What makes saturated fats unhealthy

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Dietary saturated fat and monounsaturated fat have reversible effects on brain function and the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines in young women. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only.

This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. See more conditions. Healthy Lifestyle Nutrition and healthy eating. Products and services. Dietary fat: Know which to choose Fat is an important part of your diet, but some kinds are healthier than others.

By Mayo Clinic Staff. Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information. Please try again. Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Show references Duyff RL. Fat facts. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Department of Health and Human Services and U. Department of Agriculture. Accessed Feb. Dietary Reference Intakes for energy, carbohydrate, fat, fatty acids, cholesterol, protein, and amino acids.

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Saturated, unsaturated, and trans fats. Accessed Oct. Hyperlipidemia adult. Mayo Clinic; The skinny on fats. Too much fat in your diet, especially saturated fats, can raise your cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease.

Current UK government guidelines advise cutting down on all fats and replacing saturated fat with some unsaturated fat. A small amount of fat is an essential part of a healthy, balanced diet. Fat is a source of essential fatty acids, which the body cannot make itself. Fat helps the body absorb vitamin A , vitamin D and vitamin E. These vitamins are fat-soluble, which means they can only be absorbed with the help of fats.

Any fat that's not used by your body's cells or turned into energy is converted into body fat. Likewise, unused carbohydrates and proteins are also converted into body fat. All types of fat are high in energy. A gram of fat, whether it's saturated or unsaturated, provides 9kcal 37kJ of energy compared with 4kcal 17kJ for carbohydrate and protein.

Most fats and oils contain both saturated and unsaturated fats in different proportions. As part of a healthy diet, you should try to cut down on foods and drinks that are high in saturated fats and trans fats and replace some of them with unsaturated fats. 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.

Most fatty foods contain a combination of fatty acids. As such, many foods do not contain just saturated or unsaturated fats, which can make it difficult for a person to eliminate only one type.

Most health organizations and dietary experts recommend eating saturated fats in moderation and replacing them with unsaturated fats when possible. This means that for an average calorie daily diet, people should consume no more than calories or 13 grams g from saturated fats. Some research from and supported a higher intake of MCT saturated fats, such as from coconut oil.

However, a comprehensive analysis found that coconut oil intake produces higher LDL levels than vegetable oils. People with existing heart problems should speak to a doctor before adding new saturated fats to their diet.

A scientific review reported an association between people who have heart disease or a risk of heart problems and those who consume higher amounts of saturated fats in their diet.

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. Trans fats, however, did increase the risk. The jury is still out on saturated fat. While a diet containing too many saturated fats can increase body weight and the risk of CVD, it might not be as harmful as scientists once thought.

In contrast, the health benefits of unsaturated fats are well-established. Researchers found that people from Greece and other Mediterranean regions had a low rate of heart disease compared to other locations despite consuming a relatively high-fat diet.