Difference between saturated and unsaturated fats

The difference between saturated and unsaturated fat lies in the number of double bonds in the fatty acid chain. Saturated fats lack double bonds between the individual carbon atoms, while in unsaturated fats there is at least one double bond in the fatty acid chain.

Elevated LDL cholesterol in the blood may increase a person’s risk of heart disease. The study authors also reported that replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat may also bring down the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, recent research has challenged the link between saturated fats and heart disease.

Unsaturated fats are an important part of a healthy diet. These fats help reduce the risk of heart disease and lower cholesterol levels (among other health benefits) when they replace saturated fats in the diet.

Despite what you read in the media, our advice is clear – replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats and avoid trans fats. Saturated fat is the kind of fat found in butter, lard, ghee, fatty meats and cheese. Eating a diet high in saturated fat is associated with raised levels of non-HDL (bad) cholesterol.

1) Improved cardiovascular risk factors

The addition of saturated fat to the diet reduces the levels of a substance called lipoprotein (a)—pronounced “lipoprotein little a” and abbreviated Lp(a)—that correlates strongly with risk for heart disease.

You should limit saturated fat to less than 10% of your daily calories. To further reduce your heart disease risk, limit saturated fats to less than 7% of your total daily calories. For a 2,000 calorie diet, that is 140 to 200 calories or 16 to 22 grams (g) of saturated fats a day.

Eggs are fairly low in fat

One average egg (58g) contains around 4.6g fat, which is about a teaspoon. Only a quarter of this is saturated fat, the type that raises cholesterol levels in the body.

A diet rich in saturated fats can drive up total cholesterol, and tip the balance toward more harmful LDL cholesterol, which prompts blockages to form in arteries in the heart and elsewhere in the body. For that reason, most nutrition experts recommend limiting saturated fat to under 10% of calories a day.

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. “Good” HDL cholesterol has a positive effect by taking cholesterol from parts of the body where there’s too much of it to the liver, where it’s disposed of.

There are two types of fat that should be eaten sparingly: saturated and trans fatty acids. Both can raise cholesterol levels, clog arteries, and increase the risk for heart disease.

Two types of fats — saturated fat and trans fat — have been identified as potentially harmful to your health. Most of the foods that contain these types of fats are solid at room temperature, such as: butter. margarine.

Choose foods with “good” unsaturated fats, limit foods high in saturated fat, and avoid “bad” trans fat. “Good” unsaturated fats — Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats — lower disease risk. Foods high in good fats include vegetable oils (such as olive, canola, sunflower, soy, and corn), nuts, seeds, and fish.

What are fat bombs? Fat bombs are low carb and sugar-free sweet treats, usually made with either coconut oil, coconut butter, cream cheese, avocado, and/or nut butter. Pretty much, anything high fat, sugar-free and low carb can be made to become a fat bomb!

In general, red meats (beef, pork and lamb) have more saturated (bad) fat than chicken, fish and vegetable proteins such as beans. Saturated and trans fats can raise your blood cholesterol and make heart disease worse. The unsaturated fats in fish, such as salmon, actually have health benefits.

Foods With Saturated Fats

Beef, lamb, and pork are all high in saturated fat. Even lean cuts of beef contain 4.5 grams of saturated per 100-gram serving. Whole milk contains 4.5 grams of saturated fat in a 1-cup serving, whereas the same amount of 1% milk contains only 1.5 grams.