Saturated fats

Dietary fat is an essential nutrient that is a component of every cell in the human body; the human brain is made up of approximately 60% fat.

Saturated fats are mainly found in foods that come from animals (such as meat and dairy), but they can also be found in most fried foods and some prepackaged foods. A saturated fat is a type of fat in which the fatty acid chains have all single bonds.

Saturated fats are unhealthy because they increase LDL (“bad” cholesterol) levels in human body and increase your risk for heart disease. By replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats, it may lower the risk of getting heart disease.

Saturated fatty acids contain no double bond; this type of fat can be synthesized by the body for energetic, physiological, and structural functions, and they are present in many foods.

The degree of saturation determines whether a fat is solid or liquid at room temperature. In saturated fats, there are no double bonds, so the fatty acids are straight, compact, and rigid molecules that are able to pack tightly next to each other to form a solid.

Saturated fats are one type of fat in the foods the people eat and the beverages they drink. Dietary saturated fat is often found in animal products—milk (varies by species), cheese, butter, eggs, meat, and fish—and in plant foods as well, like cacao and cashews.
Saturated fats

Food and heart disease

Some foods are found to increase the risk of coronary heart disease, while others may protect against it.

High blood total cholesterol and low density lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol levels are major modifiable risk factors in the development of heart disease.

One group of fats have emerged as a major cause of cell damage leading to diabetes, a heart disease, cancer and many other conditions and these are trans fats. People with diabetes have a higher risk of heart disease and stroke.

Trans fats are found in almost every baked product, to prolong shelf life including potato chips, donut, and most popular breakfast cereals.

In epidemiological studies, fruits and vegetables has been an associated with decreased mortality from a variety of health outcomes including obesity, hypertension, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease.

Higher consumption of fruits and vegetables has been associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease.

In the early 1970s scientists found that Greenland Eskimos has extremely low incidence of heart disease and arthritis despite the fact that they consumed a high fat diet.

Scientists discovered that Greenland Eskimos consumption of omega 3 fatty acids play a crucial role in the prevention of atherosclerosis, heart attack, depression, and cancer.

Scientist research found that monounsaturated fatty acids (such as in olive oil), polyunsaturated fatty acids (such as in vegetables oils) and omega 3 fatty acids (such as in fish) may help lower blood lipids.

Diets high in soluble fiber such as in oat or rice bran, oat meal, legumes, barley, citrus fruits and strawberries may help lower LDL cholesterol.

The scientific evidence establishes that diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol are associated with decreased levels of blood total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol and thus decreased risk of developing coronary heart disease.
Food and heart disease