Fat and Fat Types

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Fat

The story about fat is not all bad. Fat is indeed a nutrient, just like protein, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals. Fat helps to keep us healthy in a number of ways. There are as below:

Fat provides linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid important for proper growth, healthy skin and the metabolism or construction of cholesterol in the liver.
Fat helps to transport, absorb and store fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
Fat insulates and cushions body organs.
Fat supplies energy. It is the most concentrated source of calories (9 calories per gram of fat versus 4 calories per gram for protein and carbohydrate).
Fat may control hunger as it takes longer time to digest.
Fat helps to make foods taste better. It is responsible for the creamy texture of ice cream, the crispiness of chips and French fries and the flavorful taste in many other foods.

Types of Fat

All fats are made up of building blocks called fatty acids. Fat can be classified as:

Unsaturated fat can be further divided into polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats. Though some fats, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat, may be "better" than other types of fat for your health, the best advice for eating well is to eat a diet low in all types of fat.