Nutrition > Fats

Some fat is essential in the diet and it is found in both animal and plant food. Foods rich in fat from plant sources include margarine, oil (vegetable, salad, cooking), salad dressing, and nuts. Some products that contain animal fats are meats, fish, poultry, eggs, butter, milk, and cheese. In general, fish, chicken, and turkey are lower in fat than the red meats (pork, beef, and lamb). Milk and cheese are available with a reduced fat content; examples include fortified skim and low fat milk, and cheese made form skim or partially skim milk (such as cottage, Swiss, hoop, and mozzarella cheese).

Foods rich in fats are the most concentrated source of calories.  Weight for weight, fats supply more than twice as much energy as carbohydrates and protein.  Dietary fats supply an essential  fatty acid that the body cannot make.  The fat in many foods in a  carrier of fat soluble vitamins.

Foods high in fat often make people feel satisfied longer because digestion takes longer. Cholesterol and saturated fats are the focus of much interest today, because they may play a role in heart and blood vessel disease such as atherosclerosis, a disease in which a thickening and narrowing of the arteries (major blood vessels) occurs.  These layer of the arterial wall interfere with the normal blood flow and  nourishment of tissues.

Cholesterol  is manufactured in the human body and it is also obtained form foods of animal origin.  Egg yolks and organ meats (liver, kidney, brains, and sweetbreads) are particularly high in
cholesterol.  All fish and shellfish are low in cholesterol except shrimp and sardines.  Foods of plant origin have no cholesterol .
 Saturated animal fats are found in beef, lamb, pork, ham, Butter, cream, whole milk, and whole-milk cheeses. 

Saturated vegetable fats are found in hydrogenated shortenings, palm oil, cocoa butter, and coconut oil.  Most of these fays harden at room temperature.  High consumption of saturated fats may contribute to heart and blood vessel disease because it tends to raise the level of  cholesterol in these diseases.

Polyunsaturated fats usually liquid oils of vegetable origin, such as corn, cottonseed, sunflower, and safflower oil-tend to  lower the level of cholesterol  in the blood.

Monounsaturated oils, such as olive oil and peanut oil, neither raise nor lower serum cholesterol.

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