Before the body can use dietary fat, it needs to first be digested and absorbed properly.
Healthy fats are essential for many bodily functions such as:
- Hormone production
- Brain health
- Energy production
- Cell membrane maintenance
- Vitamin absorption
The digestion of fats is dependent on several factors, stomach acid, pancreatic enzymes, bile released from the liver and gallbladder, and a healthy small intestine. If any of these have an imbalance, the fats go through the digestive tract without fully being absorbed. This can eventually affect our digestion, hormones, energy levels, vitamin status and our skin health.
Here are 4 signs to look out for:
1. Floating, greasy and pale stools (poop)
These are signs of poor fat digestion therefore excess fat appears in your stools. In an ideal situation, bile breaks fat into smaller droplets, the pancreatic enzymes then break down triglycerides (most common fat in our body) into fatty acids which are then absorbed by the small intestines.
What to look out for in the toilet:
- Floating stools
- Greasy or oily appearance
- Difficult to flush
- Pale or clay looking stools
- Difficulty to flush stools
2. Feeling bloated or nauseous after a fat rich meal
It's common to feel uncomfortable after eating meals rich in fats, this could be due to poor bile flow, or inadequate amounts of digestive enzymes that then leave fats not fully digested.
This can lead to:
- Fullness
- Bloating
- Nausea
- Upper abdominal discomfort
- Excessive burping
3. Dry skin, brittle hair or slow wound healing
Healthy fats are structural components for cells, making them essential to our body.
Possible signs of low levels of fatty acids:
- Dry skin
- Flaky skin
- Brittle nails
- Hair thinning
- Delayed wound healing
- Cracked lips
4. Frequent vitamin A, D, E, K deficiencies
Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble and require dietary fats and bile to properly be absorbed.
If these are not properly absorbed, these symptoms may occur:
- Weaker immunity resilience
- Poor night vision
- Easy bruising
- Muscle weakness
How can you support healthy fat digestion:
- Include a source of bitter herbs 30mins before your lunch and dinner such as rocket, chicory, endive, dandelion leaves (aim for 1 cup per meal)
- Eating slowly and chewing thoroughly (aim to chew at least 10-15 times before your next bite)
- Eating enough fiber to support proper bile acid metabolism such as lentils, chickpeas, apples, pears, bananas, flaxseeds, chia seeds, oats, vegetables (aim for 25–30 g of fiber per day)
- Including daily healthy fats such as: extra virgin olive oil (1-2tbso), avocado (1/2 -1), oily fish (at least 2 portions per week), walnuts, pumpkin seeds, almonds (a handful daily)
- Reducing/removing ultra processed fats such as: processed baked goods, fried takeaway foods, crisps, foods high in refined seed oils