ROLE OF THE FAT IN DIET!

Fat is often treated ill or underrated in diet. The dark sides exist along with pros. Let us check the prominence of fats in our diet.

1) Source of Energy- 

Fat is the most concentrated source of energy in the diet. Each gram of fat, whether animal or vegetable or liquid or solid, releases 9kcal of energy when completely oxidized to carbon dioxide and water. 

2) Satiety value- 

Fat tends to leave the stomach relatively slowly. It can still be released from the stomach for upto 3.5 hours after a meal, with the precise time depending on the size and composition of the meal. This prolonged stay in the stomach helps to delay the onset of hunger pangs.

3) Carrier of fat soluble vitamins- 

The dietary essentials include four fat- soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Dietary fat serves as a carrier for these vitamins, thus eliminating fat from diet leads to reduced intake of them. 

4) Palatability-

The presence of fat in food or its addition to food, is responsible for much of the texture and flavor of food. 

It has also been suggested that fat in the diet stimulates the flow of digestive juices. I believe before eliminating fats from diet completely , we really need to think again!