Sticking with foods labeled “fat-free” may not be the best way to reduce your risk of health problems. Your body actually needs some fat to function well, and cutting out too much of it may negate your good intentions. However, some decisions you make regarding your fat intake can make a difference. Although eating unsaturated fats reduces your risk of certain diseases, eating excessive amounts of saturated fats may have the opposite effect, according to Harvard School of Public Health.
Recommended Limit
Saturated parts naturally occur in many nutritious foods, including the vegetable oils that contain predominantly heart-healthy unsaturated fats, according to Harvard School of Public Health. Because of this, you shouldn’t aim to eliminate all of them from your daily diet. Still, the American Heart Association recommends limiting your daily intake of saturated fats to about 7 percent of your total calories, or about 16 grams per day if you have a 2,000-calorie diet. MedlinePlus suggests limiting your saturated fats to about 10 percent of your total calories. Surpassing that general range between 7 percent and 10 percent would be eating an excessive amount of saturated fats.
Risks of Saturated Fats
When you eat saturated fats in excess, they can increase your level of blood cholesterol and cause cholesterol to build up in your arteries. Over time, cholesterol buildup can create a hard plaque that restricts blood and oxygen flow, which can lead to symptoms such as chest pain. That narrowing of arteries is called heart disease, specifically atherosclerosis. If part of that plaque breaks off in your bloodstream, it can create a clot that fully blocks the flow of oxygen to vital organs such as your brain or heart. A blockage to the heart would lead to a heart attack and a blockage to the brain would lead to a stroke.
Sources
Saturated fats occur naturally in animal foods such as beef and pork, lard, butter, whole milk, cheese and other dairy products. These foods also contain some dietary cholesterol, which you should limit to reduce your risk of heart disease. Saturated fats are also in fried foods. Although some plant foods – such as palm kernel oil, palm oil and coconut oil – are rich in saturated fat, they don’t contain cholesterol. To avoid eating excessive amounts of saturated fats, increase your intake of plant foods such as fruits, whole grains, vegetables, beans and legumes. Also avoid greasy food preparation methods, opting instead for broiling and other fat-reducing methods, and trim off any visible fat from the foods you eat.
Considerations
Most people should limit their fat intake to about 30 percent of their total calories – with about 10 percent or less coming from polyunsaturated fat and 10 to 15 percent coming from monounsaturated fat – according to the Penn Medicine website. However, most people exceed this limit and get about 34 percent of their total calories from fat. Fat is high in calories -- 9 calories per gram -- even if it is healthy fat. As a result, eating too much of any type of fat could lead to weight gain. You may have some confusion about how much fat you should have if you don’t know how many calories you should be consuming in the first place. Ask your doctor or a registered dietitian to help you make that decision based on factors such as your size, sex, weight goals and activity level.
References
- MedlinePlus; Fat; August 2009
- American Heart Association: Saturated Fats
- American Heart Association; Know Your Fats; June 2011
- Penn Medicine; Fat in Your Diet; 2011
- Harvard School of Public Health: Fats and Cholesterol: Out With the Bad, In With the Good
- Cleveland Clinic; Reducing Fat Intake; January 2009
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