Why Your Body Needs Healthy Fats

Condemning fatty food all the time can be harmful. Here are the reasons why our body needs a limited amount of good fat.

By Archana Mukherji

Tuesday, July 11, 2017, 11:16

Fat has always been considered as a bad term. It is almost always in the bad books of all.

However, consumption of fats does not actually make you "fat", it is the consumption of too many calories that makes you "fat".

You do not have to be scared of consuming fats. It is not that bad and your body actually needs it. The vital part is about having the right balance and consuming healthy fats.

It is very important to note that the body needs an abundant supply of the fat-soluble vitamins and fat-soluble activators that are only found in animal fats.

In fact, all of the veggies that we think are very healthy to consume should be eaten with a little bit of fat added, to help with vitamin and mineral absorption.

In other words, it is better to consume carrots with butter or ghee rather than consuming it plain.

Trans fats are something that need to be taken care of. These fats can raise your LDL levels (bad cholesterol) in the blood.

They also lower the HDL levels (good cholesterol) in the blood. Trans fatty acids are unhealthy fats that form when vegetable oil hardens in a process called hydrogenation.

Some foods like avocados, butter, ghee, coconut oil and olive oil are real good fats to consume.

Benefits Of Consuming Healthy Fats:

1. Decreases The Risk Of Heart Disease:

Eating healthy fats can easily save more than a million people suffering from heart diseases every year. Refined carbohydrates and trans fats need to be replaced with heart-healthy fats. In fact, this simple change in your eating lifestyle can reduce the risk of heart disease or stroke by 80%.

2. Maintains Blood Sugar Level:

A healthy diet is considered to be the key element in blood sugar management and also to prevent or treat diabetes. When you consume carbs or sugar such as starchy veggies like potatoes, fruits or whole grains, the protein, fibre and healthy fats that you have consumed can help to slow down the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream.

3. Increases Good Cholesterol:

Certain fats like butter, ghee and coconut oil which are natural fats, have the capacity to provide your body with the desired amount of fat and at the same time convert any bad cholesterol available in your body into good fat. However, make sure that the healthy fats are virgin and do not have any adulteration.

4. Controls Hunger:

After we eat foods that contain fat, they tend to linger in our stomach for a while.
Good fats, like those found in fatty fish like salmon and tuna, and in certain nuts and vegetables, can help us feel fuller for a long time. Bad fats found especially in packaged foods like chips, cookies and crackers can only satisfy your hunger for a little while, whereas good fats help control your hunger between meals for a longer period of time.

5. Enhances Metabolism:

A well balanced diet is very essential to promote a healthy and effective metabolism. In addition to an adequate intake of protein and carbohydrates, your body needs fat in order to maintain a steady metabolism.