Eating saturated fat and the effects it can have on your overall health — especially heart disease — has become a controversial topic. It was once labeled as the worst kind of fat, but trans fats have since inherited that role.
So what’s up with saturated fat? Here’s what we know:
- Replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat can provide health benefits.
- Current research supports that saturated fat is better for us than trans fat.
In the world of dietary fat, saturated fat sticks in the middle. So how does it fit into a healthy diet?
What is saturated fat?
With their single bonds and straight chains, saturated fat molecules can be packed closely together like bricks in a wall. This dense packing creates a strong internal structure, leading to a higher melting point and a solid state at room temperature.
“Saturated fats are saturated (filled) with hydrogen molecules and contain only single bonds between carbon molecules,” he explains Lisa Young, Ph.D., RDN, registered dietitian nutritionist and assistant professor of nutrition at NYU. “Unsaturated fats contain at least one double bond between the carbon molecules. “Saturated fats are solid at room temperature, unlike unsaturated fats, such as olive oil, which tend to be liquid at room temperature.”
Saturated fat is mainly found in animal foods such as beef, lamb and pork, but is also found in high-fat dairy products such as butter and cheese and baked goods.
It’s coming back into the limelight mainly because of the keto diet, in which people limit their carb intake and boost their fat intake, hoping to train their bodies to burn fat as opposed to glucose (carbs) for fuel and speed weight loss.
But not all fats are the enemy they once believed. For example, olive oil and avocado are extremely good for you. Also, it is important to note that dietary fat does not it makes you fat. And while your body doesn’t require saturated fat, it does require some fat for many reasons, including vitamin absorption and other metabolic processes.
Your body needs the two essential fatty acids, which are your body fats slope produces itself:
- Alpha-linolenic acid
- Linoleic acid
These fats are both found in unsaturated fats, also known as “healthy fats.”
Have attitudes to saturated fat changed?
For decades, it was believed that eating saturated fat—again, a wonderful image for something that’s solid at room temperature—could clog arteries, potentially causing heart disease, heart attacks and strokes.
There is a lot of controversy between scientists and doctors/nutritionists about how bad saturated fat really is for you. However, this is not a license to go crazy.
“Whether or not saturated fat increases disease risk is currently controversial,” says Young. “With that, a little is okay, but in my opinion, no more than the recommendation.”
She explains: “Dietary Guidelines for Americans, including the most recent report from the Nutrition Advisory Committee on the 2020–2025 Guidelines, suggests aiming for a dietary pattern with no more than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat. The American Heart Association recommends even less.”
What does this mean:
- According to the Dietary Guidelines, if you’re eating a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, only 200 calories should come from saturated fat. It is about 20 grams.
- If you need to lower your cholesterol, the American Heart Association recommends reducing your intake of saturated fat to 5-6% of your daily caloric intake. That’s no more than 100 to 120 calories from saturated fat (or 13 grams at most).
Is saturated fat actually unhealthy?
According to Young, saturated fat is unhealthy and therefore recommended to be limited. “Eating foods high in saturated fat (red meat, butter, cheese) raises your blood cholesterol levels,” he says. “High levels of LDL cholesterol increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.”
Should I include saturated fat in my diet?
You’ve probably heard a lot about adding “healthy fats” to your diet. Saturated fat is not that.
“Healthy fats” are unsaturated fats. They have been associated with a number of benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease. So skip the butter and cheese and eat fish, nuts, seeds, avocados and olive oil instead.
Whatever you do, don’t replace saturated fat with processed foods or simple carbohydrates. “Cutting out saturated fat and substituting refined carbohydrates is not healthy,” says Young. “However, choosing unsaturated fats over saturated fats may (have the potential) to lead to improved health outcomes.”
The bottom line
Despite some controversial studies, research tends to lean toward limiting dietary intake of saturated fat. This is because saturated fat may have the ability to potentially raise cholesterol levels.
You can enjoy saturated fat in moderation. As mentioned above, up to 10% of your total calories can come from saturated fat, but eat less if you have risk factors for heart disease. And keep in mind that your body doesn’t need saturated fat, meaning you don’t need to add it to your diet.
