Conventional wisdom has made it such that fat has earned a bad rep, as a diet of fatty food like processed meats and fast food are precursors to high blood pressure, stroke and heart attack. Latest developments, however, are starting to evidence that the consumption of good types of fat can have positive effects. It can even contribute to lowering blood cholesterol and help decrease the risk of coronary diseases.
Of course, there are some things to take note of before gorging ourselves. Let’s start with what is fat, and do we really need it?
Fat, together with carbohydrates and proteins, is one of the essential nutrients for all living things. Fat provides energy, promotes healthy brain function and cell growth and helps our bodies absorb fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K (basically, all the vitamins we need). The fat we typically consume in our daily lives come from poultry, processed meats, nuts, milk, cheese, eggs, cakes and fast food, to name a few. Herein lies the essential difference between the good, the bad and the ugly.