What makes saturated fats bad

More studies are necessary to investigate these potential links before strong conclusions can be made. Some studies indicate that it may negatively affect other health aspects, but more research is needed. For example, a diet high in saturated fats in the form of fast food, fried products, sugary baked goods, and processed meats is likely to affect health differently than a diet high in saturated fats in the form of full fat dairy, grass-fed meat, and coconut.

Another problem lies in focusing solely on macronutrients and not the diet as a whole. Rather, these macronutrients are combined through consuming foods that contain a mixture of macronutrients. Lifestyle and genetic variants are important risk factors that should be considered as well, as both have been proven to affect overall health, dietary needs, and disease risk. Coconut products, including unsweetened coconut flakes and coconut oil, grass-fed whole milk yogurt, and grass-fed meat are just some examples of highly nutritious foods concentrated in saturated fat that may positively affect health.

For example, reviews of research have shown that full fat dairy intake has a neutral or protective effect on heart disease risk, while coconut oil intake has been shown to boost HDL good cholesterol and may benefit weight loss 27 , On the other hand, consuming processed foods rich in saturated fats, including fast food and fried foods , has been consistently linked to an increased risk of obesity, heart disease, and numerous other health conditions 29 , Research has also associated dietary patterns rich in unprocessed foods with protection from various conditions, including obesity and heart disease, and reduction of disease risk factors, regardless of dietary macronutrient composition 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , Remember, regardless of what dietary pattern you choose, the most important thing is balance and optimization — not omission.

A healthy diet should be rich in whole, nutritious foods, regardless of macronutrient composition. Saturated fats can be included as part of a healthy diet.

Saturated fats have been viewed as unhealthy for decades. Yet, current research supports the fact that nutritious high fat foods can indeed be included as part of a healthy, well-rounded diet. Future well-designed studies are needed to fully understand the highly complex relationship between individual macronutrients and overall health, including saturated fat. However, what is known is that following a diet rich in whole, unprocessed foods is most important for health, regardless of the dietary pattern you choose to follow.

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Coconut oil may help you lose weight. It also has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, and it may help improve skin and oral health. Nutrition and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. FoodData Central, Accessed July 1, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Updated December Accessed January 25, Editorial team.

Facts about saturated fats. Too much saturated fat in your diet can lead to heart disease and other health problems. Saturated fats are bad for your health in several ways: Heart disease risk. How Much you can Eat. For a 2, calorie diet, that is to calories or 16 to 22 grams g of saturated fats a day. As an example, just 1 slice of cooked bacon contains nearly 9 g of saturated fat. If you have heart disease or high cholesterol, your health care provider may ask you to limit saturated fat even more.

Reading Nutrition Labels. Making Healthy Food Choices. Saturated fats are found in all animal foods, and some plant sources. Many of them are also low in nutrients and have extra calories from sugar: Baked goods cake, doughnuts, Danish Fried foods fried chicken, fried seafood, French fries Fatty or processed meats bacon, sausage, chicken with skin, cheeseburger, steak Whole-fat dairy products butter, ice cream, pudding, cheese, whole milk Solid fats such as coconut oil, palm, and palm kernel oils found in packaged foods Here are some examples of popular food items with the saturated fat content in a typical serving: 12 ounces oz , or g, steak -- 20 g Cheeseburger -- 10 g Vanilla shake -- 8 g 1 tbsp 15 mL butter -- 7 g It is fine to treat yourself to these types of foods once in a while.

Here is how to get started: Replace red meats with skinless chicken or fish a few days a week. Use canola or olive oil instead of butter and other solid fats. Replace whole-fat dairy with low-fat or nonfat milk, yogurt, and cheese. Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other foods with low or no saturated fat. Alternative Names. Most of them come from animal sources, including meat and dairy products, as well as some plant foods, such as palm oil and coconut oil.

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that's mostly made by the body in the liver. Eating too much saturated fats in your diet can raise "bad" LDL cholesterol in your blood , which can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Trans fats are found naturally at low levels in some foods, such as meat and dairy products. They can also be found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Hydrogenated vegetable oil must be declared on a food's ingredients list if it's been included.

Like saturated fats, trans fats can raise cholesterol levels in the blood. But most people in the UK do not eat a lot of trans fats. On average, we eat about half the recommended maximum. Most of the supermarkets in the UK have removed partially hydrogenated vegetable oil from all their own-brand products.

People in the UK tend to eat a lot more saturated fats than trans fats. This means that when you're looking at the amount of fat in your diet, it's more important to focus on reducing the amount of saturated fats.

If you want to reduce your risk of heart disease, it's best to reduce your overall fat intake and swap saturated fats for unsaturated fats. There's good evidence that replacing saturated fats with some unsaturated fats can help to lower your cholesterol level. Mostly found in oils from plants and fish, unsaturated fats can be either monounsaturated or polyunsaturated.

Monounsaturated fats help protect your heart by maintaining levels of "good" HDL cholesterol while reducing levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol in your blood. Polyunsaturated fats can also help lower the level of "bad" LDL cholesterol in your blood.