reducing inflammation and boosting the immune system. Omega 6 is found in, among other  things, veg oils such as sun flower, and it is important for the healthy functioning of cells  and for maintaining healthy skin.  Eating a minimum of 200 g of oily  fish a week should help you get enough intake of these two important fatty acids.

How fat works

Contrary to popular belief, fat isn’t  immediately stored as fat. It has far too many other functions within the body first, though its main functions are to act as padding and energy supply for joints, glands and organs, and to transport the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K through the body.

Like all other micro nutrients, however, if you eat more than your body needs, your body will store it for later date as fat. That doesn’t mean you should cut fat from your diet, if you want to lose fat from you gut.  Limit yourself to 96g a day, if you want to avoid serious weight gain or reduce  your risk of  heart disease.