Saturated fatty acids get their name from the fact that they are composed of carbon atoms that are saturated with hydrogen atoms. These fats are typically solid at room temperature and are found primarily in animal-based foods, including meat, poultry, and dairy products. These foods also contain a relative of fatty acids called cholesterol (see below). Several plant oils, including coconut, palm, and palm kernel, also contain high levels of saturated fats, but they do not contain cholesterol.
The American Heart Association (AHA) notes that Americans on average consume four to five times as much saturated fat as trans fat, the other unhealthy fat. How much saturated fat should you be eating? The AHA recommends limiting your consumption to less than 7 percent of your total daily calories. For example, if you need about 2,000 calories per day, you should not be eating more than 140 calories from saturated fats, which translates into about 16 grams of saturated fats daily.
Benefits of Saturated Fats
The liver uses saturated fats to manufacture cholesterol. Cholesterol has a good guy/bad guy profile. In fact, it is critically important for the production of many steroid hormones, including testosterone, estrogen and progesterone as well as vitamin D.
Good and Bad Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a waxy substance composed of fats and proteins that the body acquires in two ways: from the liver, which produces 3,000 to 4,000 mg of cholesterol every day; and from food. Like its relatives the fats, cholesterol has both good and bad qualities, which in the case of cholesterol is partly determined by the company that it keeps. That is, cholesterol travels throughout the body on a type of molecule called a lipoprotein. Cholesterol that hooks up with high-density lipoproteins (HDL) travels from the cells to the liver, where it is excreted and transported throughout the body so the cells can use it for metabolism and cell repairs. HDL can help reduce serum cholesterol levels and so it is considered a “good” cholesterol.
The “bad” cholesterol is associated with low-density lipoproteins, which carry oxidized cholesterol from the liver to the cells. The problem with this sequence of events is that the cells do not allow the body to use the cholesterol, which means LDL cholesterol builds up as deposits on the walls of the arteries and increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
A triglyceride is a basic component of a fat and consists of a base substance called glycerol, to which are attached three fatty acid chains. When the body metabolizes triglycerides, they break down into these fatty acids and glycerol and are carried from the intestinal tract, through the lymphatic system, and then deposited into the blood.
When too many triglycerides enter the blood (a common result of eating a high-fat diet), the blood can thicken, making it more difficult for the heart to circulate the blood through the body and overstressing the heart.
Saturated Fats, Heart Attack and Cancer
Consuming too much saturated fat can raise your blood cholesterol levels, which can in turn clog your arteries and increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. When it comes to raising blood cholesterol levels, saturated fat is a bigger culprit than dietary cholesterol.
Studies also show that high intake of saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of cancer. In the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition, the researchers found a link between high intake of saturated fat and a greater risk of breast cancer. (Sieri 2008) However, the same study also looked at any possible relationship between dietary fat intake and prostate cancer in 142,520 men, and the results were negative: the researchers did not find an association between intake of any type of dietary fat and an increased risk of prostate cancer. (Crowe 2008)
How to Reduce Saturated Fats
The body produces all the saturated fat it needs, so there is no dietary requirement for this fat. However, you do not need to completely eliminate foods that have saturated fat in them, just keep consumption low to the 7 percent of total calories as recommended by the AHA. You can substitute foods high in monounsaturated and/or polyunsaturated fatty acids for those high in saturated fats. That means liquid vegetable oils should take the place of tropical oils, and that fish (especially those rich in omega-3 fatty acids), nuts, and legumes can replace much or all of the meat and poultry you eat. When it comes to dairy products, The Prostate Diet recommends limiting these foods—as well as meat, poultry, and eggs—to one to two servings per week.
