Many people try to avoid eating fat because they incorrectly associate eating this nutrient with increased body fat levels. However, fat is actually 1 of the 3 main nutrients that humans need to survive and removing it from your diet can have a number of nasty side effects. In this article I am going to be expanding on these and discussing 4 of the unpleasant side effects of fat deficiency.
1) FAT SOLUBLE VITAMIN DEFICIENCY: Foods that are rich in fat are usually the best source of fat soluble vitamins. Fats also help your body absorb these vitamins and get the maximum benefit from them. Cutting fats out of your diet means that not only do you risk fat deficiency but you also risk being deficient in these vitamins. This brings its own selection of unpleasant side effects which include anemia (a low red blood cell count), vision problems, weak bones and skin problems.
\"Fat Free Diet\"
2) INCREASED HEART DISEASE RISK: Low fat diets are often linked with a reduced heart disease risk. However, recent research has revealed that this is not actually true. Fat deficiency has been linked with atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), increased triglyceride levels and reduced high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (a type of cholesterol which removes plaques from the artery walls) levels. All these factors restrict the flow of blood to your heart and increase your heart disease risk.
3) HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE: High blood pressure is a condition which can cause serious damage to your blood vessels and vital organs. It also makes you more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke. Regular consumption of omega 3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) can lower your blood pressure. Not getting enough has the opposite effect and leads to high blood pressure.
4) MENTAL PROBLEMS: Eating omega 3 EFAs supports good mental health by assisting in the production of signal pathways in the brain and protecting its cells from damage. Failing to get enough removes this protective benefit and can lead to a number of mental problems. This type of fat deficiency has been linked with Alzheimer's disease (a mental disorder which can lead to the loss of memory, thought and speech), attention deficit disorder (a mental disorder characterised by short attention spans), autism (a mental disorder which causes communication problems) and schizophrenia (a mental disorder which causes split personalities).
SUMMARY
As you can see, fat deficiency is not healthy and cutting fats from your diet is not something you want to do. To avoid the nasty symptoms of fat deficiency take a look at your diet and make sure that at least 15% of the calories you consume each day come from fat. This can easily be achieved by adding healthy, natural fats such as dairy, fish, meat and nuts to your daily meals.
4 Unpleasant Side Effects of Fat Deficiency
Tom Parker owns Free Fitness Tips - a fantastic source of free, impartial fitness advice. You can learn more about fat and fat deficiency by visiting his website.