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Fat is a chemical compound containing one or more fatty acids that is essential to keeping the body properly functioning. Along with protein and carbohydrates, it is one of three types of nutrients that supply calories to the body. Fat provides 9 calories per gram, more than double the amount provided by protein and carbohydrates. Oils are simply liquid fats and the two terms may be used interchangeably.

Fat provides numerous benefits to the body. In the body, fats provide energy, as well as insulation and protection. Fat is involved in the processes that help regulate blood pressure, heart rate, blood vessel constriction, blood clotting and the functions of the nervous system.

Dietary fat also provides flavor and texture to foods. For example, fat may make foods creamy (e.g., peanut butter and ice cream), moist and tender (e.g., meat) or brown and crispy (e.g., baked goods).

Consuming fat provides people with a sense of fullness, because fat is digested more slowly than proteins and carbohydrates. This sense of fullness – or satiety – may keep people from overeating.

However, too much fat – particularly too much of certain types of fat – can be bad for a person’s health. People who consume excess fat are at risk of obesity, which can contribute to many diseases, including heart disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions.

A diet high in certain types of fat can also significantly raise the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the so-called “bad” cholesterol. The type of fat that a person consumes is as important to health as the overall total amount of fat consumed.

Fats and oils are made up of chains of molecules called fatty acids. These fatty acids can be classified into three major groups depending on their chemical structure: saturated, unsaturated (including polyunsaturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids) and trans fat (chemically altered fatty acids in manufactured or processed foods). The fats and oils found in foods are almost always a mixture of these groups of fatty acids.