Each day, every one of us must make choices when it comes to eating. If there is one area all of us can do our health a favor is to reduce our intake of saturated fat.  

The chemical structure of a saturated fat is one in which there are no double bonds between carbon molecules since they are saturated with hydrogen molecules.  Foods containing saturated fats tend to be solid at room temperature.  This type of fat is associated with increasing blood cholesterol levels and decreasing “good” or high density lipoprotein cholesterol in the body.  This can result in raising our risk of developing cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Saturated fats occur naturally in many different foods.  Keep in mind many foods contain a mix of fats.  Even “healthy” foods like chicken, fish, nuts, and oils do contribute some saturated fat to the diet but they are much lower in saturated fat than other types of foods. 

Recommendation for saturated fat intake

Currently, the American Heart Association recommends aiming for a dietary pattern that achieves 5% to 6% of calories coming from saturated fat.  As an example, if a person requires about 2,000 calories a day, no more than 120 of those calories should come from saturated fats – that’s about 13 grams of saturated fats allowed each day.

Why should saturated fats be reduced?

In recent years, there have been conflicting studies on whether saturated fat is to be avoided or embraced. The most important thing to remember is how does your diet look when compared to an overall healthy eating plan.  Saturated fats are just one piece of the puzzle in regards to your health.  Eating lots of foods with saturated fats is questionable while it’s hard to argue the numerous health benefits of consuming foods without saturated fats such as fruits, vegetables, and beans. If a person cuts back on saturated fats but replaces them with refined carbohydrate foods made from white flour, sugar, white rice or drinking sugary beverages, yes, your health will still suffer.  The key is to replace saturated fats with healthier substitutions. 

One 2016 study from UC San Francisco found that saturated fats cause inflammation which can contribute to metabolic syndrome disorders such as type 2 diabetes and obesity which are associated with chronic tissue inflammation.  The study found that saturated fats “short-circuit” human immune cells producing an inappropriate inflammatory response.

Another 2016 study from the British Medical Journal found that consuming high amounts of saturated fats, found in red meat, dairy fat, and palm oil may raise the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).  The researchers analyzed diet and health questionnaires from over 73,000 women and 42,000 men over a period of more than 20 years.  Those consuming higher intakes of the most commonly consumed major saturated fatty acids (lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid) had a 24% increase in CHD. By replacing 1% of calories from saturated fat each day with equivalent calories from poly- and monounsaturated fats, whole grains, or plant proteins was estimated to reduce risk by 6-8%.

How to reduce saturated fats

Reducing saturated fats can be tough but it is not impossible.  We can’t eliminate saturated fats entirely from our diet since foods that are good sources of healthy fats like olive oil, peanuts, or salmon, also contain a small amount of saturated fat.  Certain other foods, however, such as red meat, and full-fat dairy are some of the main sources of saturated fat in our diet.  When we reduce our intake of foods such as red meat and full-fat dairy and instead replace them with foods containing healthy fats, then we are well on our way to achieving the recommendation on intake of saturated fats.

Here is a list of some of the most common food sources of saturated fat to eat less often:

·Cheese

·Pizza

·Grain-based desserts

·Dairy desserts

·Sausage, hot dogs, bacon, and ribs

·Burgers

·Mexican mixed dishes

·Beef and beef mixed dishes

·Pasta and pasta dishes

·Whole milk

· Butter

·Fried white potatoes

Here is a list of foods that are better alternatives to replace saturated fats:

·Fruits and vegetables

·Whole grains

·Low-fat dairy foods

·Poultry, fish, and nuts

Also choose lean red meats and poultry without skin and prepare them without added saturated fats – either grill, bake, or broil and avoid frying.