What is blood fat and why should you care about it?

When we eat fats, they are absorbed by our gut and enter our bloodstream.

If the level of fats in the blood remains elevated, it can trigger inflammation, leading to various negative health effects including narrowing of your arteries. In the long term this can lead to metabolic diseases.

Fats are so important as they:

So instead of avoiding fats altogether, its important to balance your fat intake with other nutrients and opt for healthy sources of fat to get everything your body needs while preventing elevated blood fat levels.

On average it takes 6-8 hours for blood fats to clear after a single meal. But individual ability to process blood fats varies immensely. Some people can eat large amounts of fat and have almost no rise, while others may have dramatic rises that last many hours after that same meal.

We can actually see the fat in your blood. When we separate plasma from the blood, fats create a cloudy effect. This indicates that the fat from your meal is still in your blood.

Though this is a normal part of the digestion process, it’s important to eat meals containing fats that your body is able to clear quickly.

While food can impact your blood fat, remember that it can also affect other parts of your biology too, like your blood sugar and gut health.

ZOE combines all these factors to recommend the best foods for your overall biology, helping you to reduce dietary inflammation and support your gut.