Our bodies need fat. Having a diet without fat is unhealthy, the same as having a diet without protein or carbohydrate would be. Fat supplies energy to cells and provides essential fatty acids your body can’t produce. A small amount of fat helps the body absorb vitamins A, D and E which are fat-soluble vitamins only absorbed by fats.
A healthy, balanced diet requires a little bit of fat, especially unsaturated fats. However, overconsumption of fat can have a significant negative effect on your health, particularly saturated fat.
Foods high in saturated fat include fatty cuts of meat, sausages and pies, cream and cheese, butter, biscuits and confectionary. Here are just some of the possible consequences for your health if you’re eating too much fat in your diet.
Eating Too Much Fat: The Health Repercussions
Cardiovascular Diseases
A diet high in fat has long been linked to a high rate of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Saturated fats in particular easily turn into low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. High levels of LDL can lead to atherosclerosis, a disease that deposits fatty substances on the wall of the affected artery.
This has the effect of narrowing the artery, preventing, or stopping blood flow (atherosclerosis). High fat consumption has also been linked with high levels of triglycerides in the blood, which again can lead to atherosclerosis.
Examples of CVDs include:
- Peripheral arterial disease. This blocks the blood supply to your legs, resulting in muscle pain
- Coronary heart disease where the main arteries that supply the heart with blood become clogged, resulting in angina
- Stroke – this is where the blood supply to the brain becomes blocked, possibly leading to permanent damage or death
- Heart attack – the blood supply to your heart is blocked, again possibly leading to death
Diabetes
Since fat has more calories than carbs or protein, too much of it can lead to weight gain. Being obese significantly increases your chances of developing type 2 diabetes.
A large intake of food, especially fatty foods, overwhelms your body and makes it difficult for the body to process insulin, which inhibits an individual’s ability to metabolize sugar. Insulin allows muscle cells to use the blood sugars (or glucose). Without insulin, sugar would stay in the blood, rising and rising. Type 2 diabetes is linked to insulin resistance, which interferes with the body’s ability to then transport glucose from the blood to muscle cells.
Cancer
A high intake of fat has been linked to many types of cancer, including breast, esophageal, pancreatic, kidney, and colon/rectal. There has been much research on this subject, with no definitive reason found. However, studies have indicated the following possible explanations:
- Fat tissue produces excess amounts of estrogen. Increased levels of estrogen have been linked with a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
- Insulin resistance developed from type 2 diabetes may promote certain tumor growths.
- Fat cells have direct and indirect effects on tumor cell growth through the production of adipokines. For example, one type of adipokine is leptin, which seems to promote cancer cell growth.
Bone and Joint Conditions
Fat consumption often leads to weight gain. Heavier weight puts more strain on the joints and bones, resulting in excessive wear and tear. Operations for hip and other joint replacements can be the outcome if joints wear out. Furthermore, increased weight can mean more pressure put on bones, leading to fractures.
Another condition exacerbated by joint wear and tear is arthritis. For example, osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage that covers the ends of bones at the joint is eroded. The more weight that is put on the joint, the more likely it is that the cartilage wears down and then be damaged.
9 Healthy Things To Help You Live Longer
Cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and bone and joint problems aren’t the only downsides to eating too much fat. What is certain is that a healthy balanced diet, together with exercise, will reduce your risk of contracting these. We can never eliminate the risk entirely, and nor should we eliminate fat from our diet. Choose healthy fats in small portions, including nuts, avocado, and olive oil.
If you want to know exactly where you should be focusing your efforts to live a healthier lifestyle check out my free report Top 9 Things You Can Do For Your Health To Help You Live Longer. The choices you make about your lifestyle don’t mean that you and your loved ones have to live shorter lives.
