FATS
WHAT ARE FATS?
Fat is an important source of energy for our bodies and the right kind of fat in the right amount is crucial for us to feel good. Fat contains more energy than other nutrients. One gram of fat contains 9 kilocalories, kcal (37 kJ), which is more than twice as much as one gram of carbohydrate or protein.
hOW MUCH DO WE NEED?
Public sources recommend that about a third of the energy you get in a day should come from fat. For a woman it means about 70 grams of fat a day and for a man about 90 grams.
why should we eat fats?
Fat gives the body energy in concentrated form and is stored in adipose tissue as, amongst others, an energy reserve.
Fat is needed for the body to be able to build and repair cells and produce hormones and hormone-like substances. Fat is also needed for the body to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
The fats also provide us with vital, so-called essential, polyunsaturated fatty acids. These fatty acids cannot be produced by the body itself, but we must absorb them through food. The essential fatty acids affect several functions in the body, including blood pressure, blood clotting ability and the immune system.
plant-based FATS
There are different types of fats: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. The difference between them is how the fatty acids, which make up the fats, are structured. Omega 3 and omega 6 are polyunsaturated fats.
Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are “the fats we should eat more of” and are found in rapeseed oil, olive oil and nuts, for example.
to think about
There is also a type of fat called trans-fat. We are recommended to eat as little trans-fat as possible, and it is also present in a very small amount in the food. Trans fats are often found in foods that also contain a lot of saturated fat.
Disclaimer – please note that we are not in any way experts in nutrition, all information above is translated summaries of information available on the Swedish National Food Administration’s (Livsmedelsverket) webpage.
