What Is The Role Of Fat In The Body?

[Ron J]

Hello everyone
Assuming that you cannot use the adipose stored in your body, what bodily functions absolutely require triglycerides? And how much dietary fat?

 

[Cirion]

In the simplest terms, body fat is needed for a reservoir of energy, so if you are super lean you probably need to intake more fats and if you are fat you probably need less. There is a very rare disease in which the body is incapable of storing body fat and it's actually a very dangerous condition that requires you to basically constantly be eating to not die. If you run out of stored energy you die basically. So yeah, you do need SOME fats. Personally, I'd say as long as you are lean but not deathly lean you should be OK in terms of sufficiency.

In for answers though. I feel like fats are not needed as long as you have a sufficient store of it. Any fats that may be "needed" for bodily functions can be drawn from your reservoir, as long as you aren't too lean (and most people don't have this problem =P)

 

[Ron J]

So if you didn't have the adipose tissue for needed bodily functions, what would be the total triglyceride expenditure of every bodily function?

 

[Cirion]

No idea at all. Good question. I do know that studies have suggested an optimal fat intake between 25-40% of daily caloric expenditure... roughly. But in my experience, even 25% is too much, if you're fat anyway, I think those numbers more apply to someone who is relatively healthy, and also take care not to mix fats in carbs in the same meal (randle cycle).