Fats provide a concentrated store of energy in the body. Weight for weight they provide twice as much energy as do either carbohydrates or proteins. If you eat too much of any of these three basic food materials your body can store the surplus as fat. A lot has been said about the advantages of vegetable fats over animal fats. This is to over-simplify the problem.

The great change in the balance and quantity of fats in our diet this century has been away from the polyunsaturated fats and towards the hard or saturated fats. Usually animal fats and dairy fats are saturated. We are eating too much fat of all kinds and should reduce the total quantity we consume. After reducing the total quantity of fat we should reduce the saturated fat further and replace this with polyunsaturated fats.

These are found in grains and cereals especially Soya, maize or corn, sunflower, linseed, sesame and safflower. Some vegetable fats are quite saturated as the animal variety; examples of these, which should be taken only in moderation, are coconut and palm oils. There is much evidence, and the majority of nutritionists would support the view, that too much fat in the diet, especially if it is saturated, increases the chance of arteriosclerosis and heart attack.

In comparison, a moderate consumption of the polyunsaturated fats together with some saturated positively reduces the amount of triglycerides and cholesterol in the blood and reduces the occurrence of thickening of the arteries. To increase your intake of polyunsaturated fats you can use soft margarine made with vegetable oils, and cook in the best oils such as corn or sunflower. If you eat meat, cut off the fat, which is saturated. Remember too, that cocoa butter is very saturated, so a lot of chocolate is not a good idea.