Which fats predominates in the diet

More transparency in the evaluation of the scientific evidence used to set recommendations would therefore be desirable. Historically, dietary recommendations focussed on the prevention of nutrient deficiencies. These guidelines are meant to advise people on a healthy diet that ensures adequate intakes of all nutrients.

More recently, with higher prevalence of obesity and chronic diseases, nutrition recommendations have shifted to address food overconsumption and prevention of chronic metabolic diseases. Generally, dietary advice for bodyweight management includes controlling total calorie intake, and recommends increasing consumption of lean meat, low-fat dairy, fruit and vegetables, whole grain cereals and fish.

Tables 1 and 2 provide an overview of the recommendations for adults on the main fats Table 1 and polyunsaturated fatty acids Table 2 from a number of national and international authoritative bodies and professional organisations. It is important to keep in mind that these dietary reference values are derived for population groups and not specifically for individuals. Personal needs may vary depending on a number of personal and lifestyle-related factors.

Table 1. Daily recommendations for fat and fatty acids intake for adults according to different bodies - Adapted from Aranceta et al.

Table 2. Daily recommendations for polyunsaturated fatty acid PUFA intakes in adults according to different bodies - Adapted from Aranceta et al.

Increase the amount and variety of seafood consumed by choosing seafood in place of some meat and poultry. The recommendations for total fat intake are further subdivided in advised intakes for the specific fatty acids. Some guidelines suggest keeping saturated fat intake as low as possible. There is a wide consensus that the most positive effects are seen when saturated fatty acids are replaced by PUFA. The majority of dietary recommendations do not have specific advice for monounsaturated fatty acids MUFA.

Not all inter national authorities have specific recommendations for total PUFA, but some do Tables 1 and 2. The reason for these differences may be because some organisations have focussed on avoiding deficiencies while others have established the recommendations in order to prevent chronic diseases.

Most authoritative bodies do not provide a maximum amount for cholesterol consumption. Monitoring consumption levels of dietary fats in the population, and evaluating to what extent people adhere to the dietary guidelines is important to assess the effectiveness of recommendations. However, there are large country differences with levels ranging from However, methods for measuring consumption differ among countries, which may partly explain the observed differences.

The current intakes of both total and saturated fats have slightly decreased as compared to the previous report in Interestingly, in Mediterranean countries, the intake of MUFA, in accordance with the predominant use of olive oil, is the highest in Europe. This section explains in more detail the science underpinning the dietary recommendations.

It provides an overview of the studies related to the consumption of dietary fat and its effect on a number of health related outcomes, but also describes findings from more recent work in the field of nutrition science that need further investigation. Only when a sufficient number of studies on humans consistently show a link between fat or a specific fatty acid and health, leading to a consensus between scientific experts, it may be incorporated in actual recommendations.

Although the major non-communicable diseases NCDs seem to be interrelated e. People who are affected by obesity or overweight have an increased risk for developing chronic diseases, such as CVD, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus and certain types of cancer.

Maintaining a normal body mass index BMI and waist circumference, as an indication of a healthy ratio between fat and lean body mass, is therefore important for staying healthy. Both physical inactivity and the increased intake of energy-dense foods are explicitly mentioned as an explanation for the global increase of obesity. But what is the scientific evidence behind this? When more calories are consumed than used, an imbalance of energy occurs. While fat contains the most calories per gram, compared to carbohydrates and proteins, there is no scientific evidence that shows an independent role of dietary fat in the development of overweight and obesity.

Also, a low-fat diet without total calorie reduction will not lead to weight loss. In other words, a person is unlikely to gain weight on a high fat diet, if the total amount of recommended daily calories is not exceeded and energy expenditure is normal. Furthermore, fat and calorie restriction alone are not sufficient for long-term weight reduction, increased physical activity is also required. In humans, fat tissue is located under the skin subcutaneous fat , around the organs visceral fat , in bone marrow yellow bone marrow and in breast tissue.

These fat deposits are used to meet energy demands when the body needs it, for normal daily activities, but also when energy requirements are higher such as during high levels of physical activity, pregnancy, lactation, infancy and child growth and in the case of starvation. Although its main function is energy storage, fat tissue is more metabolically active than previously thought.

It contains many small blood vessels and fat cells — adipocytes. Fat deposits also help to insulate the body and cushion and protect vital organs. But, excess body fat, especially visceral fat is associated with insulin resistance, impaired fatty acid metabolism and increased cardiovascular risk.

However, it is important to recognise that a person can appear lean and still have a relatively high percentage of body fat. Whereas WAT is mainly used for energy storage, BAT contains more mitochondria energy producing cell components and has the capacity to generate heat by burning triglycerides. In humans, this specific type of tissue has previously only been known in babies. There are now indications that similar heat-producing cells are also present in human adults, which may be activated through a reduction in body temperature.

Potential long-term implications for weight management have yet to be investigated. Research in this area consists mainly of 1 intervention studies in which the effect of a certain diet, e.

An overview of the available scientific studies is described below. Abnormal blood lipid levels are a risk factor for developing CVD. An elevated level of blood triglycerides is also linked to a higher risk of CVD.

The effects of SFA on the blood lipid profile may be further broken down into the effect of individual SFA, as it may vary for fatty acids with different chain lengths. However, there is currently insufficient evidence to link any specific saturated fatty acid to a strong adverse effect on blood lipids or a disease endpoint.

The adverse health effects of TFA, have been consistently shown, not only in comparison with PUFA, but also compared to saturated fat, and the effects are not limited to blood lipid levels and CVD. Meta-analyses of observational studies, which look at the long-term effects of consumption on the actual disease outcome, indicate that: 1 there is no independent association between the consumption of saturated fat and the risk for CVD, and 2 replacement of saturated fat by PUFA, rather than digestible carbohydrate or MUFA, lowers the risk for CHD.

It has been suggested that this may be partly related to the anti-inflammatory properties of n-3 fatty acids. Individuals with the highest n-3 fatty acid levels lived on average 2. They concluded that linoleic acid, the main n-6 fatty acid, lowered the risk for both these endpoints.

There is currently no scientific evidence for a link between individual SFA e. However, evidence is insufficient to establish whether there is a difference between ruminant and industrial TFA consumed in equivalent amounts on the risk of coronary heart disease. The effect of fat consumption per se on the development of type 2 diabetes is not clear, since much of the risk seems to be related to overweight.

However, there are some indications that the type of dietary fat can influence where fat accumulates in the body, with SFA leading to more fat around the organs, including liver, which is linked to type 2 diabetes. Changing the types of fat PUFA instead of SFA , rather than reducing the total amount of fat in the diet, may also have a positive effect on glucose metabolism.

Insulin sensitivity refers to the capacity of body cells to respond to the hormone insulin, which supports the uptake of glucose, amino acids and fatty acids.

A week n-3 PUFA supplementation in people with obesity, insulin resistant children and adolescents, showed positive effects on blood lipids and insulin sensitivity. There seems to be a relation between insulin resistance and the way the body responds to fat intake.

Moreover, being insulin resistant is associated with an increased risk for CVD, even at moderate LDL-cholesterol concentrations in the blood. Chronic low-grade inflammation in fat tissue of individuals affected by obesity has been associated with the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and the development of the so-called metabolic syndrome.

The n-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, on the other hand, may have anti-inflammatory properties that modulate adipose tissue inflammation. Similar to the risk of diabetes, excessive body weight increases the risk of developing different types of cancer, which may explain why in some countries the prevalence for this disease is higher.

The current scientific evidence is limited and does not confirm a strong association between total and specific fatty acids intake and development of cancer. You are here Home » Types of Fats. Top of the page. Topic Overview Fats are nutrients that give you energy. Saturated fat Saturated fat is solid at room temperature, which is why it is also known as "solid fat.

You'll find it in: Processed foods. Snack foods, such as chips and crackers. Some margarine and salad dressings. Foods made with shortening and partially hydrogenated oils. Unsaturated fat Unsaturated fat is liquid at room temperature. Monounsaturated fat: This fat is in avocado, nuts, and vegetable oils, such as canola, olive, and peanut oils.

Eating foods that are high in monounsaturated fats may help lower your "bad" LDL cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats may also keep "good" HDL cholesterol levels high. But eating more unsaturated fat without cutting back on saturated fat may not lower your cholesterol.

Polyunsaturated fat: This type of fat is mainly in vegetable oils such as safflower, sunflower, sesame, soybean, and corn oils. Polyunsaturated fat is also the main fat found in seafood. Eating polyunsaturated fat in place of saturated fat may lower LDL cholesterol.

The two types of polyunsaturated fats are omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in foods from plants like soybean oil, canola oil, walnuts, and flaxseed. A healthy diet includes 8 ounces or more of these types of fish a week, averaging mg a day of these omega-3 fatty acids.

Total fat Total fat includes saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and trans fat. References Citations U. Some fats are actually healthy for the heart and lower disease risk. Other types contribute to heart disease and cancer. All fats have nine calories per gram, and since a heart-healthy diet is a lowfat diet, you want to limit your fat to no more than 30 percent of your caloric intake for the day.

All fats are a combination of various fatty acids, but one type usually predominates. Different fatty acids have different roles in the body. Saturated fatty acids or saturated fats raise cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood. They also raise blood pressure and make it more likely for your blood to clot.