Saturated fats like butter, animal fat, and coconut oil have long been thought to be unhealthy, especially for
By Stephanie Thurrott Medically Reviewed by Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES
Reviewed: December 29, 2022
Some research shows that the saturated fat in dairy may aid weight loss.
For many years, saturated fat was regarded as dangerous and its consumption was linked to heart disease. Recently, specialists have started to wonder whether consuming saturated fat actually causes as much harm as has been claimed. The fact that several popular diets, like the ketogenic diet and the paleo diet, prefer some foods that are high in saturated fat, such beef, butter, and coconut oil, may be the cause of the fresh investigation.
Many people who followed these diets claimed to have lost weight and felt better, but Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, the founder of BetterThanDieting.com and the author of Read It Before You Eat It: Taking You From Label to Table, claims that they weren't necessarily considering the long-term repercussions.
Are saturated fats really that harmful to your health? The situation is far more complex, according to Samantha Cassetty, RD, a registered dietitian based in New York City and the authors of Sugar Shock. "All the big health authorities consider saturated fat public enemy No. 1, but I think the issue is much more nuanced than that," she says. Here is what we now understand, however additional research is still required.
What Is Saturated Fat And What Does It Do?
You must first comprehend the various types of fat in order to grasp saturated fat. There are four main categories, according to the American Heart Association (AHA):
• Saturated fats
• Trans fats
• Monounsaturated fats
• Polyunsaturated fats
A gram of fat contains 9 calories, making all fats more caloric than a gram of protein or a gram of carbohydrates, which both contain 4 calories per gram. However, the chemical makeup and physiological effects of various types of fats vary. Chemically speaking, saturated fats vary from other types of fats because they contain carbon-to-carbon single bonds. In general, mono- and polyunsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature, similar to olive oil, but saturated and trans fats are solid at room temperature, similar to butter.
Saturated fat is a catch-all phrase for several varieties, including: According to a review in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, saturated fats can be short-chain, medium-chain, long-chain, or very long-chain depending on how many carbon atoms they contain (JACC). Saturated fats come in a variety of forms in various foods. Short-chain fatty acids are more prevalent in dairy fats, while medium- and long-chain fatty acids are more prevalent in red meat and plant oils, respectively.
Common Questions & Answers
What Foods Are High In Saturated Fat?
Saturated fat occurs naturally in many foods, such as tropical oils and animal products like red meat and dairy. It can frequently be found in fried or baked foods.
Is Saturated Fat Bad For Your Heart?
According to research, a diet heavy in saturated fat can elevate your levels of "bad" cholesterol, which is also linked to heart disease, and increase your risk of developing the condition.
How Is Saturated Fat Different From Unsaturated Fat?
Unsaturated fats have a different chemical makeup than saturated fats. As a general rule, unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature, like olive oil, but saturated fats are solid at room temperature, like butter.
How Much Saturated Fat Should You Eat Per Day?
Different groups offer various recommendations. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise for fewer than 10% of daily calories, compared to the AHA's recommendation of 5 to 6%.
What's Worse, Saturated Fat Or Trans Fat?
The trans fat in processed foods is the worst kind of trans fat. Numerous harmful health impacts of these lipids have been established, including insulin resistance, which can cause type 2 diabetes, obesity, several malignancies, and heart disease.
Sources Of Saturated Fat
According to the AHA, saturated fat is a natural component of many diets, including animal items like red meat, full-fat dairy, and eggs as well as tropical oils. It can frequently be found in fried or baked foods.
Foods
From the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) database, the following samples illustrate the saturated fat level of various popular foods:
• 1 ounce of cheddar cheese: 5.4g
• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil: 11.2g
• 1 large egg: 1.6g
• 1 4-ounce patty of 80-20 ground beef: 8.6g
• 1 slice of bacon: 1.1g
How Much Saturated Fat Do I Need?
How much saturated fat you should eat is difficult to determine. The AHA says that your body requires some dietary fat. You get energy from fat, which also aids in cell function, protects your organs, helps your body produce hormones, aids in nutrition absorption, and aids in keeping you warm.
It's now understood that being overweight is not a terrible thing, according to Taub-Dix. Science has demonstrated that fats can be beneficial, but it's important to watch your intake and choose healthy fats.
According to the AHA, mono- and polyunsaturated fats are frequently recommended by health professionals because studies have shown that, when ingested in moderation, they can lower bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and minimize the risk of unfavorable cardiovascular events. Contrary to popular belief, saturated fats are thought to raise LDL cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, according to the AHA.
However, the connection is not totally obvious. According to the JACC, several foods high in saturated fat, such as whole-fat dairy, unprocessed beef, and dark chocolate, are not associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, the majority of research on saturated fat were modest in size, completed 40 to 50 years ago, and had methodological issues. The same study adds that a higher risk of cardiovascular disease is associated with sugar and starchy carbs rather than saturated fat.
So there are different guidelines for saturated fat. According to the JACC, there is no proof that setting an arbitrary upper limit on saturated fat intake will stop cardiovascular disease. However, the AHA recommends 5 to 6% of daily calories, and the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (PDF) recommend fewer than 10%. 5 to 6 percent translates to 100 to 120 calories per day, or 11 to 13 g, if you consume 2,000 calories each day.
Taub-Dix advises substituting healthier fats for saturated fat, such as nuts, certain oils, salmon, and avocado, rather than sugar, as was the case in the 1980s and 1990s.
Potential Health Benefits Of Saturated Fat
Your body requires fat, but you can get it in any form. The majority of government recommendations suggest mono- and polyunsaturated sources of fat. According to a meta-analysis published in Nutrition Reviews in December 2019, the AHA has advised lowering saturated fat for more than 60 years. However, given that the relationship between saturated fats and heart disease was inconsistent, that same analysis also came to the conclusion that the evidence for reducing saturated fats could need to be reevaluated.
Depending on the sources of the saturated fat, the possible health advantages may vary. For instance, according to a January 2020 article in Advances in Nutrition, full-fat dairy meals may be linked to lower rates of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. An investigation published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition in 2019 concluded that further research is required to determine the relationship between coconut oil and weight loss and cardiovascular disease.
However, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise consuming no more than 10% of daily calories from saturated fat, preferably from sources like lean meat and poultry, eggs, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and oils that are also high in other nutrients.
How To Work Saturated Fat Into Your Diet
It's impossible to ignore saturated fat's main draw: it tastes good. The majority of people's favorite foods are those on the list of foods with saturated fat, according to Taub-Dix. "Things like bacon or coconut, which have highly unique flavors and are enjoyed by most people, are good examples."
You don't have to eliminate saturated fat from your diet, she argues. But rather than making it the centerpiece of your cuisine, she advises utilizing it as an accent. Instead of using bacon strips on top of a salad, for instance, crumble up some bacon pieces. Alternately, you might top your cake with a little coconut instead of baking a coconut cake. Even though you're not eating a lot of saturated fat, she explains, "those kinds of accents still give you the flavor from the saturated fat."
She also advises considering your diet's saturated fat risk-benefit ratio. For instance, you could choose full-fat Greek yogurt over fat-free plain yogurt. Despite having a lot of saturated fat, dairy is a great source of protein, calcium, and probiotics. According to Taub-Dix, "it would probably be a healthier choice than some of the foods you could otherwise eat" if the remainder of your diet is low in saturated fat.
Side Effects And Risks
Saturated fat consumption has been linked in studies to a number of health issues, including:
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Speak to your doctor or a trained dietitian about your recommended consumption if you have questions about the amount of saturated fat in your diet, especially if you have or are at risk for heart disease, cancer, dementia, or liver disease.
How To Cut Back On Saturated Fats
Saturated fat, like other nutrients, won't be enough to make or break a healthy diet and way of life on its own. Instead of focusing on saturated fat as a single nutrient, Cassetty argues that it's more crucial to consider the quality of your diet as a whole and the total amount of food you consume.
However, there are some straightforward methods you can reduce your intake of these fats to the recommended amounts. A excellent strategy is to substitute reduced-fat or fat-free dairy products for whole-milk varieties, and to ensure that the majority of your protein intake comes from lean sources (such as poultry without the skin, fish, nuts).
Many of these items can be altered so that you can still enjoy them while consuming fewer saturated fats. For instance, Taub-Dix advises:
• Making your own pizza with part-skim cheese
• Finding recipes that use oil or mashed avocado instead of butter for baking cakes and cookies
• Choosing baked versions of potato chips and corn chips
Summary
While more research is needed to determine the impact of saturated fat on health, studies have connected it to a number of harmful health issues, and recommendations suggest keeping intake to less than 10% of daily calories. Choose foods high in other nutrients, such as lean meat and poultry, eggs, nuts, seeds, grains, and oils, in order to benefit the most from saturated fat.
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