Fats

Our body needs fat, not the least because it is an important source of energy.
Fat contains almost twice as much energy as carbohydrates and proteins, which played an important role earlier when we did not have the same excess as we have today.

Our most important sources of fat are vegetable oils, dairy products and meat.
We need fat to repair cells, produce hormones and absorb liposoluble vitamins. Blood pressure, the blood's ability to coagulate and our immune system are all affected by the fat we consume. However, it is important to choose the right type of fat.

A basic piece of advice is to replace saturated fat with unsaturated fat, which offers the biggest health and wellness benefits. Fat is broken down into simple fatty acids in the intestinal canal and absorbed in the blood. Some fats can be formed in the body, for example, carbohydrates can be converted into fat in the liver. However, certain fatty acids must be obtained through our diet. These are known as essential fatty acids. We humans need linolenic acid and linoleic acid in our diet. These fatty acids are mainly found in vegetable oils such as rapeseed and sunflower oil.

Listen to Lovisa!

Choose unsaturated fat, such as fish, rapeseed oil, olive oil and nuts for example, and cut down on saturated fat such as butter, French fries, biscuits and ice cream.

In doing so, you will reduce bad cholesterol and therefore also reduce your risk of heart and vascular diseases.

Increase your intake of unsaturated fat

  • Fry food in rapeseed oil or olive oil instead of butter or margarine.
  • Toss salads with a good vinaigrette instead of a creamy dressing.
  • Cut down on meat in favour of oily fish such as salmon and herring.
  • A handful of nuts is good fat for your body.