Fats, a fundamental element in our diet

Fats (or lipids) are, along with proteins and carbohydrates, one of the macronutrients present in the diet that should be consumed daily, and that have very important metabolic functions. However, for years their consumption has been linked to a higher risk of developing obesity and cardiovascular diseases.

A new guide from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) provides rigorous and up-to-date information on this nutrient.

The guide is entitled “Fats and oils in the diet. Guide to nutritional and technological aspects”. It is the result of the work of researchers Iñaki Milton-Laskibar, Laura Arellano-García, Alfredo Fernández-Quintela and María Puy Portillo, from the Nutrition and Obesity group at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), who are also members of the Bioaraba Health Research Institute and the Biomedical Research Network Centre for the Pathophysiology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN) in Spain. Barbara Nieva-Echevarría and Encarnación Goicoechea-Osés, researchers from the Food Processing, Quality and Safety (PROCAYSEAL) group at the UPV/EHU, have also collaborated on the guide.

Lipids (or fats) not only serve an energetic function, being the nutrients that provide the most calories per gram (9 kcal), but they also serve structural functions (forming part of different cell membranes) and regulatory functions (various hormones are lipid in nature), as well as serving as thermal insulation and mechanical protection in humans. However, due to their energy density, for years their consumption has been linked to a higher risk of developing obesity and cardiovascular diseases, and consequently they have become almost “demonized”. However, not all fats and oils are the same nor do they have the same effects on the health of those who consume them. Perhaps the clearest example is that of unsaturated fats (such as omega-3 fatty acids present in oily fish), which have beneficial effects on cardiovascular health, as demonstrated by numerous clinical studies of great relevance at an international level. Therefore, tools such as this guide are necessary, which provide rigorous and updated information on this nutrient.

From left to right: Laura Arellano, Alfredo Fernandez-Quintela, Maria Puy Portillo, Barbara Nieva and Encarnacion Goicoechea (Photo: Nuria Gonzalez / UPV/EHU)

Furthermore, oils and fats provide unique sensory and technological properties to foods, such as flavour, texture and a feeling of satiety. In fact, compared to other components naturally present in foods, fat is the one that provides the greatest palatability, that is, that the food is tasty or appetising. They are also frequently used as a heat transfer medium for cooking other foods, such as in frying.

For this reason, and beyond popular beliefs and myths, this guide aims to provide a broad overview of the nutritional characteristics of the different types of oils and fats present in the diet, including information about their consumption, as well as technological aspects and recommendations related to their use for culinary purposes and their domestic storage. (Source: UPV/EHU)