Dietary Fats Table

Dietary fats are macronutrients (also: proteins, carbs, alcohol, sugar-alochols and soluble fibre), which means that they have calories and your body can use them for energy. Different macronutrients are metabolized very differently. Nutritional labels do not break down nutrients by how they are metabolized, so it requires some extra research and knowledge to know how your food metabolizes.

Dietary fats structurally make up your cell walls. This is one reason they are necessary in the diet. Skin can metabolize fats directly to repair skin cells. Fats are very effective topically as lotion for dry and damaged skin.

Omega-3 and omega-6 fats are used in immune system signaling. They are essential, you body can't synthesize them from other fats. Omega-3 is used for anti-inflammatory signaling, and Omaga-6 is used for inflammatory signaling. The ratio of Omaga-3 to Omega-6 is important in inflammation. For anti-inflammatory effect, especially with psoriasis and metabolic syndrome, supplement marine Omega-3 and limit Omega-6 intake.

Fats in general are the most stable macro-nutrients. They cause the least stress and damage during metabolism, are the least likely to be stored as adipose tissue aka body fat, and allow the metabolism to correctly signal your calorie load. Basically, you can over eat fats but you will stay full a long time. Your body correctly suppresses hunger with excess calories. Whereas extra carbs can cause damage, disrupt signaling, store as liver or body fat, and then you are hungry again.

The other macronutrients are proteins, carbs, alcohol, sugar-alochols and soluble fibre. Fats, proteins and soluble fibre are necessary for survival. Certain fats are also essential, meaning your body cannot synthesize them from other fats. Proteins are active in tissue repair. Your body can produce all the glucose and glycogen it needs if carbs are not eaten. Soluble fibre is technically a carb, and often considered zero calorie because most of the calories it provides feed your gut flora and intestinal cells. Sugar-alcohols are similar to carbs, and often pass through undigested. Below is the full table of dietary fats, and some less dietary ones from human metabolism and other sources. Each fat behaves differently, so it is useful to have a full list. The essential fatty acids (ALA & LA, conditionally EPA, DHA, & GLA) cannot be synthesized in human metabolism, they must be obtained in the diet, or topically.

Fun fact: The essential fatty acids were brei fly referred to as ''Vitamin F''.
Side note: Essential fatty acids are different from ''essential oils''. Essential plant oils are not dietary fats, they have [usually somewhat toxic] defense chemicals with the smell (essence) of the plant.