Nutrition: dietary fat

Some fats are vital for healthy body functioning. Dietary fat gives the body insulation, helping to maintain a constant temperature against extremes of hot and cold. It also serves as an important source of energy.

The need for fats

Some fats are vital for healthy body functioning, but it's important to know which fats are which, as some of them can cause 'bad' cholesterol levels to increase.
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Good fats, bad fats

In recent years, countless words have been written about fat - how much we need, and which types are “good” or “bad”. Some types of fat confer important health benefits.
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Nutrition: what is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy substance in your blood that is a major component of every cell wall in your body. It is required for the production of some hormones, such as the sex hormones oestrogen and testosterone.
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Choosing healthy meat and fish

Meat and meat products are one of the major sources of fat, especially saturated fat, in the diet, but - as the chart shows - there is a wide variation in the amount of total fat and saturated fat in different types of meat.
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Reducing saturated fat

Lessen your risks of developing disease by modifying your dietary fat intake.
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Same food, less fat

Frying - and particularly deep-frying - is a cooking method that can greatly increase fat content. It should be used rarely if you are trying to reduce fat intake in your diet.
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Making the olive oil choice

Olive oil is acclaimed for its taste as well as its health benefits. Olive oil can hardly be bad for you when it is renowned for its pivotal role in the Mediterranean diet. Learn more…
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The tongue detects a sixth taste – fat

According to an American research team, our tongues can detect a sixth taste, in addition to the 5 already known – fat.
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Palm oil: Do we need a 'Nutella' tax?

Not only is palm oil bad for health – it’s also to blame for deforestation in South East Asia. That’s according to the French government, which recently proposed a ‘Nutella’ tax to promote healthy eating and save the environment. But is there any truth in these claims? We separate the myths from...
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3 things about…Omega fatty acids

Many foods shout out their omega 3 content. But what exactly are omega fatty acids, and what are the health benefits?
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Fried food is ok! Just make sure you use olive oil and sunflower oil!

Fried food is not necessarily bad for your cardiovascular health, provided you use olive oil or sunflower oil according to a Spanish study published on Tuesday 24 January in the British Journal of Medicine.

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