Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Past President Roger Clemens, DrPh, CFS, explains why it’s important to incorporate fats in our diets in this IFT Food Facts video. Dr. Clemens emphasizes needing a balance of fats and exercise to help our body function at its highest level and reduce the risk of diseases such as cardiovascular disease.
1. Energy: Fat provides a highly-concentrated form of energy. One gram of fat gives you nine calories of energy, which is over twice that provided by carbohydrates or protein.
2. Organs Need a Cushion: A cushion of fat helps protect organs from injury and holds them in place.
3. Cell Structure: Whether it is hair, skin or your eyes, fats make up part of the membrane that surrounds each cell of the body and without them the rest of the cell can’t function.
4. Immune Function: Without good fats in our diet, immune function becomes partially impaired and our bodies are susceptible to foreign invaders such as bacterial and viral infections.
5. Nutrient Transport: Vitamin A, D, E and K are fat soluble vitamins and need fat to help the body transport, store, and absorb them.
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