ByJillWeisenberger,MS,RD,CDE

Carbohydrates,fatsandproteinsaremacronutrients.Werequiretheminrelatively
largeamountsfornormalfunctionandgoodhealth.Thesearealsoenergyyielding
nutrients,meaningthesenutrientsprovidecalories.
OnThisPage:
1.
UnderstandingCarbohydrates
2.
WhatareCarbohydrates?
3.
CarbohydratesintheBody
4.
CarbohydratesintheDiet
5.
UnderstandingProteins
6.
ProteinsintheBody
7.
ProteinsintheDiet
8.
UnderstandingFats
9.
FatsintheBody
10.
FatsintheDiet
UnderstandingCarbohydrates

Everyfewyears,carbohydratesarevilifiedaspublic
enemynumberoneandareaccusedofbeingtherootofobesity,diabetes,heart
diseaseandmore.Carbbashersshunyogurtandfruitandfilluponbunless
cheeseburgers.Insteadofbeans,theyeatbacon.Theydineonthetopsofpizzaand
tossthecrustsintothetrash.Theysovehementlyavoidcarbsandspoutoffalistof
theirevilsthattheymayhaveyoufearingyourfood.Restassured,youcanandshould
eatcarbohydrates.Infact,muchoftheworldreliesoncarbohydratesastheirmajor
sourceofenergy.Rice,forinstance,isastapleinSoutheastAsia.Thecarbohydrate
richpotatowassoimportanttothepeopleofIrelandthatwhentheblightdevastated

thepotatocropinthemid1800s,muchofthepopulationwaswipedout.
WhatareCarbohydrates?
Thebasicstructureofcarbohydratesisasugarmolecule,andtheyareclassifiedby
howmanysugarmoleculestheycontain.

Simplecarbs:Simplecarbohydrates,usuallyreferredtoassugars,are
naturallypresentinfruit,milkandotherunprocessedfoods.Plantcarbohydratescan
berefinedintotablesugarandsyrups,whicharethenaddedtofoodssuchassodas,
desserts,sweetenedyogurtsandmore.Simplecarbohydratesmaybesinglesugar
moleculescalledmonosaccharidesortwomonosaccharidesjoinedtogethercalled

disaccharides.Glucose,a
monosaccharide,is
themostabundantsugarmoleculeandisthepreferredenergysourceforthebrain.It
isapartofalldisaccharidesandtheonlycomponentofpolysaccharides.Fructoseis
anothercommonmonosaccharide.Twocommondisaccharidesinfoodaresucrose,
commontablesugar,andlactose,thesourceoffrequentgasandbloatingthatsome
experiencefromdrinkingmilk.

Complexcarbs:Complexcarbohydratesareanythatcontainmorethantwo
sugarmolecules.Shortchainsarecalledoligosaccharides.Chainsofmorethanten
monosaccharideslinkedtogetherarecalledpolysaccharides.Theymaybehundreds
andeventhousandsofglucosemoleculeslong.Thewayglucosemoleculeslink
togethermakesthemdigestible(starch)ornondigestible(fiber).Polysaccharides
includethefollowing.

Starchisaseriesoflongchainsofboundglucosemolecules.Itsthe
storageformofglucoseforgrains,tubersandlegumesandisusedduringtheplants
growthandreproduction.
o
Fiberisalsolongchainsofglucosemolecules,buttheyareboundina
waywecannotdigest.
o

Glycogenisthestorageformofglucoseinhumansandotheranimals.
Itsnotadietarysourceofcarbohydratebecauseitisquicklybrokendownafteran
animalisslaughtered.
CarbohydratesintheBody

Whethertheyrefromadoughybagel,asugarycolaora
fiberrichapple,carbohydratesprimaryjobistoprovideyourbodywithenergy.
Fromeachofthesesourcesandothers,carbohydratesprovideyouwith4kcals/gram.

Carbsarefuel.Glucoseistheprimaryfuelformostofyourcellsandisthe
preferredenergyforthebrainandnervoussystem,theredbloodcellsandtheplacenta
andfetus.Onceglucoseentersthecell,aseriesofmetabolicreactionsconvertitto
carbondioxide,waterandATP(AdenosineTriPhosphate),theenergycurrencyofthe
cell.Ifyouhavemoreavailableglucosethanyourbodyneedsforenergy,youwill
storeglucoseasglycogen(glycogenesis)inyourliverandskeletalmuscle.Whenyour
bloodglucosedrops,asitdoeswhenyouresleepingorfasting,theliverwillbreak
downglycogen(glycogenolysis)andreleaseglucoseintoyourblood.Muscle
glycogenfuelsyouractivity.Thebodycanstorejustalimitedamountofglucose,so
whentheglycogenstoresarefull,extraglucoseisstoredasfatandcanbeusedas
energywhenneeded.

Carbsspareprotein.Ifyougowithouteatingforanextendedperiodor
simplyconsumetoolittlecarbohydrate,yourglycogenstoreswillquicklydeplete.
Yourbodywillgrabproteinfromyourdiet(ifavailable),skeletalmusclesandorgans
andconvertitsaminoacidsintoglucose(gluconeogenesis)forenergyandtomaintain
normalbloodglucoselevels.Thiscancausemuscleloss,problemswithimmunityand
otherfunctionsofproteinsinthebody.Thatshowcriticalitistomaintainnormal
bloodglucoselevelstofeedpartsofyourbodyandyourbrain.

Carbspreventketosis.Evenwhenfatisusedforfuel,thecellsneedabitof
carbohydratetocompletelybreakitdown.Otherwise,theliverproducesketone
bodies,whichcaneventuallybuilduptounsafelevelsinthebloodcausinga
conditioncalledketosis.Ifyouevernoticedthesmellofacetoneornailpolish
removeronthebreathofalowcarbdieter,youhavesmelledtheeffectsofketosis.

Ketosiscanalsocausethebloodtobecometooacidicandthebodytobecome
dehydrated.
CarbohydratesintheDiet
Carbohydrates,proteinandfatsaremacronutrients,meaningthebodyrequiresthem
inrelativelylargeamountsfornormalfunctioning.TheRecommendedDietary
Allowance(RDA)forcarbohydratesforchildrenandadultsis130gramsandisbased
ontheaverageminimumamountofglucoseusedbythebrain. [1]TheAcceptable
MacronutrientDistributionRange(AMDR)forcarbohydratesis4565%.If,for
instance,youate1600kcalsperday,theacceptablecarbohydrateintakerangesfrom
180gramsto260grams.
MostAmericanadultsconsumeabouthalfoftheircaloriesascarbohydrates.This
fallswithintheAMDR,butunfortunatelymostAmericansdonotchoosetheir

carbohydratecontainingfoodswisely.
Manypeoplelabel
complexcarbsasgoodandsugarsasbad,butthecarbohydratestoryismuchmore
complexthanthat.Bothtypesyieldglucosethroughdigestionormetabolism;both
worktomaintainyourbloodglucose;bothprovidethesamenumberofcalories;and
bothprotectyourbodyfromproteinbreakdownandketosis.Thenutrientdensityof
ourfoodchoicesisfarmorecritical.Forexample,freshcherriesprovideample
sugars,andsaltinecrackersprovidejustcomplexcarbs.Fewwouldarguethathighly
processedcrackersaremorenutritiousthanfreshcherries.

AddedSugars:Americanseatonly42%oftherecommendedamountoffruit
and59%oftherecommendedvegetableamount.Weeatonly15%ofthe
recommendedservingsofwholegrains,but200%oftherecommendedservingsof
refinedgrains.[2]Americansoverconsumeaddedsugars,whichmakeup16%ofthe
totalcaloriesintheAmericandiet.Nearly60%ofaddedsugarscomefromsoda,
energydrinks,sportsdrinks,fruitdrinksandgrainbaseddessertslikecakes,cookies
andbrownies.[3]Theproblemwithaddedsugarsisthattheydonotcomepackaged
withanabundanceofnutrientslikeapieceoffruitandaglassofmilkdo.Forthis
reason,manypeoplecallthememptycalories.

GlycemicIndex:Sometimespeoplelooktotheglycemicindex(GI)to
evaluatethehealthfulnessofcarbohydraterichfoods,butthistoooversimplifiesgood
nutrition.TheGIrankscarbohydratecontainingfoodsfrom0to100.Thisscore
indicatestheincreaseinbloodglucosefromasinglefoodcontaining50gramsof
carbohydratecomparedto50gramsofpureglucose,whichhasaGIscoreof100.
Foodsthatareslowlydigestedandabsorbedlikeapplesandsomebrancereals
trickleglucoseintoyourbloodstreamandhavelowGIscores.HighGIfoodslike
whitebreadandcornflakesarequicklydigestedandabsorbed,floodingthebloodwith
glucose.ResearchregardingtheGIismixed;somestudiessuggestthatdietsbasedon
lowGIfoodsarelinkedtolowerrisksofdiabetes,obesityandheartdisease,butother
studiesfailtoshowsuchalink.

ManyfactorsinfluenceafoodsGIscore,including:
o
o
o
o

Thedegreeofripenessofapieceoffruit(theriperthefruit,thehigher
thescore)
Theamountandtypeofprocessingafoodhasundergone
Whetherthefoodiseatenraworcooked
Thepresenceoffat,vinegarorotheracids
AllofthesefactorscomplicatetheusefulnessoftheGI.Additionally,manyhigh
calorie,lownutrientfoodssuchassomecandybarsandicecreamshavedesirableGI
scores,whilemorenutritiousfoodslikedatesandbakedpotatoeshavehighscores.
Itsimportanttorecognizethatthehealthfulnessofafooddependslargelyonits
nutrientdensity,notitstypeofcarbohydrateoritsGIscore.
ProponentsoflowcarbohydratedietsareincensedbytheRDAandAMDRfor
carbohydrates.Nutritionexpertsaretryingtokillus,theyargueandclaimthat

carbohydrateshavemadeusoverweight.However,researchsupportsthatdietsofa
widerangeofmacronutrientproportionsfacilitateahealthyweight,allowweightloss
andpreventweightregain.Thecriticalfactorisreducingthecaloriecontentofthe
dietlongterm.[4][5]

FiberNeeds:Ifweshunnedallcarbohydratesorifweseverelyrestrictedthem,
wewouldnotbeabletomeetourfiberneedsorgetamplephytochemicals,naturally
occurringcompoundsthatprotecttheplantfrominfectionandusfromchronic
disease.Thehues,aromasandflavorsoftheplantsuggestthatitcontains
phytochemicals.Scientistshavelearnedofthousandsofthemwithnameslike
lycopene,luteinandindole3carbinol.Amongotherthings,phytochemicalsappearto
stimulatetheimmunesystem,slowtherateatwhichcancercellsgrow,andprevent
damagetoDNA.
Allnaturallyfiberrichfoodsarealsorichincarbohydrates.Therecommendedintake
forfiberis38gramsperdayformenand25gramsperdayforwomen.Theusual
fiberintakeamongAmericans,however,iswoefullylackingatonly15gramsdaily.
Perhapsbestknownforitsroleinkeepingthebowelsregular,dietaryfiberhasmore
tobragabout.Individualswithhighfiberintakesappeartohavelowerrisksof
coronaryheartdisease,stroke,hypertension,diabetesandobesity.[6]Fiberrichfoods
areprotectiveagainstcolorectalcancer[7],andincreasingfiberintakes
improvesgastroesophagealrefluxdiseaseandhemorrhoids.[6]Somefibersalsolower
bloodcholesterolandglucoselevels.Additionally,fibersarefoodforthenormal
(healthy)bacteriathatresideinyourgutandprovidenutrientsandotherhealth

benefits.Toboostyourfiber
intake,eatfruits,vegetables,
wholegrainsandbeansfrequently.
FiberContentofSelectedFoods

Beans(navy,pinto,black,limaetc),1/2cup:6.29.6g

100%Brancereal,1/3cup:9.1g
Pear,medium:5.5g
WholewheatEnglishmuffin,1:4.4g
Raspberries,1/2cup:4.0g
Sweetpotatowithskin,medium:3.8g
Applewithskin,1medium:3.6g
Orange,medium:3.1g
Potatowithskin,1medium:3.0g
Broccoli,cooked,1/2cup:2.62.8g
Source:DietaryGuidelinesforAmericans,2011(Appendix13)
Carbohydratesarecriticalsourcesofenergyforseveralbodysystems.Nourishyour
bodyandhelpshieldyourselffromchronicdiseasebygettingmostofyour
carbohydratesfromfruits,wholegrains,legumes,milkandyogurt.Limitadded
sugarsandheavilyprocessedgrains.
UnderstandingProteins

Whatsfordinner?IntheU.S,thisquestionis
usuallyansweredwithsometypeofmeatlikepotroast,chicken,salmonormeatloaf.
Meat,becauseitsrichinprotein,isusuallycentraltothemeal,andvegetablesand
grainsarefrequentlytheafterthought.Thismaygivetheimpressionthatamealisnt
completewithoutmeatandthatweneedlotsofmeatorproteinforgoodhealth.The
truthis,mostAmericanseatmuchmoreproteinthantheirbodiesrequire.Andevenif
youchoosetoeatnomeatatall,youcanstillmeetyourproteinneeds.
ProteinsintheBody
Likecarbohydratesandlipids,proteinsareoneofthemacronutrients.Thoughprotein
providesyourbodywith4kcalspergram,givingyouenergyisnotitsprimaryrole.
Rather,itsgotwaytoomanyotherthingsgoingon.Infact,yourbodycontains

thousandsofdifferentproteins,eachwithauniquefunction.Theirbuildingblocksare
nitrogencontainingmoleculescalledaminoacids.Ifyourcellshaveall20amino
acidsavailableinampleamounts,youcanmakeaninfinitenumberofproteins.Nine
ofthose20aminoacidsareessential,meaningyoumustgettheminthediet.

Someproteinsareenzymes.Enzymesspeedupchemicalactionssuchasthe
digestionofcarbohydratesorthesynthesisofcholesterolbytheliver.Theyincrease
therateofchemicalreactionssomuchthatnothavingthembecauseofagenetic
defectcanbecatastrophic.

Someproteinsarehormones.Hormonesarechemicalsthatarecreatedinone
partofthebodyandcarrymessagestoanotherorganorpartofthebody.Forexample,
bothglucagonandinsulinarehormonesthataremadeinthepancreasandtravel
throughoutthebodytoregulatebloodglucose.

Someproteinsprovidestructure.The
proteincollagengivesstructuretobones,teethandskin.Hairandnailsdependon
keratin.

Someproteinsareantibodies.Withoutadequateprotein,yourimmunesystem
cannotproperlydefendyouagainstbacteria,virusesandotherinvaders.Antibodies
arethebloodproteinsthatattackandneutralizetheseinvaders.

Proteinsmaintainfluidbalance.Fluidispresentinmanycompartmentsof
yourbody.Itiswithinthecells(intracellularfluid),intheblood(intravascularfluid)
andbetweenthecells(interstitialfluid).Fluidsalsoflowbetweenthesespaces.Its
theproteinsandmineralsthatkeeptheminbalance.Proteinsaretoolargetopass
freelyacrossthemembranesseparatingthecompartments,butsinceproteinsattract
water,theyacttomaintainproperfluidbalance.Ifyourproteinintakeistoolowto
maintainnormalbloodproteinlevels,fluidwillleakintothesurroundingtissuesand
causeswellingcallededema.

Proteinstransportnutrientsandothercompounds.Someproteinssitinside
yourcellmembranespumpingcompoundsinandoutofthecell.Othersattach
themselvestonutrientsorothermoleculestotransportthemtodistantpartsofthe
body.Hemoglobin,whichcarriesoxygen,isonesuchprotein.

Proteinsmaintainacidbasebalance.Bloodthatistooacidicortooalkaline
willkillyou.Fortunately,thebodyregulatesitsacidbasebalanceverytightly.One
mechanismusesproteinsasbuffers.Proteinshavenegativechargesthatpickup
positivelychargedhydrogenionswhenconditionsaretooacidic.Hydrogenionscan
thenbereleasedwhenthebloodistooalkaline.Toillustratethedireconsequencesof
anacidbaseimbalance,thinkaboutwhathappenstoproteinsinanenvironmenttoo
acidoralkaline.Theygetdenaturedwhichchangestheirshapeandrendersthem
useless.Hemoglobin,forexample,wouldnotbeabletocarryoxygenthroughoutyour
body.

Proteinisabackupsourceofenergy.Withsomanyjobs,youcanseewhy
proteinisnotusedasaprimarysourceofenergy.Butratherthanallowingyourbrain
togowithoutglucoseintimesofstarvationorlowcarbohydrateintake,thebody
sacrificesproteinfromyourmusclesandothertissuesortakesitfromthediet(if
available)inordertomakenewglucosefromaminoacidsinaprocesscalled
gluconeogenesis.
ProteinsintheDiet

Bodybuildersdrinkproteinshakesforbreakfast
andafterworkingout.Dieterswithnotimetostopforlunchgrabproteinbars.Are
thesestrategiesnecessaryforoptimalstrengthbuildingandweightloss?Probablynot.
Proteinsinthebodyareconstantlybrokendownandresynthesized.Ourbodiesreuse
mostofthereleasedaminoacids,butasmallportionislostandmustbereplacedin
thediet.Therequirementforproteinreflectsthislostamountofaminoacidsplusany
increasedneedsfromgrowthorillness.TheRecommendedDietaryAllowance(RDA)
forproteinforadultsis0.8g/kgofbodyweight.Becauseoftheirrapidgrowth,infants
havethehighestRDAforproteinat1.5g/kgofbodyweight.TheRDAgradually
decreasesuntiladulthood.Itincreasesagainduringpregnancyandlactationtoalevel
of1.1g/kg.TheRDAforanadultweighing140pounds(63.6kg)isamere51grams
ofprotein,anamountmanyofusconsumebeforemidafternoon.

PhysicalActivity.TheRDAremainsthesameregardlessofphysicalactivity
level.Thereissomedata,however,suggestingthatbothenduranceandstrength
athleteshaveincreasedproteinneedscomparedtoinactiveindividuals.Endurance
athletesmayneedasmuchas1.4g/kg,andstrengthathletesmayrequireasmuchas
1.7g/kg.[8]Abodybuilderweighing200pounds(90.9kg)maythenneedasmuchas
155gramsprotein.

Age.TheAcceptableMacronutrientDistributionRange(AMDR)forprotein
formenandwomenage19andolderis1035%oftotalcalories.Forchildrenage4
andover,itis1030%,andforyoungerchildren,therangeis520%.Foranadult
consuming1600kcalsperday,theacceptableproteinintakerangesfrom40140
gramsperday,anamounteasilymet.Considerthe200pound

bodybuilder
whoseproteinneedsare
approximately155gramsperday.Withenergyneedsapproximately4500kcalsper
day,hisproteinneedsareonly14%ofhistotalcalorieswellwithintheAMDR.
Withhisenergyneedssogreat,however,hisdietwillneedcarefulplanning.Ifhe
requiresengineeredfoodssuchasbarsandshakes,itwillmostlikelybetomeethis
energyneedsratherthanhisproteinneeds.
Onepopulationthatneedsspecialattentionistheelderly.ThoughtheRDAforolder
adultsremainsthesameasforyoungeradults,someresearchsuggeststheirneedsmay
be1.2grams/kgbodyweightinordertopreventthecommonmusclelossand
osteoporosisthatcomealongwithaging.[9]Thoughthisdoesntrequiretheelderlyto
eatlargeservingsoffood,theyfrequentlyhavepoorappetitesanddentalproblems
thatmakechewingdifficult.Helpingthemmeettheirnutritionalneedsmaytakea
littlecreativityandperseverance.

VegetarianDiets.Peoplebecomevegetarianforavarietyofreasonsincluding
religiousbeliefs,healthconcerns,andaconcernforanimalsorfortheenvironment.
Oftentimes,HowcanIgetmyprotein?isthefirstquestionaskedwhenpeople
discusstheirchoiceforvegetarianism.Yes,inthetypicalAmericandiet,mostofour
proteincomesfromanimalfoods.Itispossible,however,tomeetallofyourprotein
needswhileconsumingavegetariandiet.Youcaneveneatadequateproteinona

carefullyplannedvegandietadietthatexcludesallanimalproducts,includingeggs
anddairy.
Whenyouthinkofprotein,likemostpeople,youprobablythinkofbeef,chicken,
turkey,fishanddairyproducts.Beansandnutsmightcometomindaswell.Most
foodscontainatleastalittleprotein,sobyeatingadietwithvariety,vegetariansand
veganscaneatalltheproteintheyneedwithoutspecialsupplements.
Thislistillustratestheamountofproteinfoundincommonfoodsthatmaybe
includedinyourdiet.
ApproximateProteinContentofSelectedFoods

Poultry,beef,fish,4ounce:28g
Broccoli,1cupcooked:6g
Milk,8fluidounce:8g
Peanutbutter,2Tbsp:8g
Kidneybeans,1cup:13g
Wholewheatbread,1slice:4g
Acompleteproteinincludesalloftheessentialaminoacids.Completeproteins
includeallanimalproteinsandsoy.Incompleteproteinslackoneormoreessential
aminoacids.Beans,nuts,grainsandvegetablesareincompleteproteins.Previously,
registereddietitiansandphysiciansadvisedvegetarianstocombinefoodsthat
containedincompleteproteinsatthesamemealtogivethebodyallthenecessary
aminoacidsitneededatonetime.Todayweknowthisisunnecessary.Yourbody
combinescomplementaryorincompleteproteinsthatareeateninthesameday. [10]
Ifyoueatavarietyoffoods,youwillmeetyourproteinneeds.Recreationalathletes
rarelyneedproteinsupplements.Professionalathletesshouldconsultaregistered
dietitian(RD)whoisalsoaCertifiedSpecialistinSportsDietetics(CSSD).Ifyouare
vegetarianorvegan,itswisetoseearegistereddietitianforcarefulplanningofyour
diettomeetnotjustyourproteinneeds,butothernutrientsaswell.

UnderstandingFats

Itallstartedinthe80s.Doctors,nutritionists
andpublichealthofficialstoldustostopeatingsomuchfat.Cutbackonfat,they
said,toloseweightandfendoffheartdiseaseamongotherills.Americanslistened,
butthatdidntimproveourfoodchoices.Rather,lowfatfoodlabelsseducedus,and
wemadepretzelsandfatfree,sugarrichdessertsourgrocerystaples.Todayweknow
tofocusonthequalityofthefatinsteadofsimplythequantity.
FatsintheBody
SayNOtoverylowfatdiets.Why?Manypeoplefindthemlimiting,boring,tasteless
andhardtostickto.Andbecausefattendstoslowdowndigestion,manylowfat
dietersfighthungerpangsalldayoreatsuchanabundanceoflowfatfoodsthattheir
calorieintakeistoogreatforweightloss.
Dietaryfathascriticalrolesinthebody.Eachgramoffat,whetheritsfromaspoon
ofpeanutbutterorastickofbutter,provides9kcals.Thiscaloricdensityisalifesaver
whenfoodisscarceandisimportantforanyoneunabletoconsumelargeamountsof
food.Theelderly,thesickandotherswithverypoorappetitesbenefitfromhighfat
foods.Becausetheirtinytummiescantholdbigvolumes,smallchildrentooneedfat
toprovideenoughcaloriesforgrowth.

Fatsareanenergyreserve.Yourbodycanstorejustsmallamountsof
glucoseasglycogenforenergy,butyoucanputawayunlimitedamountsofenergyas
fattissue.Thisisaprobleminourworldofexcesscalories,butwasnecessaryin
earliertimeswhenfoodwasscarce.Youllusethisstoredenergywhileyoure
sleeping,duringperiodsoflowenergyintakeandduringphysicalactivity.

Fatsprovideessentialfattyacids(EFA).Fattyacidsdifferchemicallybythe
lengthoftheircarbonchains,thedegreeofsaturation(howmanyhydrogenatomsare
boundtocarbon)andthelocationofcarboncarbondoublebonds.Thesearecritical
differencesthatgiveeachfattyaciduniquefunctions.

Ourbodiesareamazingmachinescapableofproducing
mostoftheneededfattyacids.Therearetwofattyacidsthatitcannotmakeatall,
however.TheyarecalledLA(linoleicacid)andALA(alphalinolenicacid).This
makesLAandALA"essential",meaningtheymustbeobtainedthroughthediet.In
thebody,fattyacidsareimportantconstituentsofcellmembranes,andtheyare
convertedtochemicalregulatorsthataffectinflammation,bloodclotting,bloodvessel
dilationandmore.Clinicaldeficienciesarerare.AdeficiencyofLAisusuallyseenin
peoplewithseveremalabsorptionproblems.Itssymptomsarepoorgrowthin
children,decreasedimmunefunction,andadry,scalyrash.InthefewcasesofALA
deficiencythatdoctorsandresearchersareawareof,thesymptomswerevisual
problemsandnerveabnormalities.

Fatscarryfatsolublenutrients.Dietaryfatsdissolveandtransportfat
solublenutrients,suchassomevitaminsandalsodiseasefightingphytochemicalslike
thecarotenoidsalphaandbetacaroteneandlycopene.Toillustrate,researcherswere
abletodetectonlynegligibleamountsofabsorbedcarotenoidsinthebloodof
individualswhohadeatenatossedsaladwithfatfreesaladdressing.Withreducedfat
dressing,thestudyparticipantsabsorbedsomecarotenoids,butwithfullfatdressing,
theyabsorbedevenmore.[11]

Fatsaddtothetextureandflavoroffoods.Youalreadyknowthatfatmakes
foodtastegood.Thatspartlybecausefatsdissolveflavorful,volatilechemicals.They
alsoaddarich,creamytexture,givingfoodasatisfyingmouthfeel.Imaginethe
textureoffatfreechocolate.Notgood,probably.Finally,fatsprovideatenderness
andmoistnesstobakedgoods.
FatsintheDiet

Fatsandoils(collectivelyknownaslipids)contain
mixturesoffattyacids.Youmayrefertooliveoilasamonounsaturatedfat.Many
peopledo.Really,however,oliveoilcontainsacombinationofmonounsaturated,
saturatedandpolyunsaturatedfattyacids,butithasmoremonounsaturatedfattyacids
thanothertypes.Similarly,itistechnicallyincorrecttocalllardasaturatedfat.Itdoes
containmostlysaturatedfattyacids,butbothmonounsaturatedandpolyunsaturated
fattyacidsarepresentaswell.
ThereisnoRecommendedDietaryAllowance(RDA)orAdequateIntake(AI)for
totalfatintakeforanypopulationotherthaninfants.Dependingontheage,theAIfor
infantsis30or31gramsoffatperday.TheAcceptableMacronutrientDistribution
Range(AMDR)is2035%formenandwomenage19yearsandolder.Foranadult
consuming1600kcalsthen,theacceptablefatintakerangesfrom35to62grams
daily.TheAMDRforchildrenishigherandvariesbyage,startingoutat3040%for
childrenages1to3andgraduallyapproachingtheAMDRforadults.Experts
discouragelowfatdietsforinfants,toddlersandyoungchildrenbecausefatisenergy
dense,makingitappropriateforsmall,finickyappetitesandtosupportgrowthandthe
developingcentralnervoussystem.TheAIsforLAandALAforadultsrangefrom
1117gramsand1.1to1.6grams,respectively.

SaturatedFats.Becauseyourbodycanmakeallthesaturatedfattyacidsit
needs,youdonotneedanyinthediet.Highintakesofmostsaturatedfattyacidsare
linkedtohighlevelsofLDL(lowdensitylipoprotein),orbad,cholesteroland
reducedinsulinsensitivity.[12]AccordingtotheDietaryGuidelinesforAmericans
2010,weshouldlimitourintakeofsaturatedfattyacidsto10%ofourtotalcalorie
intake(18gramsforsomeoneeating1600kcalsdaily)toreduceLDLcholesteroland
ourriskforheartdisease.TheAmericanHeartAssociationfavorsagreaterrestriction
tojust7%oftotalcalories(12gramsfora1600kcaldiet).Ifyoutriedtoeatno

saturatedfattyacids,however,youwouldsoonfindthatyouhadlittletoeat.
Rememberthatfatsarecombinationsoffattyacids,soevennutsandsalmon(good
sourcesofhealthyfats)containsomesaturatedfattyacids.

Whatdoesbacongreaselooklikeafterthepan
hascooled?Itsfirmnessisahintthatbaconishighinsaturatedfat.Manysaturated
fatsaresolidatroomtemperature.Dairyfatandthetropicaloils(coconut,palmand
palmkernel)arealsolargelysaturated.Thegreatestsourcesofsaturatedfatinthe
Americandietarefullfatcheese,pizzaanddesserts.[13]
Thebenefityouexperiencefromreducingyourintakeofsaturatedfatsdependson
manyfactors,includingwhatyoureplacethemwith.Loadinguponfatfreepretzels
andgummycandiesmaybetempting,butisamisguidedstrategybecausedietshigh
inheavilyrefinedcarbohydratestypicallyincreasetriglyceridesandlowerthe
beneficialHDL(highdensitylipoprotein)cholesterol,bothriskfactorsforheart
disease.Abetterstrategyistoreplacethefoodsrichinunhealthyfatswithfoodsrich
inhealthyfats.Cookingwithoilsisbetterthancookingwithbutterorlard.Aquick
lunchofapeanutbuttersandwichinsteadofasliceofpizzawilldoyourheartsome
good.Tradingoutsomeofthecheeseonyoursandwichforasliceortwoofavocado
isanothersmartmove.Ifyourcaloriesareinexcess,switchfromwholemilkor2%
reducedfatmilkto1%lowfatmilkornonfatmilktotrimbothcaloriesandsaturated
fats.

TransFats.Foodmanufacturerscreatebothsaturatedandtransfatswhenthey
hardenoilinaprocesscalledhydrogenation,usuallytoincreasetheshelflifeof
processedfoodslikecrackers,chipsandcookies.Partialhydrogenationconverts
some,butnotall,unsaturatedfattyacidstosaturatedones.Othersremainunsaturated
butarechangedinchemicalstructure.Thesearethehealthdamagingtransfats.
Manyexpertsconsidertransfatsevenworsethansaturatedfatsbecause,likesaturated
fats,theycontributetoinsulinresistance[14]andraiseLDLcholesterol,butthere's
morebadnews.TheyalsolowerHDLcholesterol(thegoodcholesterol). [15]The

AmericanHeartAssociationrecommendsthatwekeepourtransfattyacidintaketo
lessthan1%oftotalcalories(lessthan2gramsifconsuming1600caloriesdaily).
AchievingthismightbetrickierthanyourealizebecausemanyfoodstoutingNo
TransFatsontheirlabelsactuallycontaintracesofthesearteryscarringfats.Thats
becausethelawallowsmanufacturerstoclaimzerotransfatsaslongasasingle
servingcontainsnomorethan0.49grams.Ifyoueatafewservingsoffoodswith
smidgensoftransfatlikemargarinecrackersandbakedgoods,youcaneasilyexceed
therecommendedlimit.

Identifytracesoftransfatsbyreadingtheingredientslistsonfoodlabels.Partially
hydrogenatedoiliscodefortransfat.Youknowthatthereareatleasttracesoftrans
fatpresent.Whenoilisfullyhydrogenated(thelabelwillsayhydrogenatedorfully
hydrogenated),itwillnotcontaintransfats.Instead,theunsaturatedfattyacidshave
beenconvertedtosaturatedfattyacids.

UnsaturatedFats.Asdiscussed,unsaturatedfattyacidsimproveblood
cholesterollevelsandinsulinsensitivitywhentheyreplacesaturatedandtransfats.
Therearetwoclassesofunsaturatedfattyacids:monounsaturatedfatsand
polyunsaturatedfats.
Monounsaturatedfatsoucesincludeavocados,nuts,seedsandolives.Peanut,canola
andoliveoilsareadditionalsources.
Thereareseveraltypesofpolyunsaturatedfats,andtheyeachhavedifferentrolesin
thebody.
o

Omega3fattyacidshavebeeninthespotlightrecentlybecauseoftheir
roleinheartdiseaseprevention.ALAisanomega3fattyacid,andyoucanfinditin
walnuts,groundflaxseed,tofuandsoybeans,aswellascommoncookingoilslike
canola,soybeanandwalnutoils.RememberthatyourbodyisunabletocreateALA,
soitsessentialtogetitinthediet.FromALA,yourbodymakestwoothercritically
importantomega3fattyacids(EPAandDHA),buttheconversionisveryinefficient.

ItsbettertogetEPAandDHAfromfish.NotonlyareEPAandDHAimportantto
theheart,buttheyalsopromotevisualacuityandbraindevelopmentinthefetus,
infantandchild;theyseemtoslowtherateofcognitivedeclineintheelderly;and
theymaydecreasethesymptomsassociatedwitharthritis,ulcerativecolitisandother
inflammatorydiseases.Youwillfindtheminbluefish,herring,laketrout,mackerel,
salmon,sardines,andtuna.
o
Omega6fattyacidsareasecondtypeofpolyunsaturatedfats.LAisan
omega6fattyacidandhastobeacquiredthroughthediet.Sourcesofomega6fatty
acidsaresunflowerseeds,Brazilnuts,pecansandpinenuts.Somecookingoilsare
goodsourcestoo,suchascorn,sunflower,safflowerandsesameoils.[16]
Whenyouworkonreducingwholemilkdairy,solidfats(likebutterandbacon
grease),andprocessedfoodscontainingpartiallyhydrogenatedoils,besuretoreplace
themwithunsaturatedfatsratherthansimplyaddingextracaloriestoyourusualdiet.
Otherwiseyoucanexpecttoloosenyourbeltasyouputonthepounds.
Dontfearfats.Insteadchoosethemwisely,makingsureyoudonotexceedyour
calorieneeds.Enjoyfoodswithmonounsaturatedandpolyunsaturatedfatswhile
limitingthesaturatedandtransfats.