Discover the Delicious: Top 13 Surprising and Entertaining Facts About Fats You Never Knew

1. Buttery Vitamin Bonanza

What do you get when you cross Paula Deen's guilty pleasure with a vitamin shop? A buttery bonanza of surprising health benefits: One tablespoon of unsalted butter not only contains over 400 different fatty acids, but also provides around 14% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A for women and 11% for men. This silky smooth golden delight has been shown to contain heart-friendly CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) and, if grass-fed, even boasts omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin K2. Just remember, moderation is key when indulging in this vitamin-packed dairy dream.
Source => verywellfit.com

2. Brain-Boosting Fats

Butter me up and call me toast, because our brains are big fans of the good kind of fat: Essential fatty acids, specifically omega-3 ones like DHA, play a crucial role in brain development and function, including the maturation of the retina and visual cortex, and have been linked to improved mental and visual performance.
Source => pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Did you know that our bodies can't produce essential omega-3 fatty acids? Discover the importance of including them in our diets and some surprising sources!

=> Fun Facts about Lipids

3. Fatty Acid-Fueled Feathers

Birds of a feather really do flock to "FA" together, and in this case, FA stands for Fatty Acids: Migratory songbirds increase their body fat reserves up to 40%-60% of their weight by feasting on high-energy berries and fruits rich in lipids and carbohydrates, gearing up for their long, epic flights.
Source => ajc.com

4. The Fish Oil Catch

Ahoy, fish oil fans! You might be hooked on the idea that these slippery supplements are truly fin-tastic, but reel it in – for here's the catch: fish oil supplements only provide modest benefits for heart health, despite containing omega-3 fatty acids. While gobbling fish at least twice a week will have your heart swimming in lower disease risks, tossing back fish oil pills seems to be a drop in the ocean for cardiac wellbeing.
Source => mayoclinic.org

5. Avocado: The Good Fat Gem

If someone ever tells you that avocados are "all that and a bag of chips," they're not just guac-ing around: These green gems of the food world are loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, which help reduce inflammation and decrease the risk of developing heart disease, as well as lower those pesky LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. So go ahead and embrace your avocado addiction, because they're bringing the good (fat) vibes!
Source => healthline.com

6. MVPs of Luscious Locks

Worried about your crowning glory looking dull and lifeless? Fats to the rescue, leaping over bottles of hair potions in a single bound! So let's hear it for the real MVPs of luscious locks and polished nails: healthy fats like unsaturated fats, omega-3, and plant-based fats, along with nutrients like vitamins A, E, and D, and iron, help provide energy, support hair growth, and maintain immune function, all while keeping your hair, skin, and nails moisturized and radiant.
Source => mayoclinichealthsystem.org

7. Nutty Heart Heroes

Ladies and gentlemen, step right up to witness the fine art of fats – they're nutty and they're here to wallop your heart's blues away: Macadamias, pecans, and walnuts are among the stars in the healthy fat world, reducing inflammation, improving artery health, and decreasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes, but remember, moderation is key as they also pack a calorie punch!
Source => mayoclinic.org

8. French Moderation Magic

Oh là là! French cuisine is not always as it "seams" with their fancy sauces and delicate pastries; believe it or not, these gourmands have a secret ingredient named moderation: Contrary to popular belief, the French don't throw caution à la wind when it comes to their rich dishes, instead, they practice portion control and appreciate quality over quantity, resulting in lower incidences of obesity and a healthier relationship with food. Sacré bleu, mon chéris!
Source => journals.openedition.org

9. Plant Oil Solidification Shenanigans

Ever been green with envy, and decided to 'solidify' your stance? Well, plant oils apparently took that quite literally: by undergoing a process called hydrogenation, they can transform themselves into solid fats, although this sneaky move can also create unhealthy trans-fatty acids, reducing the goodness of their unsaturated fats.
Source => recipetips.com

10. Fats: Secret to Floating

Whoever said "sink or swim" clearly didn't keep their fats in mind: Turns out people with a higher fat to muscle ratio tend to float better in water, as fat has a lower specific gravity than bone and muscle, making it easier to stay afloat – but don't disregard factors like buoyancy, air in the lungs, and body fluids that might make it sink or swim for the rest of us!
Source => your-personal-swim-coach.nl

11. Weight Loss Olive Oil Wonders

Hold on to your avocados, folks, because the secret to weight loss might just be hiding in that fancy schmancy olive oil on your countertop: Turns out, diets rich in monounsaturated fats can actually help with weight loss, comparable to low-fat diets, as long as calorie intake remains the same. In fact, high-mufa diets may even be more effective than low-fat, high-carb diets for shedding those pesky pounds!
Source => healthline.com

12. Blubber's Fat-tastic Functions

You might say blubber has it all wrapped up thanks to its multifunctional fatuousness: Not merely a snug fat blanket for marine mammals like seals, whales, and walruses, blubber's uses range from energy storage (nursing mothers stockpile it pre-birth) to ensuring buoyancy by being less dense than ocean water, making these heavyweights the true floaters of the sea.
Source => nationalgeographic.org

13. Ghee: Ayurvedic Dairy-free Delight

The Ayurveda-approved kryptonite for dairy-phobes: Ghee, a special form of clarified butter, not only champions the lactose-free and casein-free leagues but also boasts a stellar lineup of vitamin A, anti-inflammatory fatty acids like conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and butyric acid, aiding in body fat reduction and offering anti-cancer superpowers. Plus, with its 480 degrees Fahrenheit smoke point, it's perfect for high-heat culinary adventures without summoning free radical villains.
Source => elizabethrider.com