8 Saturated Fatty Acid Facts You Must Know

Along with the increasing awareness of healthy living, now more and more people are trying to avoid saturated fatty acids. Here are some facts of saturated fatty acids that must be understood. Fat intake and fatty acids are needed as energy providers and help absorption of certain types of vitamins. However, excessive consumption of saturated fatty acids actually harms health.

Facts About Saturated Fatty Acids

Not difficult to distinguish saturated fatty acids in food. At room temperature, saturated fatty acids are solid. Some other facts about saturated fatty acids, namely:

1. Eating foods containing excessive saturated fatty acids can increase blood cholesterol levels. In addition, foods that are high in saturated fatty acids are also likely to contain high calories.
2. The experts say, excessive intake of saturated fatty acids is associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease, such as heart disease or high blood pressure.
3. Research reveals that saturated fatty acids may be related to certain types of cancer, such as breast, colon, and prostate cancer.
4. Reducing the intake of saturated fatty acids by no more than 10% of total calories can help reduce blood cholesterol levels. For people at high risk of cardiovascular disease, the intake of saturated fatty acids is even lower at 5-6% of the total daily calories. So if your calorie needs reach 2,000 calories per day, your intake of saturated fatty acids should not exceed 120 calories or around 13 grams per day.
5. Saturated fatty acids are just one food nutrient. You must still pay attention to overall diet. Mediterranean diet with fat intake of about 45% of total calories and limited saturated fatty acid content, is one of the recommended diets.
6. Most of the fat that comes from animals contains saturated fatty acids. For example, meat, bread, milk, and other processed products such as sausages, butter, and smoked meat. In addition, some oils from plants such as coconut oil and palm oil are also high in saturated fatty acid content.
7. Replacing saturated fatty acids with unsaturated fatty acids will reduce the risk of heart disease. Unsaturated fatty acids such as omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids can be found from soybean oil, canola oil, and corn oil. Unsaturated fatty acids are also found in sea fish such as salmon and mackerel, and nuts.
8. A healthy diet with limited saturated fatty acids can prevent heart disease, especially minimizing processed foods. You can eat brown rice, fish, beans, vegetables, seeds, and olive oil. Consumption of animal products, cheese, and dairy products.

In addition to paying attention to healthy eating patterns that do not contain excessive saturated fatty acids, it is also important to pay attention to other healthy lifestyles. Start exercising regularly, avoid excessive stress, and avoid smoking. If necessary, consult your diet with a nutritionist.