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Fat is an underestimated, much maligned macronutrient. Unfortunately, the food industry has encouraged some degree of fat phobia by introducing a plethora of “fat-free” products in the 1990s, and health opinion leaders have been chanting the low-fat mantra for several years. As a result, people are skeptical about eating this essential nutrient.

Fat is unique among the macronutrients in that it is the most concentrated source of energy (one gram of fat yields nine calories versus the four calories each from carbohydrates and protein), which is likely the root of its bad reputation. Fat pervades the body: every cell in the body needs a membrane made of fat, and most of our brain tissue (estimates are as high as sixty percent) is fat.

Within the fat nutrient group are saturated fats (generally animalbased fats, except tropical oils, like coconut and palm oils) and unsaturated fats (typically plant-based fats). The body cannot make certain unsaturated fats (omega-6 and omega-3 fats), so they have been called essential fats, meaning that we must eat them. If we don't eat enough of these fats relative to other dietary fats, our vision worsens, our skin becomes rough, our hair can fall out, and our nails fray.

Due to their high quantity in the brain, these fats are also important for behavior. We can't concentrate or feel good without them. Supplemental forms of essential fats include liquid or soft gels containing fish oils (high in omega-3 fats called eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, DHA), flaxseed oil, borage-seed oil, and evening primrose oil.