People’s perception of fat is slowly changing as more and more research reveals the health benefits of this nutrient. Whilst it is essential for good health and needs to be included as part of a healthy, balanced diet, you can still get too much. In this article I will be discussing four of the disadvantages of eating too much fat.
1) ELEVATED BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS:- Polyunsaturated fat can be broken down into two main types; omega 3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) and omega 6 EFAs. To get the full benefits omega 3 EFAs and omega 6 EFAs need to be eaten in balance. Eating a higher concentration of either type leads to various problems. One of the problems caused by overdosing on omega 3 EFAs is elevated blood glucose levels in people suffering from type 2 diabetes. This can lead to a number of negative symptoms such as blurred vision and weakness. In the long term, elevated blood glucose levels damage your blood vessel and vital organs.
2) ELEVATED LOW DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN (LDL) CHOLESTEROL LEVELS:- There are two types of cholesterol; LDL and HDL. When blood levels of LDL cholesterol are high it builds up in the artery walls and causes blockages. This restricts the flow of blood throughout the body which means the heart has to work harder and makes the chances of a heart attack more likely. HDL cholesterol collects LDL cholesterol from the artery walls and transports it to the liver where it can be processed and removed from the body. Eating too much saturated fat causes an increase in blood levels of LDL cholesterol which leads to the negative symptoms discussed above.
3) INCREASED CANCER RISK:- Overdosing on omega 6 EFAs has been linked with a number of cancers. Two separate studies have linked high consumption of omega 6 EFAs with breast cancer and prostate cancer.
4) INFLAMMATION:- Eating high levels of omega 6 EFAs has been shown to increase inflammation in the body. Inflammation has a number of negative side effects which include bruising, redness and swelling.
Whilst overdosing on fat can be a problem this does not mean you should remove it from your diet. Instead ensure that no more than 70% of your daily calories come from fat. At the very least 15% of your daily calories need to come from carbohydrates and another 15% from protein. This will allow you to get adequate levels of all three macronutrients and most importantly help you avoid eating too much fat.