The Surprisingly Good Things about Fats

Sharon Moore February 11, 2015

Fat – it is something that dieters hate. Most of us picture fats like a monster that sabotages all our efforts to lose weight and get healthy. Fats are what we blame for the rising incidence of heart disease, obesity, high cholesterol, and many other illnesses.

But despite the negative views about fats, scientific investigations reveal that they are actually good for us. In fact, we need them for many reasons, one is that they serve as a great energy resource. Several studies suggest that the obesity epidemic is not actually caused by fats, but by an individual’s consumption of sugar and carbohydrates.

So if fats are not the culprit. In what ways do they benefit the body?

Fats boost immunity.

According to Dr Michael and Dr Mary Eades, authors of the book Good Calories, Bad Calories, saturated fats found in butter and coconut oil play in immune health. “Loss of sufficient saturated fatty acids in the white blood cells hampers their ability to recognize and destroy foreign invaders, such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi”, they write.

Fats are good for your heart.

Fats have gotten a bad rap in terms of heart health. But actually, good fats like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that we can obtain from health foods like olive oil, flaxseed, nuts and fish, have been shown to lower one’s risk of heart disease. The fats to avoid are saturated and trans fats. These manipulated fats do nothing but make bad foods last longer on the shelf.

They keep your lungs healthy.

Many people, especially dieters avoid saturated fats. But when it comes to our lungs, the very important phospholipid class called lung surfactant is a special phospholipid with 100 per cent saturated fatty acids. Some studies are now looking at the link between the low consumption of saturated fat and Asthma as a result of the breakdown of this fatty layer.

Fats promote healthy, glowing skin.

Fats are essential to keep your skin healthy and moisturised. Insufficient levels of healthy fats can make your skin become dry and chapped, which does not only affect your physical appearance, but may also make it easy for infection-causing bacteria to enter our bodies.

Fats are essential to brain health.

A diet low in fat robs you off the needed nutrients for your brain to function at its best. Yes, fat is a brain food and we should not take it off from our diet. Good fats like omega 3s, as well as some saturated fats from natural and animal sources, are essential for your brain health.

Our cells need fats.

Fats are a vital part of the membrane that surrounds each cell of the body. Without a healthy cell membrane, the rest of the cell couldn’t function.

To gain optimal health, we should not completely avoid fats. Whilst there really are bad fats, it is possible to make smart choices, especially the type of fat and the amount one consumes. Smarter fat choices can provide us a wealth of health benefits.