Explain the difference between essential body fat and storage body fat

Explain the difference between essential body fat and storage body fat: Understanding How Your Body Uses Fat

Fat, however, is an essential macro-nutrient for the body, though it often carries negative connotation. The body requires fat to function optimally. The human body allots fat storage in two principal forms; that is essential body fat and storage body fat, which serve different functions in the body.

Essential body fat is critical for maintaining life and bodily functions, while additional storage body fat is the extra fat stored by the body for energy reserves. Knowing about essential fat and storage fat helps anyone to know how the body processes fat and utilizes it and an understanding of why optimal balance is so necessary for health.

What the Essential Body Fat is?

Definition and Role

Essential body fat is the fat necessary for the body to perform its most basic functions, such as life and organ functioning. This fat is fundamentally for survival, holding within it organs and tissues inclusive in the overall structure of the body. Contrary to storage fat, essential fat is not there for energy deficit storage, providing physiological functions directly.

Where is it Found?

Essential body fat, however, is not evenly distributed in the human body; rather, it is localized at specific sites, including:

The Brain: The brain belongs to the "fat-organ" fraternity. The organ comprises about 60 percent fats; it is worth noting that a significant portion of this fat is needed for the brain's work. Essential fat in the brain is involved in cognitive processes such as memory and learning and protects the neurons of the brain.

Bone Marrow: The fat in bone marrow is very important for the production of blood cells. The marrow is a soft tissue inside bones and produces red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. It provides fat in bone marrow, which is very essential and contributes to the maintenance of healthy blood circulation.

Heart: The heart also has associated fat. Essential in maintaining the structural integrity of the heart muscle and ensuring circulation, fat helps provide cushioning and protection against mechanical damage to the heart.

Organs and Tissues: Such essential fat is present in different organs but is more abundantly present in the organs of the body such as the liver, kidneys and lungs, whose roles include supporting the structure and function of the organ. An example; fat helps the liver process lipids, and synthesizes proteins and energy balance.

Nervous System: Fat is also for the nervous system. Myelin is fat and forms the insulating layer around nerve fibers. This insulation is essential to ensure that the nerve signals are sent efficiently and rapidly throughout the body. The nervous system would malfunction without adequate fat for bulking.

The Function of Essential Fats

Essential fats perform a number of unique functions within the body:

Hormonal Balance: Fats take part in hormone production, especially those involved in reproduction. For example, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone are produced with the help of fats. These hormones control the menstrual цикл, fertility and other bodily functions. Therefore, essential fats become even more important for females because of their reproductive health.

Energy Storage: The role of essential fat is first and foremost associated more with storage fat, but with respect to energy it can be tapped in a smaller capacity. The fat normally stored in organs, tissues, and muscles is mobilized and broken down into fatty acids for energy requirements in times of increased energy demand, such as during strenuous physical activity or hunger.

Insulation and Temperature Maintenance: Fats provide insulation against cold environmental temperature and temperature regulation to the body. Essential fats contribute to heating the body while preventing heat loss and help keep the core temperature stable.

Protecting Organs: Essential fat provides cushioning of the internal organs so that they do not get injured due to force. Fat around the organs, such as the heart and kidneys, acts as a buffer to damping external shocks.

Amount of Essential Fats

Essential fat amount varies in men and women:

On Men: Men generally possess about 3-5% of body essential fat. This amount is needed for basic physiological functions. 

On Women: Individuals exhibit a larger amount of essential fat, 8-12%, in women compared with 3-5% in men. This indicates that additional fat is necessary for reproduction and childbearing among females. 

Inadequate levels of essential fat may lead to disruption of hormonal balance, fertility problems, reduced mental activity & impairment of the immune system.

image credit: FREEPIK

What is Fat Storage in Body?

Definition and Function 

Storage body fat (or adipose tissue) is fat that is stored in the body and acts as a reserve of energy. When the body takes in calories in excess of what it requires for immediate energy needs, the surplus calories are converted into fat and stored. One primary function of storage fat is to provide energy to the body during periods of absent food intake such as starvation or fasting, or during physical exertion.

Types of Storage Fat

There are two types of fat that act as energy storage in the body:

Subcutaneous fat: is the type of fat that is found directly beneath the skin. It is the fat you can pinch and feel. Subcutaneous fat protects the body through cushioning and insulation. Although it is less harmful than visceral fat, too much subcutaneous fat also poses an increased risk of health issues (obesity, cardiovascular diseases, joint stress).

Visceral Fat: This type of fat is stored deep in the abdominal cavity and surrounds the internal organs such as the liver, heart and intestines. Disturbingly, visceral fat is metabolically active and releases hormones and other substances that have detrimental effects on health; visceral fat poses a greater threat than subcutaneous fat. This type of fat is tied to serious health risks, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.

The Role of Storage Fat

Storage fat serves the body in the following major functions:

Energy Reserve: The main function of storing fat is energy reserve. In the absence of any immediate energy needs from food, it provides energy for bodily functions and physical activity in using fat stores. Far more than either carbohydrates or protein does fat store energy: it yields 9 calories per gram, while carbohydrates and protein yield only 4 calories per gram.

Insulation: The other important function of storage fat is to provide insulation for the body. This helps to control core temperature by preventing excessive heat loss. This is particularly relevant in colder climates where the body would have to rely on fat for extra insulation to retain warmth.

Cushioning and Protection: Stored fat around organs provides cushioning, which helps protect vital internal organs from injury. The abdominal visceral fat protects the liver, kidneys and intestines from mechanical injuries, while the subcutaneous fat cushions the skin and muscles.

Body Use of Storage Fat

In times of energy need, especially during a strong workout or fasting period, fat stores are mobilized and broken down by hormones such as epinephrine (adrenaline). The resulting breakdown of the fat stores, known as lipolysis, yields fatty acids and glycerol from the triglycerides stored in fat cells, released into the bloodstream and used by muscles, the liver and other tissues.

image credit: FREEPIK

Health Implications of Essential vs. Storage Fat

Essential Fat and Health

Essential fat is necessary for life and normal bodily functions. It is critical for hormonal balance health organ health and energy storage. The lack of essential fat may bring forth several problems affecting health, including:

Hormonal Imbalance: An inadequate amount of essential fat can impact the making of important hormones with consequences of irregularity in menstrual cycles, infertility and impaired immunity. 

Cognitive Decline: Since the brain is made mostly of fat, a lack of essential fats could lead to memory problems, difficulty in concentrating, and even cognitive disorders, such as depression or dementia.

Immunological Deficiency: Insufficient essential fat may also impair immune system functions that can result in increased susceptibility to infections and diseases.

Fat deposition has health risks

Storage fat is energy, protection and insulation fat, but its excess will not be healthy with time:

Obesity: It is the most common consequence of excess storage fat that can also be connected with various sicknesses, such as those of the heart, diabetes and different tumors.

Cardiovascular Disease: The visceral fat continues to harm cardiovascular health by releasing pro-inflammatory factors and hormones leading to increased blood pressure, arteries obstruction and heart disease.

Type 2 diabetes: The excessive visceral fat leads the body to be insulin resistant, which means that the cells of the body are not able to respond normally to the hormone. This will eventually lead to type 2 diabetes, a very complex metabolic disorder with severe consequences over time.

Sleep Apnea: The extra chunk of fat around the neck and throat can inhibit the passageway leading to sleep apnea, where breathing stops for a moment when the person is asleep. These people will wake up tired due to their lack of quality sleep and possible development of heart ailments.

Joint Stress: Extra pounds, especially in the belly and legs, put extra strain and stress on joints and bones. This may eventually lead to conditions like osteoarthritis and joint pain.

Keeping a Healthy Balance of Fats in the Body

Healthy lifestyle habits constitute an important component for individuals in achieving a good balance between storage fat and essential fat. Some of these methods include:

Healthy diet: A healthy diet should include all kinds of complete foods, together with lean proteins, fruits, vegetables and good fats, to keep an individual healthy in terms of body fat maintenance. Besides that, it is also important to exclude most processed foods or refined sugar and trans fatty acids from the imagery, thus not bringing unnecessary accumulation of fat.

Regular Exercise: exercise is the most perfect factor to get rid of storage fat and deposits among which visceral fat is common. Cardiovascular exercises like running, cycling and swimming can help in burning fat while strength training exercises like weightlifting will augment developing lean muscle mass and boost metabolism.

Hydration: Water intake has been known to support good metabolism, condition and regulation of fat storage. It also makes it easier for the body to use fat as fuel for energy during exercise.

Stress Management: Increasing fat storage, particularly in the belly, is due to enhanced cortisol levels, resulting from chronic stress. Thus, several stress management techniques, such as meditation, yoga and mindfulness, can keep cortisol levels in check.

Proper Sleep: Sleep is that which will keep the levels of hormones controlling fat storage balanced. Poor sleep is likely to incite hunger pangs and cravings, which will then accumulate fats in excess.

Conclusion: Explain the difference between essential body fat and storage body fat

Essential body fat and storage body fat are the two types of fats in the body. Though essential fat is required for fundamental physiological processes, storage fat serves as energy reserves. Excessive accumulation of storage fat, especially visceral fat, leads to multiple health-related problems, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and obesity. 

For optimal health and wellness, all adults should keep both types of fats in good order. Balanced diet, exercise, stress management and sleeping well are important aspects of healthy living that, if followed, will help to keep a balance in body fat.