DIETARY FAT-ITS ROLE IN NUTRITION AND HUMAN REQUIREMENT
- L. Emmett Holt Jr., M.D.
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
Excerpt
Interest in fats goes in waves, the current wave being stimulated by the possible relation of fat to atherosclerosis—an area I shall leave to others to discuss. Instead, I shall call attention to certain other effects of dietary fat that are less in the public eye.
Fats as a Source of Energy Although beyond the scope of this paper, it is worthwhile to recall that not all fats yield the traditional figure of 9 calories per gram; that is only an approximation for average edible fats. The energy obtainable from fat is a function of the length of the carbon chain. The short-chain fatty acids yield less energy; tributyrin, for example, yields only 6.7 calories per gram.
Fats and Physical Work When caloric demands are high, it is well known that fat is a preferred food. The discomfort from the additional bulk of a less calorigenic food is thereby avoided.
