What is Saturated Fat?
Saturated fat is one of the two main categories of fats that appear in foods. It is distinguished from unsaturated fat in that there are no double bonds between carbon atoms in its chemical makeup, so that the fatty acids are saturated with hydrogen. Naturally occurring saturated fat, such as the fat found in animal-based foods, congeals when cool, while naturally occurring unsaturated fat, such as olive oil, remains fluid. Saturated fat is less likely to spoil than unsaturated fat and more stable during cooking. The World Health Organization (WHO), along with the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), urges people to limit their intake of saturated fat, as it has been shown to correlate with cardiovascular disease. A diet high in saturated fats can lead to high cholesterol, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and stroke. Saturated fat intake raises one’s low density lipoprotein (LDL) levels — that’s the “bad” cholesterol. Unsaturat
To understand the different types of fat like saturated and unsaturated you need to know a little bit about chemistry. The main part of fat in our diet and in the body are in the form of triglycerides. The rest is cholesterol, waxes and phospholipids. All triglycerides are made up of a fork-like structure called glycerol and 3 building blocks called fatty acids. Fatty acids are classified according to the number of double bonds they possess. Saturated fats contain no double bond, monounsaturated fats contain one and polyunsaturated fats contain two or more. These fatty acids are responsible for the physical properties of the fat. As a rough guide, saturates are solid at room temperature and tend to be derived from animal sources. Most unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and are usually vegetable fats like oils. The body can make all the fatty acids it needs except for two, known as essential fatty acids: alpha linolenic acid and linoleic acid. These polyunsaturated fatty ac
Saturated fats are simply fats that contain mostly saturated fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids are found mainly animal fats (including dairy products). Only two vegetable fats are saturated: palm and coconut oil. Typically, we get the greatest proportion of our saturated fat intake from ‘invisible’ fats in prepared or processed foods, like: sausages, bacon, salami, cakes, cookies, pastries, chocolate and cheese. Saturated fat is usually solid at room temperature.
