Healthy Fat: End the war against fat!
updated the 14 July 2015 à 18:30Consumed at the right amount, fat is invaluable to our health. As time goes by, we discover more of its unsuspected virtues.
With 9 kcal per gram, fats “weigh” heavier than proteins and carbohydrates at 4 kcal per gram. Not surprisingly, fat is therefore the first victim to come under attack in our relentless struggle against the bulge.
Research has warned of the dangers of heart diseases tied to excessive consumption of fat – tracking fat intake has become an obsession to some. Yet, according to Professor Philippe Legrand, director of the laboratory of human nutrition in Biochemistry-Agrocampus West / INRA*, “fats are not responsible for obesity: we gain weight when we consume more calories than we burn. Provided you do not abuse it, fats are not harmful. They are essential for the proper functioning of the body.”
In 2011, ANSES** has even revised its suggestions on the recommended dietary allowances for fatty acids to rise. Now 35-40% of our daily energy must be provided by fats, against the 30-35% that was previously believed. Why? Simply because now we know more about the benefits of lipids. As part of a varied and balanced diet, some of them would be beneficial for the cardiovascular system, for mood and memory, while others have the ability to prevent inflammation or help prevent cancer.
*Institut national de la recherche agronomique (National Institute for Agricultural Research)
**Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire (National Health Security Agency)
Maureen Diament
Read More:
Are saturated fatty acids in milk or butter bad?
