Consumption of Fat in Indian Diet

Fats are an important constituent of any diet and play an important role in both health and disease. Excessive consumption of fats in diet, especially those derived from animals sources, elevates blood cholesterol, which is then responsible for atherosclersis, leading to cardiovascular and other related disorders. Epidemiologic data has shown that Asians Indians have one of the highest prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease, compared to other populations in the world. There are primarily two types of fats in diet, visible and invisible. The amount of fat needed by an individual should be able to meet the requirements of essential fatty acids, provide palatability and yet should not produce any adverse effects. It is estimated that about 15 – 25 g of visible fat meets both the requirements of essential fatty acids and 3-6% of the total energy needs. In a country like India, even a rural diet which is primarily cereal based, the amount of invisible fat that is present is about 15 g and this is able to contribute nearly 6% of total energy requirements. It is also recommended that under no circumstances should the calories derived from fat exceed 30% i.e. more than 80 g per day. The amount of visible and invisible fat diet in India varies across the country. Surveys by various agencies have worked out values for the consumption of visible and invisible fats in India. Fats is an important source of essential fatty acids, namely Linoleic acid (n-6) and Alpha linolenic acid (n-3). Essential fatty acid should be in an optimal ratio in diet. A desirable n-6/n-3 ratio is between 5-10. A ratio above 50 is injuries to health. In our country, in populations which consume rapeseed, mustard, soyabean or palmolein oil, the ratio of n-6/n-3 in the desirable range.