Fat guide: types, benefits and how much do you need
The fat in our meal has long worried. You may remember 90 years. Today we know that diet fat – saturated and unsaturated – has a place in a balanced diet.
To clarify the confusion, we dive into all fat in this episode. From which types are, which types you need (and how much) we have covered you in this article.
What are fats?
The fats are one of the macronutrients that your body must work on your main (1). Fat provides energy for the body and promotes cell growth, but also protects organs, helps absorb fat -soluble vitamins and stabilizes blood pressure and cholesterol (1,2).
When you eat fat on a diet, it falls apart into fatty acids. There are two main types of fatty acids in the diet (2):
- Saturated fatty acids
- Unsaturated fatty acids
The type of food you eat and what type of fat is in this food will dictate if these fatty acids work for you, against you or with you. And to the surprise of many foods, it actually contains some of them, although the amount differs depending on the food you eat. Let’s explore each of them a little deep.
What are saturated fatty acids?
Saturated fatty acids are often referred to as “bad fat” (2). Increased consumption of these fats has been associated with negative health effects such as increasing blood cholesterol and increasing the risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke (3).
And unfortunately, despite these effects, most Americans still eat more than they would have this nutrient (4). According to Myfitnesspal registered dietology Brookell White, MS, RD, “saturated fatty acids are a nutrient that is often excessive in the United States and can increase cholesterol.”
Why saturated fats can be a problem
Indeed, the health authorities have issued recommendations on the quantity that you should consume in a day of saturated fat to reduce the risk of these conditions (to which we will soon get. Their chemical structures.
For example, saturated fats have individual ties between carbon molecules that are completely saturated with hydrogen (3). This structure makes them fixed at room temperature (3). When you consume foods with a high content of saturated fats, some blood fats can increase (also known as blood lipids that are key heart health measurements) such as low density lipoproteins (LDL) (LDL) (LDL) (LDL) (5). Over time, excessive intake of saturated fat can continue to increase blood lipids, choosing a heart for heart health.
Knowledge is strength, so don’t worry, we’re here to help you.
Here are some of the best sources of saturated fats that you can monitor in your diet (6):
- Animal products such as red meat and cured meat
- Milk meals including butter, whole milk and cheese
- Oils such as coconut and palm oil
- Combined meals such as Pepperoni pizza, creamy pasta meals and sandwiches
- Desserts and sweet snacks such as pastries and biscuits
About the experts
Brookell WhiteMS, RD is a curator of food data on Myfitnesspal. She won her bachelor and masters at San Diego State University and completed a dietary internship in Sodex. Its fields include metabolism, intestinal health, obesity and weight management.
Elizabeth ShawMS, RDN, CPT is a nutritionist, four times the author of the cookbook and a pioneer of early nutrition in the field of fertility nutrition. She is the president and owner of US nutritional communication and consulting firm Shaw Simple Swaps.
What are unsaturated fatty acids?
Unsaturated fatty acids, known as “good fat”, receive praise for their beneficial effects on health. In fact, it has been shown that the consumption of some types of unsaturated fatty acids improves heart health and memory and reduces the risk of developing other conditions such as diabetes 2.7).
Unsaturated fatty acids consist of two groups:
- Mononensaturated fats (Mufa)
- These fatty acids contain one unsaturated double carbon binding, which makes them liquid at room temperature (8).
- The most common kind of muffa in the diet are omega-9 fatty acids (9). However, these are not essential, which means that your body can also do them separately!
- The common diet resources MUFA are (8):
- Plant -based oils: Olive, peanuts, rape, sesame
- Food sources: avocado, walnut butter and nuts and seeds
- Polynaturated Fats (Pufa)
- Omega-3s:
- Food: oily fish such as tuna, salmon, mackerel, walnuts, linen seeds, soybeans, soybeans
- Oils: rape, soybean, linen seeds
- Omega-6s:
- Food: almonds, peanuts, walnuts, cannabis seeds, sunflower seeds, eggs
- Oils: slisted oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil

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Differences between saturated and unsaturated fats
As a dietologist, I really do not like the labeling of food as good or bad, because all meals can have a place in a balanced diet when practicing moderation. It was said with that, it is true that there is a reason why saturated fat continues to slap with a “bad” connotation, while unsaturated fats gain fame that comes with a “golden child” in terms of complete health.
For example, dietitian Myfitnessspal Brookell White shares “monounsaturated fats specifically can help keep lipoprotein with high density (HDL) cholesterol (good blood fat) and reduce cholesterol LDL while polyunsat fatty acid can help reduce LDL” (8,10,11).
American Heart Association (AHA) encourages consumers to replace saturated fats with unsaturated possibilities because of their role on these blood lipid markers (10). A, White agrees, writing: “Replacing saturated fatty acids can help reduce cholesterol and risk of heart disease.”

Dietary recommendation
Here are the latest recommendations of total fat and saturated fats for Americans.
- Acceptable range of macronutrient distribution (AMDR) (12)
AMDR for diet fat is set to 20 to 35% of daily calories.
For someone who follows the 2000 calorie diet, this would mean that approximately 400 to 700 calories came from fat, or about 44 to 77 grams of fat.
- 2020-2025 Diet instructions for Americans (DGA) (13)
DGA recommends more than 10% of daily calories from saturated fat sources.
For someone who follows 2000 caloric diet, this would mean approximately 200 calories coming from saturated fats or about 22 grams of a day.
- American Heart Association (AHA)
Total fat intake should be approximately 30 to 35% calories, not more than 6% of calories from saturated fats (14).
For someone who follows 2000 calories, it would be a total of about 120 calories or 13 grams of saturated fat per day (3).
Dietologists, including me, are recommended to consider their family history and genetics when you find out if it is best to be stricter with saturated fat revenues at 6% of daily calories or if you have a little more flexibility to this 10%. For example, if you have a history with high cholesterol, heart disease or other complications that run in your family, your personal recommendations will look different than someone without a genetic history of heart disease.
Working with a registered dietary nutritionist is one of the best ways to determine what your needs to achieve your personal health goals are.
Tips to choose healthier fat options
“If you have doubts, divide it.”
This is the motto that I use with my clients to support moderation, not deprivation, although these healthier fat options. For example, nuts are a great source of unsaturated fats. Although they are healthy, they are also calorically dense, which means that you can easily go overboard for daily energy needs unless you are careful about the size of your part.
Accept cooking at home.
Choosing home cooking, including baking, baking, frying air and even toasting with unsaturated oils such as rape or olive oil, better cooking methods that can help you achieve weight loss and maintain fat intake while maintaining fat intake below control. Using unsaturated fat sources such as olive oil from an extraordinary panel or avocado oil to complete the bowl is a great way to benefit from the benefits that these fats offer.
Get the help of simple swaps in the kitchen.
Eat less saturated and unsaturated fats by experimenting with the following swaps in your recipes:
- Replace beef with oily fish
- Replace cow’s milk with soy milk
- Upper bowls and saucers with nuts and seeds above the cheese
- Use avocado over sour cream
- Use olive, avocado or rapeseed oil instead of butter
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Why is it important to know the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats?
High -saturated diets have been associated with negative health consequences such as cardiovascular disease, high blood lipids and increased risk of heart attacks and stroke (3). On the other hand, a diet rich in unsaturated fats can help promote heart health (7). Knowledge of the difference between them is essential for balancing your diet focusing on food with the best fat sources.
How to remember saturated versus unsaturated fats?
Understanding the fat at the room temperature is the best way to distinguish between two types of fat. The fats that are solid at room temperature are hard, such as butter or fat visible on the cut of red meat. Because both saturated and solid starting “with”, it is easy to remember that saturated = solid, and you want to limit your income (its income (3).
How much fat should I consume daily?
On average, an average of 20 to 35% of the day’s calories should come from diet fats (12). For someone who follows the 2000 calories diet, this would mean that approximately 400 to 700 calories came from fat or about 44 to 77 grams of fat.
What foods are rich in healthy fats?
Foods containing the highest amounts of unsaturated fats include avocado, oily fish, nuts, olives, seeds and vegetable oils (15):
Bottom line
Diet fat plays a key role in the body, so it is recommended that 20 to 35% of your daily calories come from this food group (12). However, the type of fat you eat depends on unsaturated fats showing positive health benefits such as improving heart health, and saturated fats that have the opposite effect (3,7). Login of food Myfitnesspal It will help you understand how much and what fats you eat.
Restricting desserts, refreshments, whole grain dairy products and red meat in your diet will help reduce your intake of saturated fat. Increasing the amount of avocado, nuts and seeds in your diet will help you increase the intake of unsaturated fat and offer these good benefits for you. To help make it easier to choose a fat, consider trying one of MyfitnesspalPlans like is Eat the green planThis prefers recipes and foods with low -saturated fat content.
Contribution Fat guide: types, benefits and how much do you need He appeared for the first time Myfitnesspal blog.