- Fats in the mouth hold on to flavour molecules and release flavours slowly (more pleasant to eat).
- When you eat fat, within 1/2 second of fat on tongue, the brain detects fat in the mouth, and there is increased activity in the brain's pleasure centres. We have an inbuilt urge to seek out fat.
- Normal amount of fat is c. 23% body fat. Abdominal fat is the most dangerous.
- In a healthy diet around one third of calories should come from fats.
- 95% of fat eaten goes into the blood - our bodies are built to do this.
- Body fat cushions internal organs from injury, cushions the buttocks, and is a fat store in the event of lack of food.
- Bodies make fat from sugar and carbohydrates.
- The more we eat, the bigger each of our fat cells get - no other cell type in the body does this.
- Hard fats are more saturated, which leads to higher levels of blood cholesterol.
- Not all saturated fats are the same - each food has different combinations. Some may increase risk of diabetes, while others lower it. Dairy foods seem to be beneficial and processed meats (pies, bacon, suasages) bad for health.
- Unsaturated fats (e.g. olive and rapeseed oils) can lower blood cholesterol and protect against heart disease.
- Omega 3 oil helps build the cells of the body and is needed by the brain. The best sources are oily fish as they store the oil in their flesh: try to eat at least one portion of salmon, sardines or mackerel a week. Other fish (like cod) store the oil in their liver - which is why it is sold as cod liver oil.
- Tiny algae in seawater contain omega 3 oil, but several tons are needed for a few tablespoons of oil. It may be possible to grow and harvest this in the future, not just for humans but also to farm animals to give meat and milk higher in omega 3 oil.
- Frying in fat gives a crispy outside and fluffy inside, as water comes off the surface it crisps up, while the inside stays moist.
Four volunteers took part in a controlled study for the programme.
- Beforehand a blood sample was taken after a meal (a different meal for each volunteer), which was after a 12 hour fast. The meals were: (a) burger and chips, (b) salmon and avocado, (c) a pizza and (d) a bowl of nuts. When the plasma was separated from the rest of the blood it was cloudy, indicating the presence of fat - the same level for all 4 volunteers. 95% of fat eaten goes into the blood - our bodies are built to do this.
- For 7 days all 4 volunteers then ate no fats (no food containing more than 1% fat).
- They ate more carbohydrates, experienced problems with digestion, bloating and wind, felt hungry and found food uninteresting.
- At the end of the 7 days everyone was more fatigued, tired, had less energy. They were also more attracted to fatty food (measured by an eye-tracker experiment).
