With more than twice the number of calories per gram as carbohydrates or protein, fat is a major source of energy in the diet. Contrary to popular belief, dietary fat does not make you fat. Consuming more calories than your body burns and eating nutrient-sparse foods, especially sugary and highly processed foods, makes you fat. Making good dietary choices really matters, but it is the type of fat, not the amount, that is most important.

Fatty acids are acids formed when our bodies digest fats. Our body breaks down dietary fats into fatty acids that are absorbed into the bloodstream. Fatty acid molecules are generally grouped together, forming triglycerides. Triglycerides can also be made from carbohydrates. Fatty acids have many important functions in the body:

1. Provide energy (if glycogen and glucose stores are exhausted)
2. Development and function of the brain and nervous system
3. Regulate thyroid and adrenal activity
4. Healthy cell development, including the ability to block tumor growth
5. Preventing blood clots
6. Relieve arthritis and other inflammatory conditions
7. Regulate blood pressure

Although carbohydrates are the body's preferred source of fuel because sugar is a very efficient form of energy, the body will burn fat stores if there are not adequate carbohydrate stores. This is the main reason it is so difficult for people to lose weight. During an intense, 30-minute, heart-pounding workout, your body will burn mostly carbohydrate stores (glycogen) and never touch its fat reserves!^{1, 2}

Reducing saturated fatty acids intake is a major focus of most dietary recommendations aiming to prevent chronic diseases including coronary heart disease (CHD).

Saturated fat is found in high amounts in animal products; but also can be found in a few plant sources including coconut, palm, and palm kernel oils.³

Unsaturated fats are predominantly found in foods from plants, such as vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds. Unsaturated fats are known to improve blood cholesterol levels, ease inflammation, stabilize heart rhythms, and help the body in many other ways. There are two types of unsaturated fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated.⁴

Monounsaturated fats are also known as omega-9 fats (abbreviated "n-9") or oleic acid. Monounsaturated fats are abundant in some fruits (olives and avocados), nuts/seeds (sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, macadamias, peanuts, and pecans), and oils (olive, canola, high oleic sunflower oil, hazelnut oil, high oleic safflower oil, and almond). Monounsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature, high in nutrients, improve cholesterol levels, and reduce heart disease significantly.⁴

Polyunsaturated fats are found mostly in plant-based foods and come in two main types: omega-3s (n-3) and omega-6s (n-6). Omega-3s and omega-6s are types of essential fatty acids, meaning that our bodies cannot produce them and we must obtain them from our diet.⁴