Article # 586. Role of Fat in the Body

Your body needs fat to function properly. Fats fill the fat cells – the adipose tissue – that help insulate the body; they’re stored there until your body needs a backup energy source. Your body uses its reserve calories from carbohydrates about 20 minutes into a workout, and then switches to the stored fat in the fat cells for the fuel to keep you going. Fats also supply fatty acids needed to control inflammation and to help with brain development and blood clotting. Your skin and hair depend on fat to be healthy. The body needs fat to absorb and move vitamins A, D, E and K through the bloodstream.