The fats of life

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Published on Tuesday, 09 May 2006

We all need some fat in our diet to absorb fat-soluble vitamins, build cell membranes and provide 'essential' fats that the body can't make. We also need some fat stores to insulate and cushion the body, and make vital hormones - yes, women need curves!  The trick is to get a good balance of the right fats - as different fats affect our health in different ways - and at the same time not eat too much as fat is very high calorie and makes food taste, well, wonderful.

Excess saturated or trans fats, found in fatty meats, cakes, biscuits and hard cheese raise cholesterol levels, while switching to small amounts of beneficial unsaturated fats found in olive and rapeseed oil, nuts and avocados, can lower them. Omega-3 fats, found mainly in oily fish, help to keep the heart, nervous and immune systems healthy.

The Balance of Good Health has more tips for getting the balance right when it comes to fat, as do the healthy shopping and cooking guides below.