More Fat Please! – But the Right Kind

In the past, it was believed that all fat was “bad” for you. But nutrition science has expanded over the years, providing more accurate research. We know that fatty acids are the major form of dietary fat and are essential for your health by supporting cell growth, protecting organs, and aiding in hormone production. Now we know that not all dietary fat is the same. These are the four major types of dietary fat:

The recommended daily amount of total dietary fat should be about 20 – 35% of your total calories. For example, if your calorie needs are 2,000 calories, then about 400 – 700 calories, or 44 – 77g, of total fat are needed⁵

Instead of reducing all fat intake, it’s better to balance more mono and polyunsaturated fats and less of saturated and trans fats. For example, you can incorporate salmon or trout in your meals, cook with canola or olive oil, or snack on Blue Diamond^® almonds, Blue Diamond^® Nut Thins Chia Seeds or Blue Diamond^® Nut Thins Flax Seeds.

¹ Nicolosi RJ. Dietary fat saturation effects on low-density-lipoprotein concentrations and metabolism in various animal models. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997;65(5 suppl):1617S-1627S.
² Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Dietary Fatty Acids for Healthy Adults. https://jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(13)01672-9/pdf. 2014. Accessed July 5, 2019
³ Siscovick DS, Raghunathan TE, King I, et al. Dietary intake and cell membrane levels of long-chain n-polyunsaturated fatty acids and the risk of primary cardiac arrest. JAMA. 1995;274(17): 1363-1367.
⁴ Mensink RP, Zock PL, Kester AD, Katan MB. Effects of dietary fatty acids and carbohydrates on the ratio of serum total to HDL cholesterol and on serum lipids and apolipoproteins: A metaanalysis of 60 controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003;77(5):1146-1155.
⁵ Dietary Guidelines for American 2015 – 2020. https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/resources/2015-2020_Dietary_Guidelines.pdf. 2015. Accessed July 11, 2019