The fats of life

By Dr NORIMAH A KARIM

Despite its reputation, we have to realise that not all fats are bad.

OVER the years, the media has done a fair bit in highlighting the dangers of fat, but quite rarely its benefits. Hence, the misconception and common belief that “Fat is bad, so stay away!” The fact, however, is that fats are an important component in our diet, more so in our children’s diet.

Why is fat important in your child’s diet?

Fats have many functions in the body, and these include:

·Important for providing energy and maintaining body temperature.

·Insulates and acts as a shock absorber for bones and organs.

·Helps the body absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.

·Is a structural component of myelin, the fatty insulating sheath surrounding each nerve fibre, enabling it to carry messages faster.

Fat deficiency is rarely seen in our society. However, the dangers of not giving your child fats can be severe, resulting in weight loss, dryness of the skin, atopic eczema and others.

What are the types of fat?

In general, there are two types of fats: the good fats and the harmful fats. It is crucial that you understand the roles of these fats and how they may benefit or harm your child’s wellbeing.

Good fats are categorised into two basic groups: polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) and monounsaturated fats (MUFAs).

Polyunsaturated fats: The two types of PUFAs are omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. These fats are crucial to help your child in areas such as:

·Better quality cell membrane – Every cell in the human body is held together by a thin membrane that is composed of fats, primarily the essential fats. These essential fats contribute to a better quality cell membrane, which allows nutrients and oxygen to get into cells more easily, and helps carbon dioxide and other waste products leave the cells efficiently. Because the composition of fats in this membrane is determined by the composition of the fats that your child eats, it is vital that you keep an eye on the amount and the type of fats your child consumes.

·Supports brain development – The brain has almost 20 billion cells that are in a state of non-stop action, which enables us to think, make connections, solve problems and other such activities.

It has been found that nearly 60% of the brain is made up of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPs) such as arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). A study on the relationship of intellectual function and the intake of essential fatty acids in the University of Dundee, Scotland, showed that children who are fed with DHA, an omega-3 essential fatty acid, had better problem-solving skills than those who didn’t.

·Reduces inflammatory reactions – Essential fats are processed by the body into eicosanoids. These are special molecules that act as messengers in the central nervous system and are involved in many bodily processes. According to the European Heart Journal, the quantity of essential fats such as omega-3 and omega-6 in the diet can affect inflammatory processes in the body and work to stop inflammation as these fats are generally anti-inflammatory.

·Smoother hair and skin – The essential fats can also give your child healthy hair and skin because they help build soft flexible cell walls, resulting in smoother hair and skin. The cells in our bodies use these good fats to regenerate and build new tissues.

Monounsaturated fats – Monounsaturated fatty acids are largely neutral. You may include these fats in your child’s diet. However, do take note that excessive or extreme intake of these fats should be avoided.

Harmful fats can generally be divided into saturated fats and trans fats.

·Saturated fats – Saturated fats are mostly found in food from animal sources, such as meat, dairy products and eggs. Children, in particular, need some of this fat in their daily diet, partly for use as energy, and partly to be incorporated into their bodies as they grow. However, technically, this fat is not essential in the diet because the body can manufacture what it needs from the essential fats, but it shouldn’t be avoided altogether.

·Trans fats – These fats are harmful fats. They rarely occur in natural foods, and when they do, they are relatively harmless and the amounts are small. Trans fats are created when food is fried, especially when deep-fried, and often in the processing of food. The ideal amount of trans fats in your child’s diet is zero.

Fat watch

Now that you know there are two types of fats – the good fats and the harmful fats, it is important that you watch your child’s fat intake. Do ensure your little one gets a variety of the good fats in adequate amounts. Keep in mind also that too much fat will lead to obesity and health problems. Focus on reducing foods high in saturated fats and trans fats and select more foods containing unsaturated fats.

To learn more about how proper early nutrition can benefit your child, join us and our team of experts in a series of Positive Parenting Child Nutrition Seminars that will be held throughout Malaysia in the coming months. The upcoming seminar will be conducted in the Klang Valley on June 20, 2009. For more details, please call (03) 5621 1408 or (03) 5621 1691.