Which saturated fat is bad

The researchers concluded that replacing saturated fat in your diet with polyunsaturated fats can reduce your heart disease risk. A journal article published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reported that the risks of LDL bad cholesterol had previously been overstated, particularly when it comes to a negative effect on heart health.

The article recommends comparing your total cholesterol level to your HDL good cholesterol level instead. Doctors associate a higher ratio with increased insulin resistance and heart problems. These are the worst fats for you. You might find trans fat in:.

Doctors have also linked trans fats to an increased risk of inflammation in the body. This inflammation can cause harmful health effects that may include heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

These are fats that are better choices for your diet. An example is vegetable oil. Research has consistently shown that eating foods that contain monounsaturated fat can improve your blood cholesterol level and decrease your risk for cardiovascular disease. These foods include:. Plant-based foods and oils are the primary source of this fat.

Like monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat can decrease your risk for heart disease by lowering blood cholesterol levels, according to the American Heart Association. A certain type of this fat, called omega-3 fatty acids , has been shown to be particularly beneficial for your heart.

Fat is a source of essential fatty acids, which the body cannot make itself. Fat helps the body absorb vitamin A , vitamin D and vitamin E. These vitamins are fat-soluble, which means they can only be absorbed with the help of fats.

Any fat that's not used by your body's cells or turned into energy is converted into body fat. Likewise, unused carbohydrates and proteins are also converted into body fat. All types of fat are high in energy. A gram of fat, whether it's saturated or unsaturated, provides 9kcal 37kJ of energy compared with 4kcal 17kJ for carbohydrate and protein. Most fats and oils contain both saturated and unsaturated fats in different proportions.

As part of a healthy diet, you should try to cut down on foods and drinks that are high in saturated fats and trans fats and replace some of them with unsaturated fats. Most of them come from animal sources, including meat and dairy products, as well as some plant foods, such as palm oil and coconut oil. Cholesterol is a fatty substance that's mostly made by the body in the liver. Eating too much saturated fats in your diet can raise "bad" LDL cholesterol in your blood , which can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Trans fats are found naturally at low levels in some foods, such as meat and dairy products. Most of the fat in yoghurt is saturated fat, but dairy products seem to impact health less than, say, animal fats Credit: Getty Images.

Of course, good luck and good genes can go a long way too. In short, that's more advice to eat a healthy Mediterranean-style diet — and steer clear of butter coffees, burgers and bacon. Disclaimer All content within this column is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional.

The BBC is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content of this site. The BBC is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites. Always consult your own GP if you're in any way concerned about your health. Join more than one million Future fans by liking us on Facebook , or follow us on Twitter or Instagram. The discovery that monounsaturated fat could be healthful came from the Seven Countries Study during the s.

It revealed that people in Greece and other parts of the Mediterranean region enjoyed a low rate of heart disease despite a high-fat diet. The main fat in their diet, though, was not the saturated animal fat common in countries with higher rates of heart disease.

It was olive oil, which contains mainly monounsaturated fat. This finding produced a surge of interest in olive oil and the "Mediterranean diet," a style of eating regarded as a healthful choice today. Although there's no recommended daily intake of monounsaturated fats, the Institute of Medicine recommends using them as much as possible along with polyunsaturated fats to replace saturated and trans fats.

Polyunsaturated fats. When you pour liquid cooking oil into a pan, there's a good chance you're using polyunsaturated fat. Corn oil, sunflower oil, and safflower oil are common examples.

Polyunsaturated fats are essential fats. That means they're required for normal body functions but your body can't make them. So, you must get them from food. Polyunsaturated fats are used to build cell membranes and the covering of nerves. They are needed for blood clotting, muscle movement, and inflammation. A polyunsaturated fat has two or more double bonds in its carbon chain. There are two main types of polyunsaturated fats: omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. The numbers refer to the distance between the beginning of the carbon chain and the first double bond.

Both types offer health benefits. Eating polyunsaturated fats in place of saturated fats or highly refined carbohydrates reduces harmful LDL cholesterol and improves the cholesterol profile. It also lowers triglycerides. Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines, flaxseeds, walnuts, canola oil, and unhydrogenated soybean oil.

Omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent and even treat heart disease and stroke. In addition to reducing blood pressure, raising HDL, and lowering triglycerides, polyunsaturated fats may help prevent lethal heart rhythms from arising. Evidence also suggests they may help reduce the need for corticosteroid medications in people with rheumatoid arthritis. Studies linking omega-3s to a wide range of other health improvements, including reducing risk of dementia, are inconclusive, and some of them have major flaws, according to a systematic review of the evidence by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Omega-6 fatty acids have also been linked to protection against heart disease.