Fried Butter?

Mmmmmmm......butter.  In my previous posts, I've discussed carbohydrates and proteins, which leads to the third, very misunderstood, macronutrient that we all know and love, fats. 

Fats are fairly complex molecular chains that provide substantial energy to the human body.  More often than not, it's vilified because of the amount of energy that it provides, the subsequent storage of that energy, and the prevalence of it in our society.  Fats are largely built up of hydrogen and carbon atoms, much like carbohydrates, except that the chains are larger and are usually attached to a glycerol molecule. 

Depending on the type of fat, either unsaturated or saturated (or the really terrible, trans-fat), there are either double bonds in place or not.  Unsaturated fats have at least one double bond on it's molecular structure and are often liquid at room temperature (~70 degrees F).  This would mean that almost all oils such as olive oil or corn oil are some form of unsaturated fats.  Saturated fats however have no double bonds and are solid at room temperature.  Things like natural butter or coconut oil would largely consist of saturated fats.  Finally a third type of fat, one that is widely considered to be the worst kind, are trans-fats.  Trans-fats are essentially man-made fats.  It's basically taking a liquid fat, such as corn oil, and turning it into a solid fat, like butter.  Margarine is an excellent example of a trans-fat. 

Fats are needed for our survival, so it's important that we address them.  Brain & nervous system function, metabolism of some vitamins, thermoregulation (heat/cold tolerance), and even energy are all functions of fats.  Clearly, we need fats.  We, especially as Americans, have an over abundance of dietary fats and thus our bodies are predisposed to store the fats rather than use the fats as energy. 

Part of the reason that we can survive for weeks without food and only days without water has a lot to do with fats.  Our subcutaneous fats, the type beneath the surface of the skin, can provide plenty of energy when in a fasted state.  The more fat that we have to draw from, the longer we can survive in a fasted state (this is not to promote on-going starvation). 

Each gram of fat consists of 9 calories, wheras both protein & carbohydrate are 4 calories per gram.  This in-part is the size of each fat molecule, and the resulting amount of energy stored within.  This contributes to our calorie intake with a greater magnitude than both carbs & proteins and should have more attention devoted to. 

Fats are important for human life.  We need them to survive and thrive and this molecule is often misunderstood.  A low/no-fat diet has it's moment of benefit, but there are also plenty of negative ramifications associated with.  Pay attention to the fats that you consume and you'll be all the better for it.